Warrington, New Zealand

Warrington
Ōkāhau
Town
St Barnabas Church
St Barnabas Church
Map
Coordinates: 45°42′36″S 170°35′39″E / 45.7101°S 170.5941°E / -45.7101; 170.5941
CountryNew Zealand
IslandSouth Island
RegionOtago
DistrictDunedin
Community boardWaikouaiti Coast Community Board[1]
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial authorityDunedin City Council
 • Regional councilOtago Regional Council
 • Mayor of DunedinJules Radich
 • Dunedin MPRachel Brooking
 • Te Tai Tonga MPTākuta Ferris
Area
 • Total7.39 km2 (2.85 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2023)[3]
 • Total550
 • Density74/km2 (190/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Area code03
Local iwiNgāi Tahu

Warrington, known in Māori as Ōkāhau,[4] is a small settlement on the coast of Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated close to the northern shore of Blueskin Bay, an area of mudflats north of Dunedin, and is administered as part of Dunedin City. Warrington is 3 km (1.9 mi) from State Highway 1 linked by Coast Road. The Main South Line railway passes through the township and a tourist train, the Seasider passes through the settlement once or twice a week between Dunedin and Palmerston.

Warrington beach, a popular surf beach for locals and visitors from the city, is patrolled by volunteer lifeguards of the Warrington Surf Life Saving Club which established in Dunedin in 1957 and relocated here in 1976.[5]

Warrington Beach is occasionally used by naturists for nude sunbathing.[6] New Zealand has no official nude beaches, as public nudity is legal on any beach where it is "known to occur".[7]

St Barnabas Church is one of the area's oldest buildings.

  1. ^ "2016 Waikouaiti Coast Community Board Boundary" (PDF). dunedin.govt.nz. Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (regional councils); "Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (territorial authorities); "Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (urban areas)
  4. ^ Place names on Kāti Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki website, viewed 2012-01-04
  5. ^ "Surf life-saving: Historic name revived by club" on Otago Daily Times website, viewed 2012-12-06
  6. ^ "Southern Free Beaches". FreeBeaches NZ. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  7. ^ Ceramalus v Police, AP No 76/91 (High Court of New Zealand 5 July 1991).