geo.wikisort.org - Coast

Whangaparapara is a harbour and coastal community on Great Barrier Island in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf.

Europeans settled Whangaparapara for mining, timber milling and whaling.[1] It is now a tourism and boating spot, where boats can pick up fuel and water.[2]

History

European settlers felled native forests, establishing tramlines to extract the timber to the harbour where it was transported to Auckland for milling. The tramline is now part of a heritage trek.[3]

Gold and silver were discovered in the area in the late 19th century. The Oreville stamping ore-crushing battery is still visible from the road.[1]

The Kauri Timber Company sawmill was established in the early 20th century, to process logs from the Coromandel Peninsula and Northland Region. For a while it was the largest mill in the southern hemisphere.[1]

New Zealand's last whaling station operated on the northern side of the Whangaparapara Harbour from 1957 to 1962. It is also still visible.[1]

The anchor of the SS Wiltshire, which wrecked in the area in 1922, is still visible at a local lodge.[1]

The 2010s, the Department of Conservation permanently closed the Mount Whangaparapara walking track due to the risk of Kauri dieback.[4]

References

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