Welcome to Kerikeri

Chris Booth Sculpture

Kerikeri has much to offer, its location placing it perfectly as a base to stay and explore the Bay of Islands and the rest of Northland. Investigate the history, enjoy The Old Packhouse Markets on Saturday and Sunday and the local BOI Farmers’ Market in the P.O. carpark on Sunday. Taste local produce, browse art galleries, shop in the delightful local stores. Kerikeri is a town full of charm and character and you will easily fill your plans for a day, a week or a month. Check out the Locals’ Favourite Spots and the Day Trips featured in this guide. As visitors and travellers you will enjoy this vibrant town, one of New Zealand’s top visitor destinations.

Arrive via a 40-minute flight from Auckland to Kerikeri’s “Bay of Islands Airport”, or choose one of several coaches travelling between Auckland and Kerikeri. Alternatively, drive north from Auckland for three hours up the eastern arm of the picturesque Twin Coast Highway. Whichever way you choose to arrive, a warm welcome awaits you!

Kerikeri, in the scenic Bay of Islands, is awonderful part of the country – a place of historical significance and a well-loved “escape from it all” with its relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Māori met foreign missionaries here and history changed forever.

Kerikeri is a short half-hour drive from Paihia, gateway to the 144 subtropical islands which comprise the world-famous Bay of Islands. With a strong community atmosphere, excellent Public and Private Schools and a diverse range of products and services, Kerikeri is home to many of New Zealand’s successful Businesses, Artists, Horticulturalists and Sports people, together with local and international casual workers who pick and pack the abundance of local fruits. All are drawn to our relaxed outdoor lifestyle and warmer climate.

An attractive, vibrant and progressive town with a rich history, Kerikeri is known as the “Cradle of the Nation”. It boasts the country’s oldest wooden building, Kemp House (1821) and oldest stone building, the Stone Store (1832).

The riverside setting of these two historically significant buildings, with walks and two cafes, is a “must” for any visitor’s itinerary.

The area’s warm sub-tropical climate provides something for everyone, with plentiful outdoor activities, forests, coastal walks, championship all-weather golf courses, lakes, waterfalls, maritime playground, beaches, fishing, diving, yachting and more – great experiences on tap along with interesting shops, delightful restaurants and cafes, high quality, award-winning wineries, a collection of art and craft centres, a marina, a civic centre and a cinema, all amidst an abundance of scenic attractions.

With tourism to the Bay of Islands expanding rapidly, Kerikeri has an ever-growing and varied selection of motels, chalets, lodges, bed & breakfasts, homestays, backpacker hostels, camping and holiday parks. From sophisticated resort-style wellbeing centres for luxurious pampering, to more relaxed, laid-back, “home- style” accommodation, there is something to suit every taste and budget. Welcome to our unique Kerikeri

History – Powerful and engaging

Kerikeri 1935

Kerikeri has featured in the European history of New Zealand from the outset. The first European to visit the area was Captain James Cook, who named the region the Bay of Islands in 1769. Up until the founding of Auckland and Wellington, the Bay of Islands was the centre of European activity in New Zealand.

After Samuel Marsden met with Te Pahi, the paramount chief of the Ngati Rehia of Kerikeri and one of the earliest Māori to start trading with the early Europeans, Marsden returned to the Church Missionary Society in London and a decision was made to establish a mission in New Zealand. Marsden and his entourage arrived back in the Bay of Islands on 23 December
1814, anchoring just outside the Kerikeri Inlet. It was here that Marsden held NZ’s first church service, on Christmas Day 1814. Today you can visit Marsden Cross on Purerua Peninsula, erected to commemorate the event.

Kerikeri Mission was founded by the Church Missionary Society in 1819 under the protection of Ngapuhi Chief Hongi Hika, and overseen by Kororipo Pa, Hongi’s stronghold. In pre-European times Kororipo, the terraced pa site which overlooks and shelters the Kerikeri basin, was a stockaded fortress. When the missionaries moved here in the early 1820s it was the site of an unfortified village inhabited by some of Hongi Hika and Rewa’s people. The Church Missionary Society bought approximately 13,000 acres from Hongi Hika and Rewa in 1831. This is the land on which Kerikeri sits today.

THE STONE STORE

Open daily 10am-5pm Nov to April, otherwise daily 10am-4pm. Built in 1832, the Georgian-style Stone Store was originally a Missionary Society warehouse but later assumed various roles including a trading post, library, barracks and boys’ school. In 1975 the NZ Historic Places Trust, now Heritage New Zealand, bought it. The Stone Store had also served as a general store, with today’s gift shop continuing that tradition. Museum displays can be viewed above the shop.

TE AHUREA

Northland’s Living Village & Cultural Experience, sits in one of the most significantly important historical sites in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Te Ahurea has undergone a significant transformation from it’s former identity as a replica fishing village, to an interactive Māori experience. Te Ahurea is situated in the picturesque Kerikeri basin alongside historic Kororipo Pā (Hongi Hika’s fortified enclosure), the Kerikeri Stone Store, and Mission House.

THE MISSION STATION

Established in 1819, the Kerikeri Mission Station is one of the first places in New Zealand where Māori invited visitors to live amongst them. At the heart of the Mission Station are two of the country’s oldest buildings, the Stone Store and Kemp House. Both are cornerstones of a broader historical landscape, and essential sights for heritage-lovers

Useful Phone Numbers
POLICE / FIRE / AMBULANCE111
BAY OF ISLANDS HOSPITAL09 404 0280
MEDICAL CENTRES09 407 0025/09 407 777
VETERINARY CLINICS09 407 1195/09 407 7199/09 407 7354
PUBLIC LIBRARY09 407 9297
COASTGUARD AIR PATROL09 407 3330
COASTGUARD BAY OF ISLANDS09 407 4071
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU0800 367 222
MARINE FORECAST & TIDE TABLES09 438 8050
KERIKERI AIRPORT09 407 8419
SPCA EMERGENCY09 407 7515

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