[4] The township of Herekino is at the north east end of the estuary, and the small settlement of Owhata lies on the rocky south shore of the harbour entrance.

Owhata is a flat grassy area, with a fairly shallow beach of mud and sand.

[5] The SA1 statistical area which includes Herekino and Owhata covers 11.48 km2 (4.43 sq mi).

The results were 39.5% European (Pākehā), 78.9% Māori, 5.3% Pasifika, and 5.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

[2] Herekino-Takahue statistical area covers 303.89 km2 (117.33 sq mi)[1] and also includes Whangape Harbour and Takahue.

[10] Herekino was named by the Māori chief Tohe, who passed through on the way to visit the local chief Taunaha at Owhata and noticed a lasso-type of bird trap which had been incorrectly tied, which would cause the prey unnecessary suffering.

[12] Ngāti Ruānui (now Te Aupōuri) dominated the Herekino and Whangape harbours and several battles were fought against other iwi in the area before European settlement.

Osprey mistook the Herekino Heads with the entrance to the Hokianga, about 30 km to the south, due to misty weather and the similarity of the two features – both have a northern head formed by sand dunes.

The Osprey was driven ashore on the shallow sand bank just north of the headland.

Herekino was named on some charts as "False Hokianga" due to the similarity of the entrances.

[14] In the mid 1960s Herekino was a small township with shops – a butcher, a petrol station and more.

However following the sealing of State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge to Kaitaia, the township quickly declined.