Northland’s population to quadruple with summer tourist influx

Northland's population is likely to quadruple as thousands of visitors pour into the region for the summer holiday peak of Te Tai Tokerau's $1.2 billion tourism industry.

Northland Mayoral Forum chair Moko Tepania said Northlanders welcomed hundreds of thousands of manuhiri (visitors) and whānau (family) to the region, which was the birthplace of New Zealand.

But he said visitors and their hosts had to do their bit to be kaitiaki (guardians) of Northland.

"We love welcoming manuhiri into Northland and urge them to look after our home that we love," Tepania said.

More than 800,000 visitors typically flood into the region over the summer peak - from around Christmas to Waitangi weekend - in the industry's busiest months.

Northland is home to about 200,000 residents.

Tepania said the quadrupling challenged local infrastructure.

Far North District Council (FNDC) brought in water restrictions for its Opononi-Omapere water supply on Christmas Eve, partly in anticipation of the influx.

There were 804,200 visitors into Northland last summer and 818,500 in 2023/2024.

Northland Inc acting head of destination Amy Lang said the organisation did not have forecast figures for this summer, but bookings looked strong and tourism operators were feeling positive.

"During the summer we generally see visitors heading to Northland's amazing beaches, exploring the ocean and waterways with boat cruises in the Bay of Islands and places like (Kaipara's) Kai Iwi Lakes proving popular.

Four out of five visitors to Northland over summer are Kiwis.

"However, international visitation remains strong, and often this audience continues to travel Northland throughout summer and into the autumn months," Lang said.

"The international market is generally strongest from February onwards."

Lang said visitors spent about $1.2b in the Northland economy each year.

Houhora Heads (Wagener) Holiday Park manager Chonelle Combrinck said the campground was fully booked from 27 December to around 3 January, with heavy demand continuing after that.

Around 1000 people would be staying at the large campground, which is partly owned by FNDC, over the height of the summer peak, with extra French and German backpackers on working holiday visas employed in response.

Combrink said camping was popular because it was still an affordable holiday.

"It's a great healthy family holiday," Combrinck said.

"It's lovely to see families enjoying themselves. For some children it will be their first time fishing this summer."

Combrink said 45 percent of guests returned year after year, coming from Auckland and Northland including Kaitāia and Kerikeri.

Meanwhile, Far North Taupo Bay Holiday Park manager Cora Urlich said guests at her family's campground near Mangonu had booked to stay a week longer than usual this year, into the second week of January.

The campground was fully booked from 27 December with around 500 visitors.

Urlich said guests typically also came from Auckland and Northland.

Whangārei mayor Ken Couper encouraged first time visitors to spend money locally and to become repeat returnees.

He said it was ever-easier for Aucklanders to travel to the region as State Highway 1 four-laning from the country's largest city into Northland continued its northward march.

Couper said there was plenty to do locally too, if the weather became inclement.

Tourist Austrian Iris Berger spent the last few days of her three-week New Zealand visit in Whangārei, the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga.

She visited Whangārei just before Christmas, in part because of New Zealand's Hundertwasser Art Centre in the seaside Town Basin.

Berger said Northlanders should be proud of having such a building.

It's the only one of its type in New Zealand and the last official building creation by the Austrian architect in the world.

Berger previously had no idea her fellow countryman's zany buildings were found outside Austria.

She said the Whangārei building was tiny, between a quarter and half the size of Hundertwasser buildings in Austria.

Berger also visited the city to walk from the Town Basin to Whangārei Falls.

Waikato visitors Faith and her children were among those visiting Northland to stay with family over summer.

She said they loved its laid-back feel, the ocean, hiking trails, nature and outdoors and the general sense of being out of the city.

The family were boogie boarding at Ocean Beach near Whangārei just before Christmas and were excited to watch a pod of around 100 dolphins putting on a 10-minute performance.

"They were leaping out of the water two at a time doing acrobatics. Ten fins would then be going through the water together in synchronised swimming," she said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.