Kerikeri
Encyclopedia
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Northland Region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, is a popular tourist destination about three hours drive north of Auckland, and 80 km north of Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
. It is often described as the Cradle Of The Nation, being the site of the first permanent mission station
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
in the country, and it has some of the most historic buildings in the country.
A rapidly expanding centre of sub-tropical and allied horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, Kerikeri is in the Far North District
Far North District
The Far North District of New Zealand, as its name suggests, is the northernmost district within New Zealand, consisting of the northern tip of the North Island. The current mayor is Wayne Brown.-Geography:...
of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
and lies at the western extremity of the Kerikeri Inlet, a northwestern arm of the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
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 northern tip of the country....
, where fresh water of the Kerikeri River
Kerikeri River
The Kerikeri River rises in the Puketi Forest inland from Kerikeri and flows into the western extremity of the Bay Of Islands in northern New Zealand....
enters the salty Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Kerikeri (airport) is located at 35°16′S 173°55′E . A fast growing community, the 2001 census
New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
showed the population of 4,878 was an increase of 16.3 percent over the 1996 figure, and the 2006 census tally of 5,856 was a further population growth of 20 percent.
It is a far cry from the village established by New Zealand's pioneering missionaries. They called it Gloucestertown, or Gloucester Town, but neither name endured. The Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
word Kerikeri is pronounced with a rolled r sound. but the town's name is today generally pronounced Kerry Kerry by Pakeha (english heritaged residents) and Kerikeri (with a rolled r) by maori, or Pakeha who respect the Maori language. The later being the correct pronunciation.
In 1814 Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden was an English born Anglican cleric and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand...
acquired land at Kerikeri from Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika was a New Zealand Māori rangatira and war leader of the Ngāpuhi iwi . Hongi Hika used European weapons to overrun much of northern New Zealand in the first of the Musket Wars...
for the use of the Church Missionary Society for a payment of forty-eight axes.
Kerikeri was the first place in New Zealand where grape vines were planted. Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden was an English born Anglican cleric and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand...
planted 100 vines on 25 September 1819 and noted in his journal that New Zealand promised to be very favourable to the vine. The plough was first used in New Zealand at Kerikeri, by Rev. J. G. Butler, on 3 May 1820.
Origins and naming
The origin of the name Kerikeri is not exactly known, and there have been many conflicting definitions given over the years. It is likely Kerikeri derives its name from the river and in fact, after visiting the area in 1815, John Nicholson wrote "the river that discharged itself into the cove was called by the natives Tecaddiecaddie....". But where did the river get its name?The definition of the word Kerikeri most widely known by pākehā
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
(New Zealanders of European descent) is 'dig dig', or 'to keep digging'. It is known that Māori had extensive gardens in the area when Europeans arrived.
Another definition derives from Kerikeri te ana wai — "the churning or boiling over of the waters". That would have aptly described the freshwater river tumbling into the salt water over the falls which were then higher (being blasted early in the 1900s to accommodate a bridge). However, some Māori say it derives from hukerikeri which means "bubbling up", and there is a sad reasoning behind this. Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika was a New Zealand Māori rangatira and war leader of the Ngāpuhi iwi . Hongi Hika used European weapons to overrun much of northern New Zealand in the first of the Musket Wars...
, a famous or infamous chief depending on whether one fought with or against him, is reputed to have fathered the child of a captured slave at Kororipo Pā. As this was unacceptable to the tribe, the baby was placed in the water to drown but persistently rose to the surface, hence the "bubbling up".
What are now called Wharepuke Falls, upriver from the Stone Store Basin, were called the Kerikeri Falls until the 1930s when given the name Wharepoke which referred to the large adjacent area of native bush
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
. A French doctor, Messier Lesson, visited Kerikeri in 1824 and wrote that among stomach ailments suffered by Māori was "gravelle" (gravel) which they called Kiddee Kiddee. He said it was also the word for a cascade of water.
To cloud the issue there have been some persistent claims that the falls referred to by the missionaries as "The Kiddikiddi" were what we now call the Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls (Waianiwaniwa)
The Rainbow Falls, Māori name Waianiwaniwa, , are a single-drop waterfall located on the Kerikeri River near Kerikeri in New Zealand....
. That is impossible because although Nicholson visited and referred to Tecaddiecaddie in 1815 it was not until 1822 that missionaries Francis Hall and James Kemp became the first Europeans to see them.
Tourist slogan
The local Kerikeri slogan is "It's So Nice They Named It Twice". In the early 1980s, an anonymous backpacker wrote those words in the Visitors' Book at the Kerikeri Youth HostelHostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
. It was brought to the attention of the then editor of the local newspaper, the Kerikeri Chronicle, who gave it publicity, and it quickly became adopted as a quasi-official slogan. Kerikeri is a former winner of the "New Zealand's Top Small Town" title bestowed annually by North and South magazine, and this has since been the main focus of most tourism marketing of the town.
Mission House
Originally called the Mission House, and then for more than 100 years Kemp House, but now again called Mission House, this is the oldest wooden structure still standing in New Zealand. A much visited and photographed building, it is administered along with the Stone Store (see below) by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
.
It was built by the Church Missionary Society for the Rev John Butler (New Zealand's first clergyman) who became the first occupant in 1822, but only for a short while. There was a succession of occupants until 1832 when the mission blacksmith James Kemp and his wife Charlotte moved in with their family.
The Kemps acquired ownership of the house and surrounding land in 1859 by trading land they owned at nearby Kororipo Point. From then on the Mission House became Kemp House and it remained in the Kemp family until 1976 when it was gifted to the Nation by Ernest Kemp, a great grandson of the missionary James Kemp and Charlotte Kemp.
St. James Church
St James, the wooden church on the hill above the Stone Store, is the third built in the area, and second on this picturesque site overlooking the basin. The missionaries' first little combined chapel and school was built near the water and dedicated on 19 April 1824. It was replaced in 1829 when a 38 ft by 18 ft (11.5 × 5.5 metre) lath and plasterLath and plaster
Lath and plaster is a building process used mainly for interior walls in Canada and the United States until the late 1950s. After the 1950s, drywall began to replace the lath and plaster process in the United States. In the United Kingdom, lath and plaster was used for some interior partition...
structure was erected on the present site of St James. It came complete with a town clock which was later incorporated in the Stone Store.
The new and slightly larger St James, built of weatherboard and battens, was dedicated in 1878. It was another 85 years before the church was extended to its present day size to cater for a growing congregation (1963). In 1968 a damaging tornado hit Kerikeri with enough force to skew St James' off line. Services had to be held elsewhere until a major repair and restoration was completed. The church bell came from HMNZS Black Prince
HMS Black Prince
Five ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Black Prince, after Edward, the Black Prince , the eldest son of King Edward III of England....
, a light cruiser which served the Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
with distinction until it was decommissioned in 1960.
Stone Store
The Stone Store, a former storehouse, is the oldest stone building in New Zealand, construction having begun on 19 April 1832. The keystone above the door bearing the date 1833 is thought to have been carved by the stonemason William Parrott who cut the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in situ, but construction of the building was not actually completed until mid-1836.
Stone was used because the missionaries needed a vermin-free, fireproof area for their supplies and provisions, and for improved security from inquisitive Māori. There was a plan to build a mill where the bridge exists now, and to protect the flour produced from locally grown wheat in the store. But the mill never eventuated, and the millstones brought out from England went inland to Waimate North instead.
Curiously enough, when work started on the building, Māori were already moving out of the district, and when it was finally completed there were very few Māori remaining at Kerikeri. Furthermore, there were rumblings within the missionary community that Kerikeri was becoming the backwater of missionary activity, eliminating the need to store goods and provisions there. It was considered a folly at the time, but one that blesses Kerikeri today.
Over the years, the Stone Store suffered the cumulative effects of adjacent traffic movements and the ravages of normal wear and tear. Costly remedial work was required and in the 21st century a bypass was constructed and opened on 23 June 2008, to divert traffic and protect the building for posterity. The old stone store bridge was completely removed in the second half of 2008. The reasons for removal of the original bridge are controversial, and there was a groundswell of protest from a number of local residents. The bridge was removed regardless and the debate over whether this was the correct course of action has yet to be resolved in the minds of many residents. The building has been restored to its original state, but does not include the tower on the roof containing the clock removed from the chapel further up the hill, which was removed as a safety measure a long time ago.
Rewa's Village
It was named after Ngapuhi chief Rewa (also known as Maanu), who was one of three chiefly brothers originally belonging to the Ngai Tawake hapu
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
; the other two brothers being; Te Wharerahi
Te Wharerahi
Te Wharerahi was a highly-respected rangatira of the Ipipiri area of Aotearoa/New Zealand.- Origins and mana :...
and Moka 'Kainga-mataa'
Moka 'Kainga-mataa'
Moka Kainga-mataa [Te Kaingamataa/Te Kaingamata/Te Kainga-mata/Te Kainga-mataa] was a Māori rangatira of the Ngā Puhi iwi from Northland in New Zealand...
who used to live here in the 1820s-1830s.
Kainga were sited close to fresh water and local fishing waters or gardens, and sometimes near fortified pā
Pa (Maori)
The word pā can refer to any Māori village or settlement, but in traditional use it referred to hillforts fortified with palisades and defensive terraces and also to fortified villages. They first came into being about 1450. They are located mainly in the North Island north of lake Taupo...
such as Kororipo which was just over the water.
Rewa's Village has all the features of a true kainga, including a marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
area, chief's whare (house), kauta (cooking shelter), whata (bench where food was placed), tall whata, weapons store, pataka (raised food store), enclosure for the tohunga
Tohunga
In the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga is an expert practitioner of any skill or art, religious or otherwise. Tohunga may include expert priests, healers, navigators, carvers, builders, teachers and advisors. The equivalent term in Hawaiian culture is kahuna...
(a wise person who advised the community on just about everything), rahui
Rahui
In Māori culture, a rāhui is a form of tapu restricting access to, or use of, an area or resource by unauthorised persons. With the passing of the 1996 Fisheries Act, a rāhui can also be imposed by the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries...
(a post marking tapu or out of bounds limits), whare made of bark, waka
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
tiwai (fishing canoe), bird snare, hangi
Hangi
Hāngi is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven still used for special occasions.To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the...
pit (ground oven), genuine historic canoes, family enclosure, rua (storage area ) for kumara
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
(sweet potato) and a paepae haumati (the basic toilet system which was flushed twice daily by the tide) .
Arts
There are dozens of arts and crafts enterprises in the Kerikeri area and the Art and Craft Trail has become well known to tourists. This involves a visit to about 20 arts and crafts outlets in the area.Since the advent of the Kerikeri campus of Northland Polytechnic in the 1990s, Kerikeri has become the centre of glass artists in Northland.
Backpackers
Kerikeri and the Bay of Islands is popular with backpackers. Camper and backpacker destinations in Kerikeri include Aranga Holiday Park and Hone Heke Lodge in Hone Heke Road (near the schools and the Stone Store, Kemp House and Rewa's Village), Pagoda Lodge and Hideaway Lodge.Beaches
Although the water at the Stone Store basin is a part of the Bay of Islands where overseas yachties tie up regularly, especially in the hurricane season, Kerikeri township does not have a beach. But not too far away there are the beaches at Matauri BayMatauri Bay
Matauri Bay is a bay in New Zealand, situated 30 km north of Kerikeri, in Whangaroa county, just north of the Bay of Islands. It has over a kilometre of beautiful white sand and crystal clear water...
which boasts excellent views of the Cavalli Islands
Cavalli Islands
The Cavalli Islands are a small group of islands in Whangaroa on Northland's East Coast in northern New Zealand. They lie to the east of Matauri Bay on the mainland....
, Te Ngaere and Tapuaetahi .
Dawn chorus
Just before dawn, at Manginangina in the Puketi Forest, hundreds of native birds gather to sing in the day. This has become a popular tourist attraction.Fairy Pools
These were gifted to the nation by Caroline Little who was captivated by them in 1928 on her first visit from China.Fishing
The Bay Of Islands has been renowned for its game fishing since being popularised by the American author Zane GreyZane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
in the 1930s. Charter operators are busy all year round.
Flying
Kerikeri AirportKerikeri Airport
-External links:*...
on the western perimeter of the town is a busy commuter link with Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, and has a very active Bay Of Islands Aero Club.
Kororipo Pā
Kororipo Pā stands at the head of the Kerikeri Inlet which was known as Te Waha o te Riri (the inlet of war) not long after the missionaries arrived.Leisure activities
The Waikeri Garden Club thrives with a mixed membership of well over 100 keen gardeners. The club meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at The Kerikeri RSARoyal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, often referred to as the Returned Services' Association but best known simply as the RSA, is one of the largest voluntary welfare organisations in New Zealand and one of the oldest ex-service organisations in the world.Wounded soldiers...
in Cobham Road at 10.30 am. Interesting speakers are invited to attend, and members are asked to bring a plate for a shared lunch afterwards.
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls (Waianiwaniwa)
The Rainbow Falls, Māori name Waianiwaniwa, , are a single-drop waterfall located on the Kerikeri River near Kerikeri in New Zealand....
on the Kerikeri River is Waianiwaniwa which means Waters of the Rainbow. They are one of the most visited attractions in the district. It is possible to drive almost to the falls, with walking also possible from the Stone Store basin.
Sailing
The Kerikeri Cruising Club at Doves Bay is very active due to the boating waters on Kerikeri's doorstep. The club has modern facilities including a large marina which doubled in size in 2003. The Kerikeri High School Sailing Team has been New Zealand secondary schools' champion several times, and when representing New Zealand has defeated the AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
ns in cross-Tasman series (their last victory being in October 2010). There is also a comprehensive and worth-while Learn-To-Sail program held at the nearby Lake Manuwai, where anyone, young or old, can try their hand at the sport. Many Kerikeri sailors have gone on to Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
or world championship and international match racing circuits, and had a hand in New Zealand winning the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
in 1996.
Shopping, and dining out
Kerikeri is fast becoming the boutique shopping destination of the North. In Kerikeri you will find boutiques offering designer clothing, original crafts and gift shops, home decor and gourmet food stores. Kerikeri has a thriving retail economy with two large supermarkets and many small retailers. A Farmers Market offering fresh locally grown produce is held every Sunday morning in the Post Shop carpark and has proved to be a very popular event. Kerikeri has several restaurants offering foods from around the world.Swimming
As well as the at nearby Matauri Bay, Te Ngaere etc., and various places to swim in the Kerikeri River such as the Fairy Pools, Kerikeri has a modern swimming pool with diving facilities. Although sited at the Kerikeri High School it is a community pool.Charlie's Rock is a waterfall and swimming hole. A track was constructed to Charlie's Rock from Cherry Park House by students of Springbank School in 2009.
Education
Kerikeri High School is a secondary (years 7-13) school with a roll of around 1500.Kerikeri Primary School and Riverview School are contributing primary (years 1-6) schools with rolls of 547 and 381 respectively.
Springbank School
Springbank School
Springbank School, founded in 1996, is an independent co-educational school in Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The school caters for students aged Year 1-13 and is situated on 14ha of rural land near Kerikeri airport...
is a private composite (years 1-13) school with a roll of 255.
All these schools are coeducational. Riverview School has a decile rating
Socio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
of 8, and the others all have a decile rating of 7.
NorthTec
NorthTec
NorthTec is the largest tertiary education provider in northern New Zealand. NorthTec is the only Northland-based Tertiary Education Institute that provides programmes ranging from foundation, certificate, diploma and degree levels....
polytechnic also has a campus in Kerikeri.