The Far North District is the northernmost territorial authority district of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, consisting of the northern part of the

Northland Peninsula The Northland Peninsula, called the North Auckland Peninsula in earlier times, is in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is joined to the rest of the island by the Auckland isthmus, a narrow piece of land between the Waitematā H ...

in the North Island. It stretches from North Cape and Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the north, down to the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for it ...

, the

Hokianga The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ' ...

and the town of

Kaikohe Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from Auckland. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a population of ove ...

. The

Far North District Council Far North District Council ( mi, Te Kaunihera o Tai Tokerau ki te Raki) is the territorial authority for the Far North District of New Zealand. The council is led by the mayor of Far North The Mayor of Far North officiates over the Far North ...

is based in

, and has nine ward councillors representing three wards: Te Hiku (in the north), Kaikohe/Hokianga (in the west), Bay of Islands/Whangaroa (in the east). The council is led by the current mayor of Far North, Moko Tepania, who entered the role in 2022.

Geography

The Far North District is the largest of three territorial authorities making up the

Northland Region The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...

. The district stretches from the capes and bays at the northern tip of the

Aupouri Peninsula The Aupouri Peninsula is a tombolo at the northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand. It projects between the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It constitutes the northern part of the Far North District, incorpora ...

past Ninety Mile Beach to the main body of the

, where it encompasses the

Parengarenga Harbour Parengarenga Harbour is a natural harbour close to the northernmost point on the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the northern end of the Aupouri Peninsula, it extends inland for over 10 kilometres, almost severing the northern tip of t ...

Whangaroa Harbour 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 ...

and

(on the east coast) and

(on the west coast). It borders on the Kaipara and Whangarei Districts, which are the other two territorial authorities in the Northland Region.

Population

Far North District covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Far North District had a population of 65,250 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 9,516 people (17.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 9,405 people (16.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 32,595 males and 32,655 females living in 22,761 households. The median age was 43.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 14,079 people (21.6%) aged under 15 years, 10,353 (15.9%) aged 15 to 29, 28,191 (43.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 12,624 (19.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 64.2% European/Pākehā, 48.3% Māori, 4.8% Pacific peoples, 3.0% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.8, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 45.6% had no religion, 37.7% were Christian, 6.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 6,771 (13.2%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 10,965 (21.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 4,581 people (9.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 20,163 (39.4%) people were employed full-time, 7,824 (15.3%) were part-time, and 3,387 (6.6%) were unemployed.

Urban areas and settlements

The Far North District has eight towns with a population over 1,000. Together they are home to % of the district's population. The northernmost town in the district is Kaitaia. Kerikeri, Moerewa, Kawakawa, Paihia, Opua and Russell are clustered on the east coast around the Bay of Islands with Kaikohe centrally situated to their west. Another cluster of small settlements, Ōmāpere,

Opononi Opononi is a settlement on the south shore of Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. State Highway 12 runs through Opononi. Ōmāpere is on the shore to the south of Opononi and Pakanae to the northeast. The New Zealand Ministry for Cult ...

Rawene Rawene is a town on the south side of the Hokianga harbour, in Northland, New Zealand. State Highway 12 passes to the south. The town lies at the apex of a peninsula. A car ferry links it to Kohukohu and the northern Hokianga. History Rawen ...

, Panguru, Kohukohu, and

Horeke Horeke ( mi, Hōreke) is a settlement in the upper reaches of the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. Kohukohu is just across the harbour. The Horeke basalts are located near the town, and can be viewed on an easy stroll through the Wair ...

, surrounds the

Hokianga Harbour The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ' ...

on the west coast.

References

External links

Far North District Council official website
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