Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from Auckland. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a population of over 4000 people it is a shopping and service centre for an extensive farming district and is sometimes referred to as "the hub of the north". Geography The town is situated on a relatively level site surrounded mainly by undulating plains and is nearby many former pā sites including Nga Huha, Pouerua, Te Rua-hoanga, Ngaungau, Kaiaia, Te Tou o Roro, Taka-poruruku, Tapa-huarau, Nga Puke-pango, Maunga-turoto, and Maunga-kawakawa. On the western edge of town, Kaikohe Hill rises 300 m above sea level, allowing views of the imposing sand dunes on the Hokianga Harbour to the west, farmlands to the east and south toward Mount Hikurangi (625 m). To the north of the Putahi volcanic ridge is Lake Ōmāpere, five km in length, but only two to three metres deep. Around five km to the east is the small village of Ngawha Springs, where hot water springs rise to the surface from the Ngawha geothermal field, and where the Northland Region Corrections Facility is situated. There are several volcanic scoria cones in the area, which are part of the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field. Demographics Kaikohe is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Kaikohe had a population of 4,437 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 582 people (15.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 396 people (9.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,287 households, comprising 2,187 males and 2,247 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 29.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 1,353 people (30.5%) aged under 15 years, 927 (20.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,623 (36.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 531 (12.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 33.9% European/Pākehā, 78.4% Māori, 8.4% Pacific peoples, 4.0% Asian, and 0.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 6.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 37.8% had no religion, 42.0% were Christian,