Warkworth is a town in the upper North Island of New Zealand, within the Rodney District and lying at the far north of the Auckland Region but just south of the Northland Region. It is located on State Highway 1, 64 km north of Auckland and 98 km south of Whangarei, and is at the head of Mahurangi Harbour.The population was 3,270 according to the 2006 census, an increase of 15.7 percent over the preceding five years.The Warkworth district is known as the Kowhai Coast, named after the native kowhai tree, and the town's annual Kowhai Festival is one of the largest community festivals in the country, running for around a week in spring. Warkworth is known for the ducks which live around the river running through the town.New Zealand's main satellite communications ground station is located 5 km south of Warkworth