The Kerikeri Mission House

Welcome to New Zealand's oldest surviving heritage building. The Kerikeri mission house was finished in 1822 as part of the mission station by the Church Missionary Society.

Samuel Marsden established the Anglican mission to NZ with lay preachers who lived in the Bay of Islands under the protection of Hongi Hika, the chief of the local Ngapuhi tribe. In 1819 Marsden purchased the land from the tribe and using Maori plus European labour instructed Reverend John Butler to erect the buildings under shelter of the Ngapuhi tribe or the local Kororipo Pa. They were interrupted by the Ngapuhi campaign under the Musket Wars.

The house is made mostly of Kauri. John Butler was sacked in 1823, then  George Clarke occupied the house until the early 1830s when the Ngapuhi had abandoned the Kororipo Pa but the mission station by that time didn't need any protection.  The house was then lived in by James and Charlotte Kemp in 1832 and later purchased by the Kemps and stayed in their family for 142 years until it was donated to the NZ Historic Places Trust.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Getting back out with my camera this time to Tanoa

This weekend for us kiwis has been Labour Weekend, the true beginning of Spring and what a weekend its been. Yesterday was such a beautiful warm day that the teens and I drove out to see one of my besties...Liz over at Mad Bush Farm who lives in Maungaturoto - a town about 20 mins from here. A decision to drive out to Tanoa on the Kaipara coast was greatly received, anything to get 4 teenagers out of the house and into the fresh air right?  This was the scenery that greeted us - wow, right?

Apart from two fisherman pushing their boat out from the shore and a ferry, the Kewpie Too doing a cruise around the area we were pretty much the only ones there.

There is a beautiful historic house out at Tanoa -

Batley House was built in 1866 and is now owned by locals Rex and Rae Roadley, apparently it has been restored nicely to virtually how it use to originally be apart from the addition of a modern kitchen.

Hows this for a stunning view?  Cool, calm clear water and green hills as far as the eye can see. This is one place we will be going back for seconds! oh and btw I have 5 days to go until I get my cast off - awesome!

Walks around Wellsford - sights I've seen this week

This week it's been freezing cold in the mornings, too nippy for me to get out and walk my dog like I usually do so instead I've been walking around Wellsford during my lunchtime - here's a few of the things I've seen:

This lovely art deco stucco home along the main road of Rodney Street - the owners have looked after it well by the look of it.

Kiwiana artwork along the fence of Wellsford Kindergarton - very colourful for where children play inside.

Wellsford Rsa with a pot of red vibrant pansies next to the entrance way - makes a colourful scene in the middle of winter.

Another lovely well restored house - this one in Batten Street is so pretty! It's been lovingly looked after and well preserved - looks like a large house too!