Hauraki Gulf

The Rodney District is located in the northern part of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. This district was created in the year 1989, and was formed when Helensville Borough was amalgamated with Rodney County.

Orewa serves as the seat for the district, and Kawau Island is also a part of it as well. This district stretches over 2,400 square km, encompassing everything from the beaches at Muriwai on the west side to the resorts along the Hibiscus Coast, within the Hauraki Gulf, to the east.

There are several notably sized parks in the area, including Mahurangi Regional Park, Shakespear Regional Park, and Wenderholm Regional Park. Also included in Rodney District is Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve.

This reserve was officially opened in 1977, and was the first marine reserve of its kind in new Zealand. It includes about 3 miles of coastline, and provides about 2 square miles of water inside of which all life of a marine nature is protected.

There are many towns located in the district. The south of the district is actually becoming more of a dormitory for Auckland, especially since this area is now easily accessible via automobile. But even though this area is being settled more by natives to the region, it still remains a popular tourist spot where many holiday resorts can be found. 

The northern communities are a lot more rural in nature, and include a lot of interesting things to see. For example, there are the famous geothermal hot pools near Waiwera, and the cheese factory in Puhoi.

But perhaps the crown jewel of Rodney District is Kaipara Harbour, which is the largest harbour of its kind in the entire southern Hemisphere. It has a perimeter of around 3,000 km. Also, the communities of Kumeu, Huapai, and Matakana are becoming increasingly well known for their wineries.