Whangaroa Harbour (; ), previously spelled Wangaroa Harbour, is an inlet on the northern coast of Northland, New Zealand. Whangaroa Bay and the Pacific Ocean are to the north. The small settlements of Totara North and Saies are on the west side of the harbour, Waitaruke on the south side, and Whangaroa on the east. State Highway 10 runs through Waitaruke. The name comes from the lament "Whaingaroa" or "what a long wait" of a woman whose warrior husband had left for a foray to the south. The harbour was formed when

rising sea levels Rising may refer to: * Rising, a stage in baking - see Proofing (baking technique) *Elevation * Short for Uprising, a rebellion Film and TV * "Rising" (''Stargate Atlantis''), the series premiere of the science fiction television program ''Starga ...

drowned a river valley about 6,000 years ago. Steep outcrops remain from ancient volcanic rocks. There are extensive mangrove swamps at the head of the harbour, and some of the oldest fossils in the North Island, dating to the

Early Permian 01 or '01 may refer to: * The year 2001, or any year ending with 01 * The month of January * 1 (number) Music * '01 (Richard Müller album), 01'' (Richard Müller album), 2001 * 01 (Son of Dave album), ''01'' (Son of Dave album), 2000 * 01 (Urban ...

about 270 million years ago, are in the Whangaroa area.

History

According to Māori traditions, the waka ''

Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi In Māori mythology, Māori tradition, ''Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi'' (also known as ''Māhuhu'') was one of the great Māori migration canoes, ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand. According to Māori t ...

'' explored the Whangaroa harbour during early Māori settlement of New Zealand. The area was settled by descendants of ''

Te Māmaru In Māori tradition, ''Tinana'' (also known as ''Te Mamaru'') was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand. The ''Tinana'' canoe, later renamed ''Te Māmaru'', is particularly imp ...

'' and '' Mataatua'' waka crews.

Whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

and other ships visited Whangaroa from 1805 to 1809, including the ''General Wellesley'' and ''Commerce'' in 1806, and ''Elizabeth'' in 1809. Sixty-six members of the crew of the '' Boyd'' were killed by local Māori in 1809 after the crew whipped the son of a chief. The visits ceased as a result, resuming when the ''Dromedary'' loaded timber in 1819.

Southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20 ...

s were severely depleted by the hunts and almost disappeared from the area, while

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

s and

killer whale The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white pa ...

s still visit the harbor more frequently. A Wesleyan mission was founded in June 1823. Hongi Hika attacked local Māori to gain control of millable kauri on 10 January 1827. A party of his warriors, without his knowledge, ransacked the mission and it was abandoned. In 1828 Hongi Hika died at Whangaroa, from a wound suffered 14 months earlier in the Hokianga. Europeans settled the harbour in the 1840s, and a Catholic mission was established at Waitaruke. The harbour was a centre for timber milling and

gum digging Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...

after the arrival of the immigrant ship ''Lancashire Witch'' in 1865. Shipyards were established in Totara North in 1872. Kauri logs were chained together to make rafts, and towed by steamer. It took three days for the logs to reach

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. In the early 20th century Sea Sick Bay near the south head was a whaling station, which by the 1920s had moved to Ranfurly Bay, near the north head. After the

Mangamuka Gorge The Maungataniwha Range is a volcanic mountain range located in Northland Region of New Zealand. The Mangamukas, as it is known by the local residents and many Northlanders because of the name of the settlement and river on the southern side, separ ...

road was sealed in 1961 it became the main route from Whangarei to the Far North, bypassing Whangaroa.

Education

Te Kura o Hato Hohepa Te Kamura Whangaroa Harbour (; ), previously spelled Wangaroa Harbour, is an inlet on the northern coast of Northland, New Zealand. Whangaroa Bay and the Pacific Ocean are to the north. The small settlements of Totara North and Saies are on the west si ...

is a full primary (years 1-8) school in Waitaruke. It has a decile rating of 1 and a roll of 18. Totara North School is a contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 3 and a roll of 39. Both schools are coeducational. Other schools in the area are at

Oruaiti Oruaiti is a locality in Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand. It lies on New Zealand State Highway 10, state highway 10. Mangonui lies to the west, and Whangaroa Harbour to the east. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a ...

, Kaeo and Matauri Bay.

Notes

External links

{{Commons category
Far North District CouncilWhangaroa community websiteDepartment of Conservation
Far North District Ports and harbours of New Zealand mi:Whangaroa