We spent the morning exploring the historic sites at Keri Keri.
First stop a replica of Rewa's fishing village, named after Ngapuhi chief Rewa. It is an early Maori fishing village, as it would have been when Europeans first arrived in New Zealand.
I'm not exactly sure when the site was created, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't been maintained since!! It's a very half hearted attempt and you definitely don't get a sense of what it would have been like to live there.
Next stop the Stone Store and Kemp House. New Zealand's oldest stone and wooden buildings. Both have been well maintained. You can only look through Kemp House if you go on the tour, but it was well worth it to hear the history of the house and they have recreations in each room to show what life would have been like - plus some of the original furniture and equipment, including the dining table and kitchen tea kettle.
View of the Stone Store and Kemp House from Rewa's fishing village
The Stone Store ... now a really good quality souvenir shop. If you take the Kemp House tour you can also access a museum on the top floors of the Stone Stone.
Kemp House - NZ's oldest wooden building.
Tui in the gardens
Next stop - Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
There is quite a good information centre, with a timeline of the major events from the time of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, plus background stories about each of the major historical figures involved. Also quite interesting is the translations of the Treaty from English to Maori and back to English again ... definitely some content lost in translation!!
Welcome into the Carved Meeting House
Cultural Performance inside the Carved Meeting House
Ceremonial War Canoe
