North Island · Explorer’s field notes

How to Kerikeri

Cradle of the nation in the Bay of Islands — orchards, the country's oldest stone building and a gentle subtropical pace.

Kerikeri videos from the Hôtel du Van founders are coming soon to the Stay Scene channel.

AVOID · Kerikeri

What to avoid in Kerikeri

Parking the van in the narrow lanes around the Stone Store on summer weekends — use the signed car park.
Driving SH10 in the dark in summer — slow holiday traffic and one-lane bridges.
Freedom camping on the Kerikeri Inlet roads — it's prohibited and patrolled.

The top ten

Places to explore, eat and stock up along the way.

1See & do
Kerikeri Mission Station & Stone Store
New Zealand's oldest surviving building (1822) and its stone store beside the river basin.
246 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri 0230
2See & do
Rainbow Falls
A 27-metre curtain of water, reached on an easy riverside track.
Rainbow Falls Road, Kerikeri 0230
3See & do
Te Waimate Mission
An 1830s mission house among old English trees, twenty minutes inland.
344 Te Ahu Ahu Road, Waimate North 0472
4See & do
Rewa's Village
A reconstructed pre-European Māori fishing village opposite the Stone Store.
1 Landing Road, Kerikeri 0230
5See & do
Kerikeri Farmers Market
Sunday mornings: citrus, avocados, cheeses and bread for the road.
Hobson Avenue car park, Kerikeri 0230
6See & do
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 — twenty-five minutes' drive.
1 Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi 0293
7Eat
Makana Confections
Boutique chocolate factory — watch through the glass, then taste.
504 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri 0230
8Eat
The Pear Tree
Riverside dining on the basin, beside the historic Stone Store.
215 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri 0230
9Eat
Food at Wharepuke
Thai-European plates in a subtropical garden setting.
190 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri 0230
10Coffee
Cafe Jerusalem
Much-loved Middle Eastern café for coffee, falafel and fresh salads.
Cobblestone Mall, 85 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri 0230

Do not make these mistakes!

1. Missing the Sunday market
It runs Sunday mornings only and the best produce is gone by 10am.
2. Swimming under Rainbow Falls after rain
Water quality and currents change fast after heavy rain. Admire from the pool edge.
3. Rushing Waitangi
Give the Treaty Grounds at least half a day — the museum and cultural performance are the highlight.

Continue the voyage

Photos are AI-generated illustrations. Opening hours and rules change — check before you go.