Kororipo Heritage Park
A meeting place of cultures
Kororipo Heritage Park is where Māori and Europeans lived side by side and where some of the most important early meetings between the two cultures took place.
View on map
The importance of Kororipo Heritage Park
For 500 years Kororipo has been one of the most important landing and meeting places in the north. Culturally and historically it’s one of the most significant sites in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The pā that was built here was a strategic site for northern Māori, culminating as the fortress and headquarters of Ngāpuhi chief Hongi Hika, who was a skilled leader in war and trade. 200 years ago Hongi Hika invited the Church Missionary Society to Kerikeri. The settlement that was built became the place where Māori and Europeans came to trade, talk and learn from each other.
Kororipo Heritage Park is proudly cared for in partnership by The Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Te Ahurea and the Far North District Council.
What you can see & do
Discover Kororipo Pā
Explore Kororipo Pā, once the seasonal home of famed and feared Chief Hongi Hika. A short track leads to a fortified lookout and stunning view over the Kerikeri Basin.
Visit Te Ahurea
Take a guided or self-guided tour and stroll along the tree-lined paths at Te Ahurea, and experience pre-European life at this interactive pā site setting along the banks of Te Awa o Ngā Rangatira, the River of Chiefs. Here you can also learn more about Māori native plants and traditional medicines in the Discoverers’ Gardens (fees apply).
Take a tour of Kemp House
Explore Kemp House, New Zealand’s oldest standing building (fees apply). Constructed in 1822, Kemp House is a large European home built by highly skilled Māori and missionary carpenters.
Visit the Stone Store
Shop for unique local gifts in the Stone Store, the oldest stone building and trading store in New Zealand. Learn more about its rich history in the museum upstairs.
Wander the heritage gardens
The Stone Store and Kemp House are surrounded by heritage gardens and orchards including Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest pear tree. The gardens include over forty rose varieties among myriad other flowers, shrubs and trees.
Honey House Café
Take a break at the Honey House Café, home of excellent coffee and heritage-inspired food. Grab a seat on the veranda for great views of the gardens in bloom and across the Kerikeri Basin towards Te Ahurea.
More information
