Bream Bay

Story

Bream Bay is a locality and bay on the east coast of New Zealand. Captain James Cook named this area to include the bay itself, but also some surrounding locations, stretching north to Whangarei and south to Mangawhai. However, 'Bream Bay' is loosely used as a collaboration of the three major towns that satellite the main metropolitan area which are Ruakaka, One Tree Point and Waipu. The physical bay itself geographically spreads from the mouth of Whangarei Harbour (Bream Head), 22 kilometers south, to the southernmost point of Waipu Cove (Bream Tail). The area also inhabits 3 native reserve islands, located just off the coast of Bream Bay: the Hen and Chickens Islands and Sail Rock Island.GeographyNamingBream Bay was named by Captain James Cook after noticing that the bay's waters were populated with a vast number of bream, although it is now thought he was mistaken with snapper. He also named, in the same vein, Bream Head and Bream Tail which are the areas at the very top and bottom of the bay itself.DistrictsRuakakaRuakaka area is made up of Ruakaka Beach, Ruakaka Township and Marsden Point. Ruakaka has seen development due to its proximity to the expansion of the country's only oil refinery at Marsden Point during the 1980s. A recently established timber processing plant at Marsden Point has further stimulated growth. The population of the Marsden Point-Ruakaka statistical area was 2,916 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 258 from 2001. This figure includes the town of One Tree Point, and the off-spring area of Takahiwai. Ruakaka is a combination of the two words "Rua" and "Kaka". Rua is a Maori word for two and Kaka is a native parrot (Nestor meridionalis). Access can be granted directley from State Highway 1.