Last Day in Russell

Time to head back from Russell. First a bit more around the town. We went up Flagstaff Hill. Flags clearly hold powerful symbolism for New Zealanders. The flag above Russell was cut down numerous times in the aftermath of Treaty of Waitangi "misunderstandings" (and even today we saw a group of young Maori pretending to cut down the flags at the Treaty Grounds). Now there is a flagpole and sundial and tremendous views of the town and the gulf.





We also visited the Russell Museum, where they have a collection of Zane Grey items along with a 1/5 replica of Cook's Endeavor. We also got Alexander a dolphin to offset the lack of dolphin sightings on our tour.

On the way back, we stopped at Kawakawa where we saw the "world famous" Hundertwasser toilets. Mike can attest to the fact they are still in active use. A bit more time at a playground and then we arrived back on Waiheke.