Whangaroa Harbour is a sheltered inlet formed when the sea drowned an old river valley. Steep volcanic remnants rise around the water, giving the harbour a closed-in, almost fjord-like feel by Northland standards.
It is best seen slowly: from a boat, a shore road, or a lookout above one of the settlements. The harbour's history includes Maori settlement, timber milling, shipbuilding, missions, and the grim Boyd incident of 1809.