Kerikeri Basin

This afternoon we went to the Kerikeri basin. We walked along the river track which leads to Rainbow Falls. We walked from Rainbow Falls to the basin in the first week we arrived.

We didn’t walk very far along the river track this time. We came back and crossed the river over the bridge which leads to Kemp House and the Stone Store.

Kemp House is the oldest building in New Zealand. It was built by Maori sawyers and missionary carpenters from the London-based Church Missionary Society in 1820-21. It is the sole survivor of the Musket Wars of the 1820's.

Next to Kemp House is the Stone Store which is New Zealand’s oldest stone building. The Stone Store was built to hold mission supplies and wheat from the mission farm at Te Waimate, but the building was mainly leased as a kauri gum trading store. It was built by an Australian convict. Today it is still run as a store selling local crafts.

We walked up the hill from the Stone Store to St. James Church. In the graveyard there were headstones for many of the Kemp family. The church was opened in December 1878, at a cost of £235. We went inside and there were stained glass windows at either end of the small church.