Waimate Mission House

Transport from the cruise ship to this attraction is not included in the ticket cost, you will need to make your own arrangements.

Charles Darwin was bowled over when he visited Te Waimate Mission Station in 1835. Here, he wrote in his diary, Was an English farm and its well-dressed fields, placed there as if by an enchanters wand.

For Darwin, Te Waimate was a welcome surprise. For a visitor today following in the great mans footsteps, the Church Missionary Societys (CMS) fourth mission station is a different kind of eyeopener. Established as a model farming village, complete with a flour mill, blacksmiths, printery, carpenters shop, school and church, this was the fullest realisation of Samuel Marsdens belief that spiritual and practical instruction should be combined as a one-two punch. At Te Waimate, Mori would be educated in European farming techniques and brought to the Lord.

This is Aotearoa New Zealands second oldest surviving building, Te Waimate Mission is an elegant two-storeyed affair, with wide verandas and a low-pitched hipped roof, complemented by Georgian-style dormer windows.

Te Waimate Mission is idenitified as a Tohu Whenua heritage site. Tohu Whenua are the places that have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand. Located in stunning landscapes and rich with stories, they offer some of our best heritage experiences.

Te Waimate Mission in the Bay of Islands has a direct connection to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, being the location where six Ngpuhi rangatira (Mori chiefs) signed The Waitangi Sheet, written in Mori, at Waimate North on 9 and 10 February 1840.

Included

• Self-guided tour through the Mission house and grounds

Not Included

• There are no meals included in this tour.
• Transport from the cruise ship to this attraction is not included in the ticket cost, you will need to make your own arrangements.

Instructions

• You should allow 20 to 30 minutes to get to Te Waimate Mission House from Waitangi by car.

Restrictions

• The ground floor of the Mission House and the grounds are accessible for wheelchairs. There is no wheelchair access to the second floor.

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