bridge
Auckland Harbour Bridge
The eight-lane icon spanning Waitematā Harbour since 1959, carrying SH1 into downtown Auckland with skyline and gulf views: thrill-seekers can climb it or bungy jump off it.
16 km · about 30 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandAuckland
Riverhead
Auckland, New Zealand · Oceania
About Riverhead
Riverhead works well as a base: 5 minutes from Kumeu, 16km from Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Riverhead is in Auckland, New Zealand, with about 3,700 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Kumeu, about 4 km away.
Riverhead is a small, historically predominantly working-class town located at the head of the Waitematā Harbour in the north-west of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the northwestern shores of the Upper Waitematā Harbour, north-east of the towns of Kumeū and Huapai.
Traditionally known as Rangitōpuni, the areaRead more
was an important transportation link for Tāmaki Māori, due to Te Tōangaroa, a portage where waka could be hauled between the Kaipara Harbour and the Waitematā Harbour. European settlement began in 1844 when a kauri mill was established at Riverhead, and the settlement became an important port for reaching the Kaipara Harbour from the 1850s. Riverhead developed as a community in the 1860s around the mill, which had been converted into the largest flour mill in the wider Auckland area. In 1874, a railway between Kumeū and Riverhead along the route of the Te Tōangaroa portage, which helped develop Riverhead and the Kumeū River valley areas, and closed in 1881 when a direct railway between Helensville and Auckland bypassed Riverhead.
Riverhead became an important centre for the kauri gum trade from the 1880s until the early 20th century, and in 1927, an exotic Pinus radiata forest called the Riverhead Forest was established to the north of the town.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Riverhead?
Within an hour or so of Riverhead: Auckland Harbour Bridge (16 km), Auckland Zoo (17 km), Sky Tower (18 km), Muriwai Gannet Colony (18 km).
Where is Riverhead?
Riverhead is in Auckland, New Zealand, about 4 km from Kumeu.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,700
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Auckland
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -36.7500, 174.6000
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Riverhead
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Auckland Zoo
New Zealand's largest zoo with native wildlife including kiwi alongside exotic species from around the globe.
17 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Sky Tower
328-metre observation and telecommunications tower dominating the Auckland skyline, New Zealand's tallest man-made structure.
18 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Muriwai Gannet Colony
Around 1,200 pairs of Australasian gannets nest on a cliff shelf and sea stack west of Auckland, with viewing platforms placed metres from the birds. Occupied roughly August to March.
18 km · about 20 min drive
beach
Piha Beach
Auckland's wild west coast surf beach, dominated by the iconic Lion Rock and powerful black-sand breakers.
26 km · about 30 min drive
beach
Karekare Beach
A vast black-sand beach beneath the Waitakere Ranges, where The Piano was filmed, with a waterfall in the bush behind the car park. Wilder and emptier than neighbouring Piha.
29 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Riverhead
- 16 kmAuckland Harbour BridgeThe eight-lane icon spanning Waitematā Harbour since 1959, carrying SH1 into downtown Auckland with skyline and gulf views: thrill-seekers can climb it or bungy jump off it.
- 18 kmMuriwai Gannet ColonyAround 1,200 pairs of Australasian gannets nest on a cliff shelf and sea stack west of Auckland, with viewing platforms placed metres from the birds. Occupied roughly August to March.
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