Kerikeri
"So nice they named it twice"
With a population of 7,850, Kerikeri is the largest town in Northland. It’s an agricultural and horticultural hub – lots of kiwifruit vines and good wineries, many with cellar doors.
After an anonymous backpacker wrote "It's so nice they named it twice" in a local visitors' book in the 1980s, this became the local Kerikeri tourism slogan.
A couple of hiking trails lead to Rainbow Falls, which are well worth a visit.
There are good cafes and eating establishments on Kerikeri Rd, the main street.
Mission House
Head down to the river basin to see Mission House, the oldest wooden structure still standing in NZ, and the Stone Store, the oldest stone building in the country, completed in 1836. There’s a museum upstairs in the Stone Store and interesting shop downstairs.