Northland, New Zealand · Oceania
Whangarei sits on the route: 10 minutes from Tikipunga, 54km from Bay of Islands.
Whangarei is a town located in Northland, New Zealand. With a population of 50,900, it is an important destination in Oceania.
On a road trip, Whangarei sits in New Zealand, where you drive on the left. It's in the Pacific/Auckland time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Whangarei to your route.
Okara Park, currently known commercially as Semenoff Stadium (previously known as Toll Stadium due to a sponsorship agreement) is a multi-purpose stadium in Whangārei, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Northland Rugby Union. The stadium is able to hold 18,500Read more
people and was built in 1965.
The park has recently had a $16m redevelopment with the new grandstand known as the Northland Events Centre being built. The new development has turned Okara Park into a multi-purpose Northland sports hub.
Despite Okara Park only having a capacity for 18,500 people at a stretch, there was a match of Rugby Union in 1979 where around 40,000 people crammed into the stadium thanks to its large embankment. The occasion for this record crowd was the defence by the local side, North Auckland, of the prized Ranfurly Shield against Auckland.
The stadium has held national games, including the New Zealand Māori rugby league team beating the Great Britain Lions 40–28 in 1996 and the New Zealand Māori rugby union team beating the Tongan national side 66–7 at Okara Park in 1998. It has also hosted matches between Northland and touring international sides such as the British & Irish Lions, and Tonga, Samoa and Fiji in the last two decades.
In 2010, Okara Park hosted a match of the New Zealand Maori Rugby centenary series, with New Zealand Māori playing the New Zealand Barbarians in what was effectively an All Blacks trial match.
The stadium was used as a venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The stadium hosted two group stage matches, Tonga vs. Canada and Tonga vs. Japan.
On 1 November 2014, the stadium hosted its first rugby league international when New Zealand played Samoa as part of the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations. New Zealand won the match 14–12.
On 3 June 2017, the 2017 British & Irish Lions began their tour here with a 13–7 win against New Zealand Barbarians.
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Whangarei offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Whangarei is located in Northland, New Zealand, Oceania. The coordinates are -35.7317 latitude, 174.3239 longitude.
Whangarei has a population of approximately 50,900 people, making it a town in New Zealand.
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Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New Zealand2 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
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45 km · about 50 min drive
natural wonder
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