Leigh, New Zealand

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Leigh
Leigh (New Zealand transparent)
Leigh
Leigh
Territorial
Authority		 Name Leigh
Regional
Council		 Auckland

Leigh is a small coastal community in the north of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It lies on the west side of Omaha Cove, a small inlet within Omaha Bay to the south of Cape Rodney. It is 13km from Matakana, 21km from Warkworth and approximately 92km north of Auckland City. It is most noted for being the nearest town to Goat Island Marine Reserve the first of its type in New Zealand. The reserve is also the location for the University of Auckland's Marine Laboratory. [1]

Fishing Boats in Leigh Harbour, New Zealand. The buildings in the back are traditionally known as "The Jolly Fisherman." A walking track provides public access to the harbour.
Fishing Boats in Leigh Harbour, New Zealand. The buildings in the back are traditionally known as "The Jolly Fisherman." A walking track provides public access to the harbour.


Contents

[edit] Nearby Localities

Starting from the North moving clockwise:

[edit] Nearest Towns/Cities

[edit] People

In the 2006 New Zealand Census, the population of the area between Pakiri and Whangateau (including those communities and Leigh, Matheson's Bay, and Ti Point) was 1077, with 432 occupied dwellings. [2].

Although officially in the Auckland Region, residents do not consider themselves Aucklanders but instead as people of their own, independent district. Leigh is on the verge of the Auckland area. For mailing purposes, they are citizens of Warkworth, the nearest sizable town, also in the Rodney District.

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Sports

The Leigh District provides several venues for rugby, golf, touch, soccer and other well-known sports. The Rodney District's national rugby team the "Rodney Rams" are home-based at Whangateau with clubrooms at Whangateau Reserve. The reserve is frequently used for the local Touch rugby tournaments.

[edit] Outdoor Recreation

There are a number of beaches close to Leigh including Omaha, Goat Island, Whangateau and Pakiri. There are also numerous fishing spots and seafood hunting areas. Goat Island Marine Reserve provides several organised features including scenic marine observations, Glass-Bottom boat trips and scuba-diving. Fishing is strictly prohibited.

  • Swimming
  • Kayaking
  • Canoeing
  • Waka Ama / Waka Huia
  • Bush-Walking / Bush-Trails
  • Fishing / Seafood Picking
  • Cliff Climbing etc.

Leigh is also a well known surfing spot on the east coast. Most well known of surfing spots in the Leigh area is "Daniel's Reef".

[edit] News & Media

The Leigh community newspaper is the Leigh Rag. The Mahurangi Local Matters and Rodney Times newspapers are also delivered in the area.

[edit] Schooling

Leigh School is the local primary school. The adjacent Leigh Community Preschool[3] accepts children from age 6 months to 5 years. The two schools work together to provide a seamless, minimally stressful transition for children entering school. Leigh Primary roll is typically between 50 and 100 students. A large number of children living in Leigh attend the much larger Matakana Primary, 10km distant. Homeschooling is also popular in the Leigh area.

High school students are served by Mahurangi College in Warkworth and Rodney College in Wellsford. There are no intermediate schools in the Greater Warkworth District, therefore The Ministry of Education has referred intermediate students to the nearby colleges.

[edit] Festivals and Events

The Leigh School Carnival[4] is held every Easter Sunday at the Primary School.

The Leigh Volunteer Fire Brigade hosts an annual fishing competition every year. The 2008 fishing competition is scheduled for April 5th.

[edit] Local Industry

Leigh is and has historically been primarily a fishing village. It exports fresh fish both nationally and internationally. The local Leigh Fish and Chips shop is 'world' famous for the quality of its offerings.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.200.
  2. ^ Diana Solomon, Policy/Planner for Rodney District Council, in private correspondence, 24 April 2007
  3. ^ http://www.leighpre.co.nz
  4. ^ Leigh Primary School Easter Carnival

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 36°17′S, 174°49′E

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