Kerikeri is a town in the Bay of Islands, in the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the head of Kerikeri Inlet, a nor…Kerikeri is a town in the Bay of Islands, in the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the head of Kerikeri Inlet, a northwestern arm of the Bay of Islands, where fresh water of the Kerikeri River enters the Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes called the Cradle of the Nation, as it was the site of the first permanent Christian mission station in the country, and has some of the oldest buildings in the country. It is a rapidly expanding centre of subtropical and allied horticulture.