16-526: Marsden Point is a broad, flat peninsula that is the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance on the east coast of Northland , New Zealand, 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of the city of Whangārei . It is the location of Marsden Point Oil Refinery and the Northport cargo port. The point is a broad, flat barrier spit , a peninsula of sand dunes, alluvium and estuarine deposits, that forms
32-638: A climate of warm summers and mild winters, make the area a popular holiday spot and residential location. It is in the Whangarei District and the Northland Region local government areas. The Greater Marsden Point Area extends from One Tree Point, within Whangārei Harbour, to just south of the Ruakākā township on the open coast, an area of some 2,500 hectares. The tangata whenua Māori people are
48-507: A large role in the establishment of Whangārei , and many of the industries in the area. These include Portland Cement Works , Marsden Point Oil Refinery and for the extraction of coal from Kamo . From 1911–1933 the Onerahi Branch Railway crossed the upper reaches of the harbour to provide rail access to a new wharf built at Onerahi , as the existing wharf in the town basin was unreachable for some craft. This further promoted
64-677: A population of 57 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 9 people (18.8%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 12 people (26.7%) since the 2013 census . There were 42 males and 15 females in 12 dwellings. 5.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 43.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 6 people (10.5%) aged under 15 years, none aged 15 to 29, 42 (73.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 6 (10.5%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 57.9% European ( Pākehā ), 15.8% Māori , 36.8% Asian , and 10.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
80-441: A post-high school certificate or diploma, and 27 (52.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 68,400, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 9 people (17.6%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 33 (64.7%) people were employed full-time and 6 (11.8%) were part-time. Marsden Point Oil Refinery , the country’s only oil refinery, opened on
96-517: Is only around 800m wide, and between Onerahi and Matakohe Island , where it is only around 500m wide, it is up to 20m deep and currents can be strong. This allowed for the deep water Northland Port to be built at Marsden Point and for the former ports at Whangārei and Onerahi to be located so far into the harbour. The main rivers flowing into the harbour are Hātea River, Mangapai River , Limeburners Creek, Raumanga Stream and Otaika Creek. They carry much sediment from surrounding farmland, creating
112-596: Is proposed to be built from the North Auckland Line to Northport. 35°50′28″S 174°29′41″E / 35.840986°S 174.494734°E / -35.840986; 174.494734 Whang%C4%81rei Harbour Whangārei Harbour is a large harbour on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The harbour stretches from Whangārei City , and the termination of the Hātea River , south east around
128-578: The Onerahi peninsula and out to the Pacific Ocean at Whangārei Heads . Its Māori-language name (given by the Ngāti Wai iwi (tribe)) is Whangārei-te-rerenga-parāoa , meaning "the place where whales gather". Another traditional name for this area is Whangarei-o-te-tohorā – "waiting for the breastbone of whales". Many early settlers and Maori used the harbour as a form of transport, and this played
144-520: The Patuharakeke hapu, whose rohe (area) stretches on the seaward side from a point at the north of Mangawhai Heads to the mouth of the Mangapai River , just south of Whangārei. Marsden Point is in an SA1 statistical area which covers 8.23 km (3.18 sq mi) and extends southwest of the point. The SA1 area is part of the larger Bream Bay statistical area . The SA1 statistical area had
160-532: The harbour as an important feature to the development of Whangārei. In 2006, two marine reserves were opened in Whangārei Harbour. Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve is located in an inter-tidal area between Onerahi and Waikaraka, and another around Motukaroro Island, at Reotahi, Whangārei Heads . The Motukaroro Island reserve is popular with snorkelers due to the large amount of marine life seen there. Whangārei Harbour stretches approximately 23 km north-west from Whangārei Heads to its farthest point inland at
176-490: The muddy nature of the harbour, and this requires dredging in some parts for navigation purposes. As the naming of the harbour indicates, southern right whales ( Tohora ) and possibly other coastal species like humpback and Bryde's whales used to gather in the harbour historically, but today it is not often to see baleen whales in the harbour due to their small population sizes and slow recoveries caused by commercial whaling by Europeans and Maoris (a whaling station
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#1732858998394192-532: The southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance. It is 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Whangārei and around 140 kilometres (87 mi) from Auckland 's CBD. The flat, developed terrain contrasts starkly with the forest-covered peaks and pinnacles of the mountains across the channel on the northern head, including the 420-metre Mount Manaia . The point is at the northern end of the 22-kilometre long Bream Bay , which has mostly white-sand beaches. Easy access to beaches and recreational fishing grounds, with
208-476: The tip of the point in 1964, with its jetty in the harbour entrance channel. Northport , the main cargo port for Northland, is further up the channel, beside the refinery, and opened in 2002. A Carter Holt Harvey laminated veneer lumber factory, built in 2001, is just to the south-west of the refinery. The Marsden A and Marsden B oil-fired power stations were built near Ruakākā in the 1960s and 1970s, and dismantled in 2011–2012. A Marsden Point Branch railway
224-477: The town basin in Whangārei central. At its widest point it is approximately 6 km wide, between Parua Bay and Takahiwai, near One Tree Point . The harbour is heavily tidal with a tidal range of approximately 2m, with much of the harbour being shallower than this in the wider parts. This means during low tide much of the harbour is mud flats and exposed sand bars . However, at the harbour entrance, where it
240-505: Was situated in the harbour ), and illegal mass whaling operations by Soviet Union with supports by Japan (it is said that if these illegal operations had not taken place, the numbers of whales in New Zealand would have been three to four times larger than those of today ). The first documented return of the southern right whales into the harbour was in 2002. Smaller cetaceans such as dolphins and killer whales (orcas) can be observed in
256-404: Was spoken by 100.0%, and other languages by 15.8%. The percentage of people born overseas was 47.4, compared with 28.8% nationally. The sole religious affiliation was 52.6% Christian . People who answered that they had no religion were 36.8%, and 5.3% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 6 (11.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 15 (29.4%) had
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