Kekerengu

Kekerengu is a settlement in northern Kaikōura District, Canterbury, South Island. It is situated along State Highway 1 between Kaikōura and Blenheim. The locality is named for Te Kēkerengū, a chief of the Ngāti Ira hapū who was slain in the region alongside his mother and followers. The settlement was organised as a sheep station by Joseph Tetley in the 1860s. Tetley expanded the station into a village, but fled to Uruguay in 1868 to avoid massive debts. In addition to the Kekerengu Station buildings, a Heritage New Zealand-listed historic place, Kekerengu is home to Saint George's Church, one of the smallest church buildings still in use in New Zealand.