Marsden Point

The point is a broad, flat barrier spit, a peninsula of sand dunes, alluvium and estuarine deposits,[1] that forms the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance.

The flat, developed terrain contrasts starkly with the forest-covered peaks and pinnacles of the mountains across the channel on the northern head, including the 420-metre Mount Manaia.

Easy access to beaches and recreational fishing grounds, with a climate of warm summers and mild winters, make the area a popular holiday spot and residential location.

[citation needed] The tangata whenua Māori people are the Patuharakeke hapu, whose rohe (area) stretches on the seaward side from a point at the north of Mangawhai Heads to the mouth of the Mangapai River, just south of Whangārei.

A Carter Holt Harvey laminated veneer lumber factory, built in 2001, is just to the south-west of the refinery.

[6] A Marsden Point Branch railway is proposed to be built from the North Auckland Line to Northport.