Set in verdant farmland 18km (20 minutes) southwest of Kerikeri, this pretty little cottage holds several claims to fame. It's NZ's second-oldest house (built in 1831) and the site of the country's first European-style farm. Many of the exotic trees surrounding it are among the oldest of their kind in the country, and Charles Darwin stayed here in 1835. Inside, the story of the mission station and its inhabitants is outlined in displays in rooms dotted with items of original furniture.
The complex also includes the wooden St John the Baptist Church and an 1877 Sunday school building.