Kerikeri River

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The Kerikeri River rises in the Puketi Forest inland from Kerikeri and flows into the western extremity of the Bay Of Islands in northern New Zealand.

Being slightly less than 20 kilometres long it is hardly a significant waterway, but because it terminates at one of the most important historic sites in the country, the Stone Store Basin, it is known to countless thousands of tourists who visit Kerikeri each year.

The freshwater river falls over rocks into the saltwater of the upper Kerikeri Inlet, a northwestern arm of the Bay of Islands, underneath a bridge which has caused much controversy. Planning and conservation authorities were proposing in 2004 to remove the bridge and construct a new one a few kilometres upriver, but many local residents opposed the scheme.

Planners say traffic must be diverted to protect Kerikeri's historic Stone Store whose front door opens virtually directly onto the roadway. The store was built in 1832 and is the oldest stone building extant in New Zealand. Adjacent is the Mission House, previously known as "Kemp House", which was built in 1822 and is the oldest surviving wooden house in Australia and New Zealand. Behind, up a hill, is St James' Church which has been on the site since 1829 (although in its current form only since 1878).

Part of the history of the river is that it was used by chief Hongi Hika whose Kororipo Pa is about 100 metres across the basin from the bridge. Hongi used the river and tracks beside it to commute to Kororipo, his coastal pa, which played a significant part in the historic Musket Wars.

A popular walking track from the basin leads about five kilometres to the river’s spectacular Rainbow Falls. One of the first hydroelectric power stations in New Zealand was constructed on the river, and remains of it can be seen from the track.