Whangārei (Māori: [faŋaːˈɾɛi])[4] is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the largest settlement of the Northland region.

[5][6] Other traditions describe the meaning of Whangārei as "lying in wait to ambush", referring to warriors watching over the harbour from Te Tihi-o-Kahukura / Castle Rock, or Whangārei meaning "to gather", referring to the harbour as a gathering place for whales or for important rangatira.

[5] The harbour is known from traditional histories as a landing point for many of the migratory waka which reached New Zealand, including Tūnui-ā-rangi and Te Arawa.

[8] A number of Māori iwi are associated with the early history of Whangārei, including Ngare Raumati, Ngāi Tāhuhu, Ngātiwai and Te Parawhau.

[9] Captain James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour were the first Europeans to sight the Whangārei Harbour entrance.

[11] The first European settler was William Carruth, a Scotsman and trader, who arrived in 1839 and was joined six years later by Gilbert Mair and his family.

Early exports included kauri gum and native timber, followed later by coal from Whau Valley, Kamo, and Hikurangi.

Local limestone is still used in cement manufacture, but the coal is now imported from the West Coast of the South Island.

[14] These terrestrial travel routes forced a rapid decline in coastal shipping but stimulated Whangārei to become the service centre for Northland.

[15] The second half of the twentieth century brought the establishment and expansion of the oil refinery at Marsden Point on Bream Bay, the adjacent development of timber processing and the establishment of Northland Port, which is mainly focused on timber exporting.

[citation needed] Building of the Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery commenced in 2018 after the funding target of $20.97 million was raised by a volunteer team in time for a June 2017 deadline, and the centre opened in February of 2022.

There is road access to the summit of Parihaka and walking tracks through the reserve,[21] and a bridge linking it to Mair Park.

The dome is frequently called Mount Parahaki, but the original Māori spelling of Parihaka was confirmed by the government in 2005.

Summer days occasionally exceed 30 °C, and there is plentiful rainfall spread relatively evenly throughout the year.

[24] Using the Trewartha classification Whangārei is firmly a maritime subtropical climate due to its absence of winter cold.

At a local level, Whangārei comes under the Northland Regional Council, of which the city is the seat.

[citation needed] Whangārei Airport is located 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi) southeast of the city centre, in the suburb of Onerahi.

[citation needed] In July 2013, a second road crossing of the Hatea River was opened, in the form of a bascule bridge.

[citation needed] There are several cycle/walk ways under development connecting the city centre with the outer suburbs.

[34] Intercity operates 3 buses a day from Whangārei, taking about 3 hours[35] for the 158 km (98 mi)[36] to Auckland and 1hr 45 mins to Kerikeri.

[citation needed] The Hundertwasser Art Centre was built on the site of the former Northland Harbour Board building.

[citation needed] The Quarry Arts Centre is located on the edge of the Western Hills in the Avenues.

[citation needed] The Hātea Loop walkway is an accessible, circular walkway which connects Town Basin, William Fraser Memorial Park,Te Matau a Pohe, Canopy Bridge, Clapham's Clocks and Reyburn House gallery.

[citation needed] NorthTec, with its main campus located in the Whangārei suburb of Raumanga, is the chief provider of tertiary education in the Northland region.

It offers degrees, diplomas and certificates in a wide variety of academic, professional and technical fields.

[64] Excellere College, a Christian school (years 1–13) located in the northern suburb of Springs Flat.

[66] Blomfield Special School and Resource Centre provides education and care to students between the ages of five and twenty-one years,[67] and has a roll of 68.

The single primary health care organisation (PHO), Te Kaupapa Mahitahi Hauora Papa O Te Raki Trust, commonly known as Mahitahi Hauora, was created in 2019 through a process of coming together with the previous Northland PHOs.

Cobham Oval has hosted Black Caps one-day international cricket matches, with the first taking place in 2012.

[73] The football (soccer) club North Force who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1 are based in Whangārei.