Whangarei (pop. 44,000), the largest and most important town north of Auckland, lies on an indented natural harbor that runs far inland on the east coast of Northland. The town developed late but rapidly. The nearby deep-water harbor on Marsden Point can take large tankers and a large oil refinery was built there. The oil-fired power station
that it supplied was closed down in 1992. There are also modern factories producing cement, fertilizers and glass.
An imposing backdrop to this modern port and industrial town is provided by the five peaks of Mount Mania (404m).
Although European immigrants established a settlement here in 1839, constant disputes with the local Maoris hampered its development, and in 1845, during the war with Hone Heke, most of the settlers fled to Auckland.
The development of Northland was held back by its poor infrastructure, and an all-weather road from Auckland was only built in the mid-1930s. The breakthrough came in the 1960s when an oil refinery and an oil-fired power station were built, and these were gradually followed by other industries.
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