Kerikeri is a small town in the Bay of Islands in Northland, and one of the most historically significant places in New Zealand. The Stone Store, built between 1832 and 1836, is the country's oldest surviving stone building, and the Kemp House from 1822 next door is the oldest surviving building in the country outright. Together with St James' Church and its ancient cemetery, the Kerikeri Basin heritage precinct tells the story of early European and Māori encounter more vividly than almost anywhere else in New Zealand.
Today Kerikeri is a prosperous horticultural town surrounded by orchards producing kiwifruit, citrus, and other subtropical fruit. There's a good Saturday market, several art galleries, and a relaxed lifestyle feel. The Kerikeri River offers a popular walk to Rainbow Falls, a 27-metre cascade about five kilometres upstream. The surrounding Bay of Islands provides excellent sailing, dolphin watching, and access to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where New Zealand's founding document was signed in 1840.