Awanui to Cape Reinga

The most northern point of our district is the Aupouri Peninsula, home to Cape Reinga, Ninety Mile Beach and New Zealand’s northernmost outcrop, the Three Kings Islands. It boasts three magnificent harbours- Parengarenga, Houhora and Rangaunu - and the world renowned Ninety Mile Beach.

Forestry makes the most significant economic and social contribution to the local community, providing jobs in tending, harvesting and processing. The area is home to Aupouri Forest, established in the 1960s by the New Zealand Forest Service. The economic contribution from foresters such as Carter Holt Harvey, Crown Forestry and Juken New Zealand will be substantial in the next decade. It is projected that 4 million tonnes of product will come out of the forests north of Awanui between 2005 and 2015.

Awanui

At the junction of two main highway routes, Awanui is a thriving small town with a river port where steamers ease through the mangrove-lined channels to berth. Historically, the wharf was a very important loading point for kauri gum.

Waipapakauri

Waipapakauri represents a slice of both the Far North’s and New Zealand’s military history. During World War II, an airfield at Waipapakauri was New Zealand’s first line of defence against invasion from the north. In 1942, the airfield was host to a Royal New Zealand Air Force reconnaissance squadron, 26 officers, 250 airmen and 110 personnel from the Women’s Auxiliary. A further 200 soldiers from the Home Guard and an artillery antiaircraft battery were also stationed nearby. The operation was phased out following the end of the war. Today little remains visible of this facility other than remnants of an underground operations bunker and the Waipapakauri Hotel which, during hostilities, had been used as a hospital and officers’ mess. The Waipapakauri community and Northern Community Board have jointly erected a memorial in commemoration of those who served there during the war.

Waiharara

Waiharara, like many northern towns, remains home to a large Yugoslavian community attracted to the area by the kauri gumfields. Over decades, their descendants have transformed the swamplands into productive farms. Descendants of some of the earliest settlers still live and work in the area.

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Houhora

In the summer months, Houhora enjoys an influx of tourists and holidaymakers. The adjoining Pukenui coastal village was once the shipping point for many tons of kauri gum. Agriculture and fishing provide jobs for a large proportion of the working population.

Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga Wairua) and Spirits Bay are very significant to Maori. An 800 year old Pohutukawa tree, which clings to the cliff overlooking the ocean, is said to be the launching point for spirits of the dead in their journey to Hawaiki.

Some exciting changes are underway to visitors facilities at Cape Reinga - a popular tourist destination visited by over 150,000 visitors annually. Find out more on the Department of Conservation website http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/page.aspx?id=44757