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Bream Bay is an embayment and area south-east of
Whangārei Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the largest settlement of the Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, created in 1989 from the former Whangarei City, Whangarei County and Hikurangi Town councils to admi ...
, on the east coast of New Zealand. The bay runs from Bream Head, at the mouth of Whangārei Harbour, 22 kilometres south to the headland of Bream Tail, east of Langs Beach and north of Mangawhai. It was named by Captain
James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
. The Bream Bay area includes the towns of Ruakākā, One Tree Point and Waipu. A group of nature reserve islands lie outside Bream Bay: the
Hen and Chicken Islands The Hen and Chicken Islands, usually known as the Hen and Chickens, lie to the east of the North Auckland Peninsula off the coast of northern New Zealand. They lie east of Bream Head and south-east of Whangārei with a total area of . H ...
and Sail Rock.


Geography


Naming

Bream Bay was named by Captain
James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
after noticing that the bay's waters were populated with a vast number of
bream Bream (, ) are species of freshwater fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Ballerus'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', '' Etelis'', '' Lepomis'', '' Gymnocranius'', ...
, although it is now thought he was mistaken with snapper. He also named, in the same vein, Bream Head and Bream Tail at the northern and southern ends of the bay.


Districts


Ruakākā

Ruakākā area is made up of Ruakākā Beach, Ruakākā Township and Marsden Point. Ruakākā has seen development due to its proximity to the expansion of the country's only oil refinery at
Marsden Point Marsden Point is a broad, flat peninsula that is the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance on the east coast of Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand, southeast of the city of Whangārei. It is the location of Marsden Point Oil R ...
during the 1980s. A timber processing plant at Marsden Point has further stimulated growth.


One Tree Point

One Tree Point, once considered part of Ruakākā, has peeled away from the Ruakākā township as it begins to grow. Along with its off-spring area of Takahiwai, they are positioned along Whangārei Harbour. One Tree Point is a fast-growing community catering to the lifestyle blocks of the northern Bream Bay area. One Tree Point is made up of One Tree Point, Marsden Cove, Takahiwai and the eastern blocks of Marsden Point. Access is by the Port Marsden road via Ruakākā or by marine access.


Waipu

Waipu is the south-most and largest township. It features a variety of attractions ranging from surf beaches, caves, waterfalls to memorable dining. Waipu is fast gaining international immigrants and is seen to be Bream Bay's only chance at a kept rural community, with the socioeconomic growth been delivered by Ruakaka and One Tree Point. Access is gained from State Highway 1 or through back roads from Maungaturoto or Wellsford. Waipu is situated up the river from the coast, at the last navigable place for larger boats. The Waipu Boat Club is now situated at the place where boats used to unload when the coast and river were the main transport links. However, it has strong coastal links with Waipu Cove 8 km away and
Uretiti Beach Uretiti Beach () is a stretch of beach between Ruakākā and Waipu, New Zealand, Waipu on Bream Bay to the south of Whangārei in Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand. It comprises the coastal side of the Uretiti Recreation Reserve and Ureti ...
5 km away. Settled by
Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
Scots immigrants under the charismatic Rev Norman McLeod in the 1850s, it still has a strong Scottish tradition with its own pipe band, and the Waipu Museum telling the story of the migration.


Islands

The Hen & Chicken Islands and Sail Rock are nature reserve islands just off the coast of Bream Bay. They have no human inhabitants.


Demographics

The statistical area of Bream Bay, which covers between Waipu and Whangārei Harbour but excludes the settlements of Waipu, Ruakaka and One Tree Point, had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Bream Bay had a population of 2,340 in the
2023 New Zealand census The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...
, an increase of 276 people (13.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 693 people (42.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,203 males, 1,128 females and 6 people of other genders in 816 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 435 people (18.6%) aged under 15 years, 324 (13.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,119 (47.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 459 (19.6%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 84.7% European (
Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
); 24.7%
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
; 3.5% Pasifika; 4.6% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.6%, Māori language by 5.1%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 5.4%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk).
New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...
was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.2, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 22.7%
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 0.8%
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.3%
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, 0.6%
Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.6%
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, 0.6%
New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
, 0.5%
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, and 1.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 65.6%, and 7.3% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 261 (13.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,122 (58.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 444 (23.3%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 183 people (9.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 912 (47.9%) people were employed full-time, 303 (15.9%) were part-time, and 39 (2.0%) were unemployed.


Climate

The region has warm humid summers and mild winters. Typical summer temperatures range from . Ground frosts are virtually unknown. The hottest months are January and February. Typical annual rainfall for the region is 1500–2000 mm. Winds year-round are predominantly from the southwest.


Education

Schools are Bream Bay College (in Ruakākā), Ruakaka School, One Tree Point School and Waipu Primary School.


References


External links

* {{Whangarei District Whangarei District Bays of the Northland Region