The Origins And Naming Of KeriKeri
The name KeriKeri is not known exactly where it came from. Over the years there have many opposing definitions. Most likely the name KeriKeri derives it from the river and in fact, in 1815 after visiting the area, as wrote by John Nicholson "The River That Discharged Itself Into The Cove Was Called By The Natives Tecaddiecaddie".

The definition of the word Kerikeri most widely known by pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) is 'dig dig', or 'to keep digging'. It is known that Maori had extensive gardens in the area when Europeans arrived. According to Maori Historians, Ngati-Miru, the people who first lived in the Kerikeri district, were attacked and driven away by a war party of Ngapuhi. Terraces are the visual evidence of the pa (fortified settlement) the Ngapuhi built, this area is now known as Kororipo (swirling waters).

Another definition derives from Kerikeri te ana wai - "the churning or boiling over of the waters". That would have aptly described the fresh water river tumbling into the salt water over the falls which were then higher (being blasted early in the 1900's to accommodate a bridge). However, some Maori say it derives from hukerikeri which means "bubbling up", and there is a sad reasoning behind this.

Hongi Hika, a famous or infamous chief depending on whether one fought with or against him, is reputed to have fathered the child of a captured slave at Kororipo Pa. As this was unacceptable to the tribe, the baby was placed in the water to drown but persistently rose to the surface, hence the "bubbling up".

What are now called Wharepuke Falls, upriver from the Stone Store Basin, were called the Kerikeri Falls until the 1930's when given the name Wharepoke which referred to the large adjacent area of native bush. A French doctor, Messier Lesson, visited Kerikeri in 1824 and wrote that among stomach ailments suffered by Maori was "gravelle" (gravel) which they called Kiddee Kiddee. He said it was also the word for a cascade of water.

To cast more doubts on the issue there have been some persistent claims that the falls referred to by the missionaries as "The Kiddikiddi" also known now as the Rainbow Falls. It may seem impossible although Nicholson visited and referred to Tecaddiecaddie in 1815. It was not until 1822 that missionaries Francis Hall and James Kemp became the first Europeans to meet them.

The Origins And Naming Of KeriKeri
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