Omaha, New Zealand

Omaha is a small beach town on Omaha Bay in the Rodney District, in the north of New Zealand. It is located 74.7 km north of Auckland.[1] It is on a sandspit that adjoins Tawharanui Peninsula and separates Whangateau Harbour from Omaha Bay. The nearest sizable town is Warkworth which is situated 16.8 km south west of Omaha.[1]

Omaha Beach

Omaha, translated from Maori, means a 'place of pleasure' [2]

History

Omaha was a Marutūāhu settlement until, in 1841, when it was bought by the Crown. Early European settlement was at Sandspit.[3]

Geography

The sandspit of Omaha was formed during the last glacial period, approximately 5000 to 6000 years BP. The beach sediment composition is over 70% quartz sand, which gifted Omaha the natural "white" appearance. There are three artificial groynes had been placed at northern part of the sandspit, to accumulate sediment from longshore drift. Local council in last two decades had been placing various groups of plant to stabilize the dunes, including spinifex, pingao, iceplant and marram grass.

Omaha Spit has also been identified by the Department of Conservation as a "significant breeding site for the endangered New Zealand dotterel.[4] As a result, The Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust was established in 2009 to monitor the dotterel population at Omaha.[5] Fundraising of $162,000 by the Trust saw construction of a predator-proof fence completed in August 2012 helping to protect the birds, their chicks and eggs from predation by cats, rats, stoats, wessels and hedgehogs.[6]

Community

Omaha is the permanent home of over 200 families.[7] Former Prime Minister and National Party leader John Key has owned property in Omaha for over 20 years.[8] New Zealand fashion designer Trelise Cooper also has a property at Omaha as does former television presenter Louise Wallace.[9]

Omaha has a boat ramp,[10] surf club,[11] an 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, bowling club and children's playgrounds.[7]

From 2018 it is served by 7 buses a day to Warkworth.[12]

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See also

References
  1. "Google Maps". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  2. "1000 Māori place names - Māori Language Week | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". www.nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  3. "Matakana Information Centre - History". www.matakanainfo.org.nz. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  4. "Department of Conservation, New Zealand". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  5. "Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  6. "Rodney Times | Predator-proof fence nearly finished". Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  7. "Omaha Beach Community Inc". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  8. "Rodney Times". 17 June 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  9. Taylor, Cliff (30 December 2007). "Revealed: the holiday hideout of NZ's rich and famous". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  10. "Auckland District Council". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  11. "Omaha Surf Club". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  12. "Warkworth Kowhai Coast Northern Bus Timetable" (PDF). 30 September 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
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