The broad sweep of the Wairoa River defines the town of Dargaville and was a reason for the town’s establishment in 1872. Navigable for many miles, the river provided a route into the kauri forests of Northland, and a means of transporting logs to the mills at Dargaville. From there they were sent to the Kaipara Harbour for shipping around New Zealand and across the Tasman Sea to Australia. Now dairy farming is the major industry.