Coastguard Northern Region is based at the Auckland Marine Rescue Centre in Mechanics Bay, along Auckland’s waterfront. It covers the area of New Zealand from Thames to Kawhia and north.

The Centre houses what is arguably the best marine radio communications room in  New Zealand.  Here staff and volunteers take over 100,000 calls every year on VHF marine radio channels plus countless telephone calls, particularly the *500 Coastguard assistance.

These calls might be from boaties logging a trip report, families reporting overdue boats, to dire marine emergencies.

Teams of volunteers monitor calls in the Radio Operations Room, crew the rescue vessels and air patrol, or control search and rescue incidents when they occur.

In addition, the Far North Coastguard Radio Trust, and the individual Coastguard units in the Northland area take a further 52,000 calls every year.

More than a Rescue Service

Coastguard Northern Region however, does more than daring rescues at sea. Generations of dedicated people have established an organisation that provides a wealth of services to every person using our harbours and beaches.

• We provide a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service
  
  
• Install and maintain VHF radio repeaters throughout the Northern Region to enable mariners to communicate with each other over long distances
  
  
• Install and maintain buoys and beacons to make recreational boating safer
  
  
• Provide a 24 hour continuous weather forecast on marine radio VHF channels 20, 21 and 23
  
  
• Accept trip reports from any vessel able to make radio contact
  
  
• Provide a range of boating education courses to ensure that boaties have a sound knowledge of their boats and the rules of the road at sea.

Our Units

Coastguard Northern region comprises of 25 units. For more information on the individual units , please visit the Local Units page on this website.