Bulls, New Zealand

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Bulls is a small town near the South Taranaki Bight of the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated in a thriving farming area in the Rangitikei District at the junction of State Highways 1 and 3 about 160 kilometres north of Wellington. It has a population (2001 census) of 1755.

The former Bulls Bridge, south-east of the town, spanning the Rangitikei River, collapsed suddenly in 1973, although no one was killed.

Many of the airmen from the nearby Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Ohakea live in Bulls. Former Formula 1 racing driver Chris Amon runs a farm nearby.

Recent marketing makes puns with the name (an example: "New Zealand gets its milk from Bulls"). Observers may consider the results "commenda-bull" or "horri-bull".

The town is named after James Bull, who founded the town and owned the first general store there. The town was originally called Bull Town, but this was changed to Clifton and then renamed back to Bulls at the urging of Sir William Fox.