Resting in Russell (Posting from the road)

Number 79 done. My goal of seeing 100 of the 1000 Places to See Before You Die came closer to actualization as we arrived 2 nights ago in the sleepy town of Russell on a peninsula in the Bay of Islands. We are very close to the very northern tip of NZ, so the temperature is vastly improved, unfortunately the weather is still less then desirable. We relaxed our first day, taking the small bus tour of the area - essentially we were driven around town on a short bus by a man from Scotland whle learning about the bloody history of Russell. It's hard to believe there could ever be a sketchy past here; the town has 750 residents, about 1/2 of whom I met personally one day while snacking on scones. Within a few hours everyone knew who we were and where we were from...I dare say there are not to many secrets in Russell.

The big story in town however was the arrival of a couple from Auckland who were contest winners. A local luxury lodge (FYI - a night at the Eagle's Nest runs about $42,000 a night - 4 night minimum) ran a contest in an Auckland newspaper, get married in the nude and your reception would be at this lodge, fully paid for. The good news is that the winning couple were and attractive and fit couple. The bad news, it was very chilly in Russell these days...as was evident when we watched the couple being photographed around the town.

I wandered off by myself for a bit in the afternoon, exploring the rocks around the point when another rainstorm set in. I took refuge in a cave, hoping to ride out the storm. This wouldn't have been such a bad plan if the entrance/exit to the cave weren't dependant on the tide. I carefully watched the ocean creep up around me and wondered what would happen if I drowned in this cave; would they ever find me? Did my travel insurance cover shipping my body home? Would there be a funeral in Seattle and Thunder Bay? I was deep in thought when Barry appeared around the corner muttering his usual phrase about no sense of self preservation and convinced me that it might be a better option to face the rain then end up in a watery grave. I will just say for the record that I was about to leave when Barry came...I just wanted to see if the rain would stop.

Our final day in Russell was supposed to be spent sailing around the picturesque Bay, unfortunately the gale warning that was in effect cancelled the sailing trip. We opted to enjoy the day instead on a double hulled motorized Catamaran with an enclosed viewing area. We still got to see the highlights of the area, just a lot faster, still very wavy in the unsheltered areas. The option to swim with dolphins was revoked on account of the seas but it was still very cool to watch them play in and around our boat. Even with the overcast skies, the water was an amazing colour of blue.

We are departing now, bound for our final stop, the Toronto of New Zealand - Auckland. With a few days of rest under our belts here in Russell we have lots of plans for adventure!