Marsden Cross Track
Walking track
Time:
40 min
Distance:
2.3 km
Getting there
The track is signposted off Rangihoua Road, 36 km from Kerikeri. It can also be approached by the sea near the Te Pahi Islands.
About the area
View from Marsden Cross
“The Marsden Cross” commemorates the site of the first mission settlement and the first Christian service conducted in New Zealand by the Rev. Samuel Marsden. The service was held on Christmas Day, 1814, in an open space by the beach and attended by Maori and Europeans.
Rough planks and an upturned boat served for seats, and a temporary altar and reading desk were draped with black native cloth and European white duck. Some three weeks later, on the second Sunday in 1815, another service was held, this time in a building sufficiently advanced in construction at the Mission Station to be used as a church. This was probably the first church building in New Zealand.
(Note: This information was published in 1966 in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. It has not been corrected or updated since.)
Description
The track leads to Oihi Bay on the Purerua Peninsula and the Marsden Cross stone monument, which commemorates the first sermon preached in New Zealand.
10,000 Steps Northland
This track equates to approximately 1,776 steps.
Activities
Historic sites
Plan and prepare
No dogs due to risks to wildlife.
What to expect on a walking track:
- Easy to moderate walking from a few minutes to a day
- Track is mostly well formed, some sections may be steep, rough or muddy
- Suitable for people with low to moderate fitness and abilities
- Clearly sign posted. Stream and river crossings are bridged
- Walking shoes or light tramping/hiking boots required
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