Northland Region
Northland, officially the Northland Region, is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. The region is known for its warm weather. The major population centre is the city of Whangārei, and the largest town is Kerikeri. At the 2018 New Zealand census, Northland recorded a population growth spurt of 18.1% since the previous 2013 census, placing it as the fastest growing region in New Zealand, ahead of other strong growth regions such as the Bay of Plenty Region and Waikato.
Geography
The Northland Region occupies the northern 80% of the Northland Peninsula, the southernmost part of which is in the Auckland region. It is bounded to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The land is predominantly rolling hill country. Farming and forestry occupy over half of the land and are two of the region's main industries.Although many of the region's kauri forests were felled during the 19th century, some areas still exist where this rare giant grows tall. New Zealand's largest tree, Tāne Mahuta, stands in the Waipoua Forest south of the Hokianga Harbour. These kauri forests are also home to Te Raupua at, the highest point in the region. Northland has many endemic plant and invertebrate species such as the endangered snail pūpū harakeke, stick insects and the Northland green tree gecko.
The western coast is dominated by several long straight beaches, the most famous of which is the inaccurately-named 88 km stretch of Ninety Mile Beach in the region's far north. The slightly longer Ripiro Beach lies further south. Two large inlets are also located on this coast, the massive Kaipara Harbour in the south, which Northland shares with the Auckland region, and the convoluted inlets of the Hokianga Harbour.
The east coast is more rugged, and is dotted with bays and peninsulas. Several large natural harbours are found on this coast, from Parengarenga close to the region's northern tip, then Whangaroa Harbour, and past the famous Bay of Islands down to Whangārei Harbour, on the shores of which is situated the largest population centre. Numerous islands dot this coast, notably the Cavalli Islands, the Hen and Chicken Islands, Aorangaia Island and the Poor Knights Islands.
The northernmost points of the North Island mainland lie at the top of Northland. These include several points often confused in the public mind as being the country's northernmost points: Cape Maria van Diemen, Spirits Bay, Cape Reinga, and North Cape. The northernmost point of the North Island is actually the Surville Cliffs, close to North Cape although the northernmost point of the country is further north, in the Kermadec chain of islands. Cape Reinga and Spirits Bay, however, have a symbolic part to play as the end of the country. In Māori mythology, it is from here that the souls of the dead depart on their journey to the afterlife.
Climate
Northland has an oceanic climate, but a subtropical climate in the Trewartha climate classification, with warm humid summers and mild wet winters. Due to its latitude and low elevation, it has the country's highest average annual temperature, although, as with other parts of New Zealand, the weather is changeable. In summer, maximum temperatures range from 22 °C to 26 °C, not often rising above 30 °C. In winter, maximum temperatures vary between 14 °C and 17 °C, while minima vary between 7 °C and 12 °C.Ground frosts are rare due to the region being encircled by the moderating Pacific and Tasman waters, but light frosts do occur infrequently around Dargaville in the lowlands. The hottest months are January and February. In January 2009, excessive sunlight hours and below-average rainfall resulted in the region being declared a drought zone.
Typical annual rainfall for the region is 1500–2000 mm but varies at different altitudes. Northland has an average of 2000 sunshine hours annually. Winds are predominantly from the southwest. Occasionally in summer, the region experiences stormy conditions from former tropical cyclones, which generally become much weaker once they leave tropical latitudes.
Government
The Northland Region has been governed by the present Northland Regional Council since 1989. The seat of the council is in Whangārei.Regional council members represent 8 constituencies: Far North, Bay of Islands-Whangaroa, Mid North, Coastal Central, Coastal South, Whangārei City, Kaipara and Te Raki.
There are three territorial authorities in the region:
- Far North District Council, based in Kaikohe
- Whangarei District Council, based in the city centre.
- Kaipara District Council, based in Dargaville
A proposal to merge the three district councils and the regional council into a unitary authority to be known as the Northland Council was rejected by the Local Government Commission in June 2015.
Timeline of councillors
Demography
Northland Region covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.Northland Region had a population of 194,007 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 14,931 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 42,318 people since the 2013 census. There were 95,697 males, 97,776 females and 528 people of other genders in 71,778 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.2 years. There were 38,067 people aged under 15 years, 29,856 aged 15 to 29, 83,790 aged 30 to 64, and 42,288 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 73.0% European ; 37.4% Māori; 4.9% Pasifika; 4.8% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 2.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.0%, Māori language by 10.1%, Samoan by 0.4% and other languages by 7.1%. No language could be spoken by 1.9%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 31.2% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 3.8% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.2%, and 7.8% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 20,514 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 87,414 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 41,562 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $33,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 11,367 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 67,788 people were employed full-time, 21,735 were part-time, and 5,469 were unemployed.
Māori refer to Northland – and by extension its Māori people – as Te Taitokerau and Māori language and traditions are strong there. Major tribal groups include Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kurī and Ngāti Whātua. Several of these tribes form a loose association known as the Muriwhenua.
Approximately one third of the region's population are Māori; the majority of the remainder is of European lineage. Compared to the rest of the country, Pacific Islanders are under-represented in Northland. Although most of the region's European population are British, certain other ethnicities are represented as well. These include a sizeable Croatian community from the Dargaville area north, particularly around Kaitaia.
| Nationality | Population |
| England | 8,607 |
| Australia | 3,429 |
| South Africa | 1,923 |
| India | 1,365 |
| United States | 1,059 |
| Philippines | 1,014 |
| Netherlands | 957 |
| Germany | 909 |
| Scotland | 804 |
| Fiji | 729 |
Urban areas
Northland is New Zealand's least urbanised region, with 50% of the population of living in urban areas. Whangārei is the largest urban area of Northland, with a population of The region's population is largely concentrated along the east coast, due to the west coast being more rugged and less suitable for urbanisation.| Urban area | Population ( | % of region |
| Whangārei | % | |
| Kerikeri | % | |
| Kaitaia | % | |
| Dargaville | % | |
| Kaikohe | % | |
| One Tree Point | % | |
| Ruakākā | % | |
| Mangawhai Heads | % | |
| Moerewa | % | |
| Hikurangi | % | |
| Opua | % | |
| Paihia | % | |
| Kawakawa | % | |
| Waipu | % | |
| Ngunguru | % | |
| Haruru | % |
History
According to Māori legend, the North Island of New Zealand was an enormous fish, caught by the demigod Māui. For this reason, Northland is sometimes referred to as "The tail of the fish", Te Hiku o Te Ika.Northland iwi claim that Kupe made landfall at the Hokianga in the northwest of Northland, and thus the region claims that it was the birthplace of New Zealand. Some of the oldest traces of Māori kāinga can be found here.
If the Māori regard the region as the legendary birthplace of the country, there can be no doubt that it was the European starting-point for the modern nation of New Zealand. Traders, whalers and sealers were among the first arrivals, and the gum and timber of the mighty kauri trees brought more colonisers.
In the Bay of Islands, Russell, formerly known as Kororareka, was the first permanent European settlement and Kerikeri contains many historic buildings, including the Stone Store, New Zealand's oldest extant stone building. The nearby settlement of Waitangi was of even more significance, as the signing place of New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi between the Māori tribes and the British Crown, on 6 February 1840.
Between 1870 and 1920, the major industry in Northland was kauri gum digging, which by the 1910s was centred around the townships of Ahipara and Houhora.