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Bay of Islands
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The Bay of Islands is an area in
the Northland region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km
north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the
It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in
the country, and has been renowned internationally for its big-game fishing
since American author Zane Grey publicised it in the 1930s.
The may itself is an irregular 16 km-wide inlet in the north-eastern coast
of the island. A natural harbour, it has several arms which extend into the
land, notably Waikare Inlet in the south and Kerikeri and Te Puna (Mangonui)
inlets in the north-west. The small town of Russell is located at the end of
a short peninsula that extends into the bay from the southeast. Several
islands lie to the north of this peninsula, notably Urupukapuka Island to
the east and Moturoa Island to the north. The Purerua Peninsula extends to
the west of the bay, north of Te Puna Inlet, and Cape Brett Peninsula
extends 10 km into the Pacific Ocean at the eastern end of the bay.
The first European to visit the area was Captain Cook, who named the region
in 1769. The Bay of Islands was the first area in New Zealand to be settled
by Europeans. Whalers arrivedfull-blooded European child recorded as being
born in the country, Thomas King, was born in 1815 at Oihi Bay in the Bay of
Islands. (There have been unsubstantiated claims that a European girl was
born earlier at the Dusky Sound settlement in the South Island.
Source: Wikipedia |
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