Dargaville

Dargaville is a town on the North Island of New Zealand on the banks of the Wairoa River in the Northland region. It is 55 km south-west of Whangarei.

The area around Dargaville is dominated by agriculture, including dairy, cattle and sheep. An important role was played by the timber industry in the form of plantations.

Dargaville is the administrative center of the Kaipara District.

Dargaville has 13 km away from the town, 90 km long Baylys Beach one of the longest uninterrupted sandy beaches of New Zealand, which is also mostly passable. On the coast of mussel Toheroa lives. This large and very tasty shellfish species was overfished in the 1950s and 1960s, whereby the stocks so alarming fell that the collection of shells was banned.

Dargaville is the gateway to the Waipoua Forest, a now protected as a national park forest. It is home to the largest specimens of Kauribaumes in New Zealand, the largest of which " Tane Mahuta " on Maori " Lord of the Forest " is. Other attractions include the Kai Iwi Lakes about 25 km north and the Pouto Peninsula.

History

The city is named after timber merchant and politician Joseph McMullen Dargaville ( 1837-1896 ). It was founded during the boom of the wood and amber trade in the 19th century and was briefly the most populous city in New Zealand. At the 2006 census it had 4455 permanent residents.

In the city's numerous descendants live immigrant Dalmatians.

The area around the town is one of the most growing areas of sweet potatoes ( in Maori kumara ) in New Zealand. It is therefore also called Kumara Capital ( " Süßkartoffelhauptstadt " ) referred.

The area was formerly known as thriving industrial zone, which built on the one hand from the breakdown of " Kauri gum", an amber -like fossil form of Dammarharzes by Gumdigger, on the other hand on the felling of kauri trees with emphasis to Te Kopuru several kilometers to the south on the shores the Northern Wairoa river. The river was used to transport the chosen tribes downriver location, shipyards and to Auckland.

Transport

After the colonization of transport took place with a steamer from Helensville from the southern end of the Kaipara Harbour.

Dargaville is located at the junction of State Highway 14 (SH 14) from the running near the west coast of State Highway 12 (SH 12). The SH 14 runs in an easterly direction to Whangarei.

North of the city the railroad Donnelly 's Crossing Section was built for the transport of timber. The first section of the line was built in 1889, in 1923 it reached its greatest extent. After she was operated for decades isolated from the New Zealand rail network, it was established in 1940 joined by the Dargaville branch line with the North Auckland Line. The Donnelly 's Crossing Section closed in 1959, the Dargaville branch line is now used only for freight traffic, its future is not assured.

Air connection is via a small airfield and the Whangarei Airport. Two bus lines connect the city with Auckland.