Bay of Islands years ago, the Mataatua, one of the large Māori migration canoes which journeyed to New Zealand from Hawaiki, was sailed to the Bay of Islands (from the Bay of Plenty) by Puhi, a progenitor of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) which today is the largest in the country. Māori settled and multiplied throughout the bay and on several of its many islands to establish various tribes such as the Ngāti Miru at Kerikeri. Many notable Māori were born in the Bay of Islands, including Hone Heke who several times cut down the flagpole at Kororāreka (Russell) to start the Flagstaff War.
Radio Bay of Plenty the station. Its original slogan included the words "from the Eastern Bay of Plenty, wherever you may go, the entertainment's better when you dial 1 2 4 0". Broadcasting Minister H.J. Walker officially opened the station at 10.30am on Wednesday 30 June 1971. It initially broadcast 19.5 hours of live original local content from 5.00am to 12.30am each day with additional 24-hour licenses granted during some summer holiday seasons. The station was not allowed to broadcast advertising on Sundays and did all its own local and international news and sports reporting. It gave away one of the country's first colour