Far North District

Far North District
District
Country	New Zealand
Region	Northland Region
Seat	Kaikohe
Government
• Mayor	Moko Tepania
Area
• Total	7,323.86 km2 (2,827.76 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)
• Total	74,700
• Density	10/km2 (26/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)	Map of postcodes
Area code	09
Website	FNDC.govt.nz

The Far North District is the northernmost territorial authority district of New Zealand, consisting of the northern part of the Northland Peninsula 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 Hokianga and the town of Kaikohe.

The Far North District Council is based in Kaikohe, 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 2013.

Geography

The Far North, while generally a pleasant climate, can also be affected by the sometimes stormy maritime weather of the country, especially at places like Cape Reinga.

The Far North District is the largest of three territorial authorities making up the Northland Region. The district stretches from the capes and bays at the northern tip of the Aupouri Peninsula past Ninety Mile Beach to the main body of the Northland Peninsula, where it encompasses the Parengarenga Harbour, Whangaroa Harbour and Bay of Islands (on the east coast) and Hokianga (on the west coast).

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

Population

The district has 74,700 people (June 2024), of whom 40 percent are Māori.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	55,845	—
2013	55,734	−0.03%
2018	65,250	+3.20%
Source:

The Far North District had a population of 65,250 at the 2018 New Zealand census, 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 22,761 households. There were 32,595 males and 32,655 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female. Of the total population, 14,079 people (21.6%) were aged up to 15 years, 10,353 (15.9%) were 15 to 29, 28,191 (43.2%) were 30 to 64, and 12,624 (19.3%) were 65 or older. Figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.

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, and 8.9% 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. 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 36.9% of the district's population.

Urban area	Population (June 2024)	% of district
Kerikeri	8,360	11.2%
Kaitāia	6,380	8.5%
Kaikohe	4,890	6.5%
Moerewa	2,100	2.8%
Paihia	1,690	2.3%
Kawakawa	1,630	2.2%
Ōpua	1,290	1.7%
Haruru	1,230	1.6%

The northernmost town in the district is Kaitāia. There is a cluster of towns on the east coast around the Bay of Islands: Kerikeri, Moerewa, Kawakawa, Paihia, Ōpua and Russell. Kaikohe is centrally situated to the west of them, and there is a cluster of small settlements on the west coast surrounding the Hokianga Harbour: Ōmāpere, Ōpononi, Rāwene, Panguru, Kohukohu, and Hōreke.

External links

• Far North District Council official website