Russell Things to Do Tips by worldkiwi

Pompallier House.

In 2006, I finally got a chance to explore this picturesque building in Russell. It is a place you must visit when in Russell as it has been wonderfully restored and houses interesting working displays of the building's surprising industrial heritage. This building was actually NZ's first factory! Downstairs there is a working tannery. Upstairs there is a working print. The guides here are fantastic. The lady I spoke to was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
If you are going to visit other historic buildings in the Bay of Islands, I think it would be cheaper to buy a special ticket that gives entry to a whole lot of places. Check to see what their validity is though.
This building was the first Catholic Missionary in New Zealand and is named after the Catholic bishop from France, who first lived in it. It was NZ$7.50 for adult entry in 2006.

New Zealand's quaintest police station?

Russell's heritage buildings have generally been well preserved and the old police station on the waterfront still serves its law and order function. "Business" started in 1870 and today the station is a charming feature as you walk along Russell's waterfront.

New Zealand's oldest church.

Christ Church, in Russell, is the country's oldest and bears the scars of some turbulent times during the 1840s. Today it is a quaint little church, one street back from the waterfront in town. Explore the graveyard and learn a little bit of NZ's history from the tombstones and the stories related by them. Keep an eye out for the musket ball holes on the exterior of the church building itself.