Te Ahurea shares stories of the earliest encounters between Māori and European through the eyes of the Ngāti Rēhia hapū of the Ngāpuhi confederation of tribes.
Within Kororipo Heritage Park, Te Ahurea is one of Aotearoa’s most significant historical sites. It overlooks Kororipo Pā, a once fortified Pā site that overlooks and shelters the Stone Store, Mission House and Kerikeri Basin.
Our story begins over one thousand years ago, with the arrival of the Mataatua waka (ancestral canoe), its captain Toroa and his younger brother Puhi.
Puhi and his family ultimately settled here at Tākou Bay, planting kumara, taro, gourds, harvesting the soil, the forest and the moana in a cycle of the seasons.
Later, it was to Kororipo Pā that our renowned war chiefs Tāreha, Hongi Hika and Rewa called their allies to strategise, prepare, and launch war expeditions.
Māori and European first met, lived, worked and traded together here; the site of the first trading post, the first Christian Church, the first school, the first plough, blacksmith, flour mill, and the first crop of potatoes.
We are Ngāti Rēhia of Kerikeri and invite you to share in our story.
Our story begins over one thousand years ago, with the arrival of the Mataatua waka (ancestral canoe), its captain Toroa and his younger brother Puhi.
Puhi and his family ultimately settled here at Tākou Bay, planting kumara, taro, gourds, harvesting the soil, the forest and the moana in a cycle of the seasons.
Later, it was to Kororipo Pā that our renowned war chiefs Tāreha, Hongi Hika and Rewa called their allies to strategise, prepare, and launch war expeditions.
Māori and European first met, lived, worked and traded together here; the site of the first trading post, the first Christian Church, the first school, the first plough, blacksmith, flour mill, and the first crop of potatoes.
We are Ngāti Rēhia of Kerikeri and invite you to share in our story.
North Island
Central North Island
Volcanic Air
Te Pā Tū
Waiotapu
Rapids Jet
Chris Jolly Outdoors
Kohutapu Lodge & Whirinaki Rainforest
All Haurere businesses are Qualmark members, New Zealand tourism’s mark of quality.