   thumb|350px|the kerikeri mission station, with the stone store at left, st james at rear, and mission house on the right thumb|300px|the oldest fruit tree in new zealand, near the stone store, still bears fruit. the building at rear is the historic blacksmith's shop established by the missionaries thumb|200px|this plaque records details of the planting of the old pear tree in 1819 kerikeri, the largest town in northland new zealand, is a popular tourist destination about three hours drive north of auckland, and 80&nbsp;km north of the northern region's largest city, whangarei. it is often called the cradle of the nation, being the site of the first permanent mission station in the country, and it has some of the most historic buildings in the country. a rapidly expanding centre of sub-tropical and allied horticulture, kerikeri is in the far north district of the north island and lies at the western extremity of the kerikeri inlet, a northwestern arm of the bay of islands, where fresh water of the kerikeri river enters the salty pacific ocean. kerikeri (airport) is located at  . a fast-growing community, the 2001 census showed the population of 4,878 was an increase of 16.3 percent over the 1996 figure, and the 2006 census tally of 5,856 was a further population growth of 20 percent, and at the 2013 census had increased by a further 11 percent to 6,507. the village was established by new zealand's pioneering missionaries, who called it gloucestertown, or gloucester town, but neither name endured. the mÄori word kerikeri was spelled and pronounced as keddi keddi or even kiddee kiddee, but the town's name is today generally pronounced kerry kerry but with a rolled r by mÄori. in 1814 samuel marsden acqui
Far_North_District Populated_places_in_New_Zealand Populated_places_in_the_Northland_Region