December 2012 – March 2013
In Kerikeri, just outside of the town, is an area where the Kerikeri river falls over rocks and down into a tidal inlet. This inlet looks like a small lake, but it actually winds behind an area of trees and out to the Bay of Islands. When you’re in Kerikeri, you have no sense of being anywhere near the ocean, so we were shocked when we spotted a couple of boats we know in the river basin. How on earth did they get there? We found out boats can go up a river into the basin if they have a shallow draft.
Near the the river are some of New Zealand’s most important historical sites, including the Kemp House dating back to 1821. Back then it was used as a home, and it is still in use today as thousands of reluctant spouses are herded through at the insistence of their more historic-home-tour-loving partners.
There is also the Stone Store, which dates back to 1832 and is the oldest stone building in New Zealand. Now, it’s open to the public has become a pick-up put-down gift shop (you see something nice, pick it up, see the price, and put it back down). Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s fun to browse as they have some wonderful things.
There is also the St. James Church (a beautiful little chapel), Rewa’s Village (a recreation of a Maori village), and the wonderful Pear Tree restaurant. But the best reason to go is the scenery as this is such a pretty spot. When I think about how to describe it, the words pastoral and bucolic come to mind, words I don’t normally use but pop into my head here. -Cyndi
