Dargaville is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River in the Northland region. The town is located 45 kilometres southwest of Whangarei, on the junction of State Highways 12 and 14. Image File history File links Location map of Dargaville, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... Wairoa is the name of several rivers and streams in New Zealand. ... This article is about the Northland region of New Zealand. ... Whangarei is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. ... The New Zealand State Highway network is a network of roads covering the North and South Islands. ...

The town is named after timber merchant and politician Joseph McMullen Dargaville (1837-1896). It was founded during the 19th century kauri gum and timber trade, and briefly had New Zealand's largest population. Currently it is home to a more modest population of around 4,500. It is noted for the high proportion of residents of Dalmatian descent. The area around it is one of the chief regions in the country for cultivating kumara (sweet potato) and so Dargaville is known by many locals as the Kumara Capital of New Zealand. Binomial name Agathis australis (D. Don) Loudon The Kauri (Agathis australis) is a coniferous tree native to the northern North Island of New Zealand. ... Dalmatia (Croatian Dalmacija, Italian Dalmazia, Serbian Далмација) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, mostly in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Pag in the northwest and the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. ... Binomial name Ipomoea batatas Linnaeus The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a crop plant whose large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. ...

Dargaville also has one of the longest unbroken stretches of sand beach in New Zealand, and is largely drivable from one end to the other. This beach is home of the famous local shellfish delicacy called the Toheroa, a large and very tasty specimen, which was over-harvested in the 50's and 60's causing the population of the shellfish to decline so alarmingly that public gathering of the shellfish is now prohibited.

Dargaville is also the gateway to the mighty Waipoua Forest, now a protected national park and home of the biggest specimens of Kauri tree in New Zealand. Tane Mahuta (Maori, meaning "Lord of the Forest") being chief amongst them. Waipoua Forest preserves some of the best examples of kauri forest remaining in New Zealand. ... Tane Mahuta is a giant kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest of Northland, New Zealand. ...

The area became known for a thriving industry that included gum digging and kauri logging, which was based mainly at Te Kopuru, several kilometres south of Dargaville on the banks of the Northern Wairoa river. The river was used to transport the huge logs downstream to shipbuilders and as a primary means of transport to Auckland.

The area is now predominantly a farming region and supports extensive dairy, beef, and sheep farms, as well as a thriving plantation forest industry.

Other attractions are the Kai Iwi lakes some 25 kilometres north of the town, and Pouto Peninsula. Baylys Beach is the local beach, just 13 kilometres from the township, and offers over 90 kilometres of rugged west coast surf.

Links

• Official website of Dargaville
• Dargaville Primary School Website