Thanks sarah, We have never been to NZ before, this is our first time.

We are staying in Auckland from Mon to sunday, Two days are taken up with a Great Sights tour from Auckland to Pahia, then overnight in the bay of islands, then next day back to Pahia. This is where we stop for 4 hours after the cruise. My husband and I are open to any activities. Also any suggestions in Auckland would be appreciated. thanks

paula

Paula,

If you are going on a cruise, then terra firma would probably be a good start. :)

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds is a couple of km's from the wharf in Paihia, and a fantastic place to see where it (New Zealand) all started from...read about it here http://bit.ly/waitangi.

Russell is a fantastic place to explore, as there is the Flagstaff lookout which offers 360 degree views of the whole Bay of Islands (it's controversial site where the pole was chopped down). Here's a link to Russell's fascinationg history http://bit.ly/flagstaff_pole

There are some great gift shops in Paihia and Russell also...

You can do a mini tour in Russell that will take you to some great sights in only an hour.

Let me know if you need links to those tours, or places to eat.

Sarah

Paihia itself is bland and characterless. With that time the ferry across to charming Russell is a good idea. Plenty of places to just hang out and people watch. You could also look at one of the many boat tours from Paihia or Russell.

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