Warrington, Dunedin

WARRINGTON

(2013 population: 450)

Warrington is a coastal settlement on the north side of Blueskin Bay. It has a sandy beach on the Warrington Recreation Reserve with an active surf life saving club and popular playground and picnic area for Dunedin as well as local residents. Historically, the area was an important Maori settlement and the middens at the base of the spit contain large numbers of moa bones. The tidal bay and the beach are important for wildlife. Locally, the numbers of wading birds in the area are second only to those found on Otago harbour. Birdlife here includes oystercatchers, godwits, gulls, terns, shags, herons and spoonbills. It is the only small village in the area which has shown a slight increase in population over the last ten years, and its population demographics (e.g. age distribution) are similar to the rest of New Zealand. It has a primary school, a hall, a play centre, and one church, but only a few businesses, including a Paua farm, Peony Farm, and small arts and craft businesses. The community hall is used for the doctor's surgery, meetings, parties, and Tae Kwon Do classes.