Russell - The "Hellhole of the Pacific"

Today I would like to take a look at Russell. To do this I have to take the ferry. After parking the camper in a parking lot, I make my way to the ferry. The sun is shining, it is warm. A man speaks to me on the street and says: "Another day in paradise!" Yes, this is truly paradisiacally beautiful. The sun, the warmth, the light, the colors of the water and nature. Fantastic!

In the past, 160 years ago, it didn't look so paradisiacal here. The nature was certainly very beautiful, but the surrounding area was probably not. Russell was nicknamed the “Hellhole of the Pacific” 160 years ago. Everything you wouldn't want to have in your neighborhood happened here: gambling addiction, arms trafficking, lawlessness. All of this came together in Russell, which was then called Kororareka. Russell is now a cozy and really nice little place. But the traces of that time can still be seen. Bullet holes can still be found in the church, for example.

There was war here. After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, the Maori realized that the English had a different interpretation of the treaty than they did. This upset some Maoris and in Russell a Maori tore down the flagpole in protest. Despite extensive guarding, this Maori felled the flagpole four times. Which of course led to war between English soldiers and the Maori. Hence the bullet holes in the church.

It is now very peaceful in Russell and towards the evening, when the day-trippers have left, it is certainly even more peaceful 😉 .