Marsden Point Oil Refinery

From the moment Bream Bay comes into view at the top of the Brynderwyns, it's hard to ignore the Marsden Point Oil Refinery – especially the 120m red and white flue. And why would you? New Zealand's only oil refinery is built on the tip of Marsden Point, guarded by Mount Manaia and at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour. While believable that the location was chosen for its scenery, it was the deep harbour and low earthquake risk that saw the refinery open in May 1964 and expand to cover the current 120ha in the 1980s. Crude oil is shipped from all over the world and 95% of what arrives is turned into a saleable product – 60% of New Zealand's petrol and 70% of its diesel is refined here. A 170km pipeline runs from the refinery to Wiri in Auckland to transport jet fuel, diesel, 91 and 95 petrol.

Granted, it's not a typical tourist attraction, but the Marsden Point Oil Refinery Visitor Centre is a surprisingly fascinating stop on the Bream Bay tourist drive. The star is the to-scale model of the refinery, which cost a whopping $1 million. A 20-minute video guides visitors around the model refinery and explains the processes involved in turning crude oil into the products we use daily. There's also an onsite café (Café North; closed Saturday and Sunday).

Point Marsden Highway, Marsden Point.

(09) 432 8194, refiningnz.com