Okiato or Old Russell is a small town in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of present-day Russell. It was founded in 1840 and served as New Zealand's first national capital until 1841, when the seat of government was moved to Auckland. The car ferry across the Bay of Islands, which provides the main access to Russell, runs between Okiato and Opua. The name Okiato comes from Māori. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage translates Ōkiato to "place of [a] receptacle for holding sacred objects" .