The largest town in the Kaipara District, Dargaville is an old established community beside the Northern Wairoa River and is a service centre for the surrounding rural areas.

It has become known as the gateway to the nationally famous Waipoua Forest and is an excellent centre to use as a base while discovering the local attractions. Dargaville is the logical starting point to visit Waipoua Forest and Trounson Kauri Park — the two last remaining extensive stands of kauri in the primeval state.

Among the places of interest within easy distance of the town are Baylys Beach, Chases Gorge, Glinks Gully, Omamari Beach and Maunganui Bluff — all on the west coast which provides excellent surfcasting, holiday homes and camping areas — Kellys Bay on the Kaipara Harbour and Kai Iwi Lakes to the north.

Where once the Northern Wairoa River was the hub of everyone’s livelihood in the days of settlement, shipping of kauri gum and kauri timber, it has become a mecca for tourists, holiday-makers, pleasure seekers and adventurers.

Dargaville has continued to remain the main centre on the western side of Kaipara District, boasting a population of approximately 4500, modern shops, parks, clubs and facilities.

Kaiwaka, a delight to see at night! The town lighting is quite spectacular. This township is the gateway to the Kaipara District, the central part of the Kaipara Harbour, the east coast’s Mangawhai Harbour, and to greater Northland.

Important Location — Then and Now
First settled by Europeans in 1859, Kaiwaka is sited on an ancient Maori canoe portage which was also used by those early pioneers. As the narrowest point from coast to coast (other than the Auckland isthmus) the portage saw much traffic in the days of sea transport. In 1825 the battle of Te Ika-a-Ranganui last and fiercest battle of the inter-tribal musket wars, was fought on the portage, 3kms along the Mangawhai Road from Kaiwaka.

Today, Kaiwaka is a service centre for surrounding communities and is the only Kaipara town located on State Highway One.

Mangawhai consists of two parts, referred to locally as The Village’ and The Heads’, which are linked by a causeway.

You can spend your days lying on the white sandy beaches or exploring the walkways, marine life or bird sanctuary. For the more energetic there is diving, surfing, water skiing, fishing, and much more. Charter boat operators make accessible the fishing and diving at the world class Hen & Chicken Islands, Mangawhai being their closest harbour.

Nestled amongst the upper reaches of the historic Kaipara Harbour, Matakohe offers Real New Zealand Heritage” at its best.

A focal point is the world famous Kauri Museum depicting the mighty kauri tree and faithfully charting the history of the people, area and community. Magnificent displays, steam sawmills and large mill machinery, kauri gum exhibits, a quality 1900’s kauri house, beautiful kauri and other native timber panels, extensive photographs, historic buildings and superb collections of memorabilia make The Kauri Museum a must see’.

Matakohe Church is dedicated to the first New Zealand born Prime Minister, local son Joseph Gordon Coates.

This charming village was a major shipping and boatbuilding centre on the Kaipara Harbour in the days when sailing boats plied the Kaipara Harbour.

Nowadays everything is more relaxed. Cafés and restaurants, antiques for sale and colourful shops opposite the leafy village green create a welcoming atmosphere.

Just 6km from Paparoa brings you to Pahi, the Kauri Coast’s most popular departure for leisure fishing and the local club’s annual regattas.

The township of Ruawai was so named in recognition of its location beside Two Waters, where the river meets the sea, where the silt-laden Northern Wairoa River flows into the Kaipara Harbour.

The rich alluvial flood plains of the Ruawai Flats are below sea level. The township and surrounding pastureland are protected by a system of drains, canals, flood-gates and stop-banks.

While the residual volcanic cone of Tokatoka is a major landscape feature, Ruawai is renowned for it’s Kumara crops and declares itself “The Kumara Capital of the World”.

Our first settlers came from Birmingham, England, via the Albertland Settlement Scheme, which was founded through an organisation in England that inspired one William R. Brame to be the prime-mover in the formation of a ‘nonconformist special colony — Albertland’ .

On September 4th 1863, the first Maungaturoto settlers arrived in Auckland and then came north via boat to Mangawhai. Bullock carts brought them as far as Kaiwaka and then by boat again to what is now Davis Landing Road.

Maungaturoto was the first seat of the Otamatea County Council. Today, the major employer in the town is the New Zealand Milk Products (Fonterra) Dairy Factory.

Pahi and Whakapirau, separated only by a narrow harbour estuary, were bustling townships in the days of early Albertland settlement. One of the first vineyards in the country and the first fish canning factory were both located close by and sailing ships loaded Kauri timber from the mills on the fore shore.

Until recently a sleepy back water waiting to be rediscovered. And now both villages are seen as ideal spots to own a quiet retreat away from city life.

Port Albert was once destined to be a town the equal of Auckland. That was the vision around 1861 of one William Brame, the founder and promoter of the Albertland Non Conformist settlement.  Port Albert was to be the bustling harbour side rural trading centre of the Kaipara. Over the next 3 years some 3000 migrants made the 100 day sailing ship voyage from England to join the settlement scheme. Sawmills, orchards, farmland, shops and dairy factory sprung up. But the dream was short-lived and while many Albertland descendants still live and farm in the district today there is little to see of the neatly laid out village of the 1860’s and 70’s. Still a quaint spot to visit and ponder what might have been.   

Pouto on the North Head of the often treacherous entrance to the Kaipara Harbour is well known for it’s lighthouse. In pre European days it was the site of extensive Maori occupation. Today it is a remote hideaway only visited by intrepid tourists. In April 1926 my grandfather made  another visit by horseback to Brown Kena the lighthouse keeper. Harold Marsh’s diary and photographs make interesting reading.

“With word and gesture he told us tales of bygone times, of incidents when the pas were being made, of raids and fights, and a very fascinating story of a beautiful Maori maiden who swam across the harbour to her lover at Okahukura. Occasionally he would break off in a narrative, and with a winch-like arrangement wind up the heavy weight, glance at the speed indicator and the clock, and resume his story. The novelty of our surroundings as we sat and listened, the lights and shadows slowly following each other round the walls and floor of the little apartment, the machine of burnished metal and glass smoothly and silently rotating above us, the sound of the surf on the beach below, the expressive gestures and soft musical voice of the speaker, all combined to make a romantic background to the stories. We were sorry when midnight came, for we had enjoyed every minute of the evening."