 he long narrow peninsula extending some 800 kilometres north of Auckland is known as Northland - or occasionally, in flights of fancy, as the ‘winterless north'.
The east and west coast of the peninsula differ dramatically. In the east there are dozens of superb sandy beaches and excellent harbours which once provided stages for the coastal shipping which served the north. By contrast, the west coast extends in a long curve from Cape Reinga to Auckland, broken only by the Kaipara and Hokianga harbours.Geologically, Northland has a varied history. Ancient volcanic plugs, such as those of St Peter and St Paul at Whangaroa and Mt Manaia at Whangarei contrast with vast sedimentary deposits and the extensive dunelands backing onto the western beaches. Although nowhere do the mountains reach any great heights, the land is rugged and there are few plains except those edging rivers. This factor, along with often poor soil, delayed development of the north until relatively recently. When the Pakeha (European) arrived, Northland was covered with forest, dominated by kauri, a tree of great size and with excellent timber. The logging and milling of kauri was the principal industry north of Auckland for many years after Pakeha settlement and, although there are a few stands left, the great trees that once flourished in this area are now mostly gone. Today, the small patches of native bush that remain between Auckland and Whangarei are usually too small to support many native birds and the larger stands have few tall trees.
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Click on this map for a more detailed map of Northland
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