![View of Arkles Bay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/View_of_Arkles_Bay.jpg)
The Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a suburban area about 25 km north of
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. It had 30,672 residents in 2013, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.
It is part of the
Hibiscus Coast
The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Re ...
. The area is populated largely by retired Aucklanders and “weekenders” who may swell the numbers to many thousands in the holiday season. However, many residents commute from this area to the Auckland CBD for work both via the Gulf Harbour ferry and the Silverdale Bus Station.
History
The
Kawerau
Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau Distric ...
hapū
In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally opera ...
Ngāti Kahu traditionally inhabited the peninsula, prior to the arrival of Europeans. Ngāti Kahu's major focuses of settlement were around Te Haruhi Bay and
Army Bay
Army Bay is a northern coastal suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula about 47 kilometres (by road) north of the city centre. It is named for the New Zealand Defence Force area north of Shakespear Regional Park. Th ...
.
A
waka
Waka may refer to:
Culture and language
* Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand
** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe
** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe
** Waka taua, a Māori w ...
portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
existed between Tindalls Beach and
Matakatia, allowing travellers to bypass the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, who otherwise would have needed to travel around the entire peninsula.
Whangaparaoa Peninsula was purchased by the government in 1853, after which settlers began developing the land for grazing.
Ngāti Kahu continued to live on the land until the 1890s.
The Shakespear family acquired many of the landholdings, and farmed the area until 1967, when they sold their land to the
Auckland Regional Council
The Auckland Regional Council (ARC) was the regional council (one of the former local government authorities) of the Auckland Region. Its predecessor the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) was formed in 1963 and became the ARC in 1989. The AR ...
, who established the
Shakespear Regional Park
Shakespear Regional Park is a nature park in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located at the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and is named after the Shakespear family which bought the land in the 1880s from local Maori.[ ...]
at the far end of the peninsula.
Geography
The peninsula is in the northern
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
, close to the base of the
North Auckland Peninsula
The Northland Peninsula, called the North Auckland Peninsula in earlier times, is in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is joined to the rest of the island by the Auckland isthmus, a narrow piece of land between the Waitematā ...
. The
Māori language
Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...
name means "Bay of Whales", and pods of
orca
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...
and
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
are regularly spotted in the waters off the peninsula. The peninsula is mostly urbanised and is in the Northern Auckland Zone of the
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
urban area, as defined by
Statistics New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand ( mi, Tatauranga Aotearoa), branded as Stats NZ, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the collection of statistics related to the economy, population and society of New Zealand. To this end, Stats ...
. Since 2010, it has been part of the Albany Ward and the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board of the
Auckland Region
Auckland () is one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland Metropolitan Area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Containing ...
.
Until relatively recently a sparsely inhabited rural area, it is now populated with a large retired community, along with young families and couples, the city lying 25 kilometres to the south. The suburb of
Gulf Harbour
Gulf Harbour is a development some 4 km from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It has one of the country's largest marinas, one of the country's top golf courses, and is regarded as a ...
, four kilometres from the tip of the peninsula where the Gulf Harbour Country Club is located is one of the last suburbs to be developed and is quickly increasing in population.
Auckland's
Northern Motorway (
State Highway One) was extended to
Orewa
Orewa is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. It lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, Whangaparāoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. It is a popular holiday destin ...
at the end of the 1990s, reducing journey time into the city and making it more popular for commuters. The proposed
Penlink
O Mahurangi Penlink (''Peninsula Link'') is the name for the road currently under construction which will create a more direct and quicker route between the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and central Auckland in New Zealand.
Concept
The road would ...
road (including a bridge over the Weiti River from Stanmore Bay to Stillwater) would provide a quicker route between the peninsula and central Auckland.
The peninsula stretches east for 11 kilometres into the
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,[East Coast Bays
East Coast Bays is a string of small suburbs that form the northernmost part of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand. The suburbs line the north-east coast of the city along the shore of the Haurak ...](_blank)
.
Tiritiri Matangi Island
Tiritiri Matangi Island is located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and north east of Auckland. The island is an open nature reserve managed by the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Incorpo ...
is three kilometres off its eastern tip. The town of Whangaparaoa is on the southwestern shore, and is regarded as the start of the
Hibiscus Coast
The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Re ...
.
Communities include
Red Beach,
Stanmore Bay,
Manly,
Tindalls Beach
Matakatia is a suburb situated on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It is about 43 kilometres (by road) north of the city centre.
Kotanui Island, also called Frenchmans Cap, is a sharp triangular roc ...
,
Army Bay
Army Bay is a northern coastal suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula about 47 kilometres (by road) north of the city centre. It is named for the New Zealand Defence Force area north of Shakespear Regional Park. Th ...
,
Gulf Harbour
Gulf Harbour is a development some 4 km from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It has one of the country's largest marinas, one of the country's top golf courses, and is regarded as a ...
,
Matakatia, and
Arkles Bay. At the end of the peninsula is
Shakespear Regional Park
Shakespear Regional Park is a nature park in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located at the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and is named after the Shakespear family which bought the land in the 1880s from local Maori.[ ...]
.
The
New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, prom ...
owns part of this area. The base has been used as a resettlement camp for refugees, such as in 2001 when 130 refugees lived there. it was being used to quarantine New Zealanders who left
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
In the past twenty years a township has developed on the high land above Stanmore Bay and at the proposed Penlink intersection, including a shopping centre, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, a library and community centre. While the area was once relatively remote, the shopping facilities, including two supermarkets, have made living on the extremities of the peninsula more convenient, especially as the central city is now approximately 45 minutes away during off-peak periods.
Economy
Coast Plaza
Coast Plaza is located on the peninsula. It has 350 carparks, a recently developed food precinct and is anchored by
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
.
Sport
The peninsula is home to the Silverdale Seahawks
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
and also Hibiscus Coast Raiders
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
, that are a part of
Auckland Rugby League
The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region, including both club and school rugby league. It began in 1910 when the fi ...
and compete in the
Fox Memorial
The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region, including both club and school rugby league. It began in 1910 when the fi ...
Championship. The peninsula is also home to
football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club
Hibiscus Coast AFC
Hibiscus Coast A.F.C is an amateur football club based in Stanmore Bay on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1974, and its home ground is located at Stanmore Bay Park, Whangaparaoa.
History
The club mainly played ...
, which competes in the
Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
The Northern Regional Football League Division 2, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 for sponsorship reasons, is a New Zealand amateur football league. The league is run by the Auckland Football Federation and includes foo ...
.
Transportation
Hibiscus Coast
The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Re ...
is served by Auckland Transport bus routes operated by AT Metro to destinations including Hibiscus Station and
central Auckland
The Auckland isthmus, also known as the Tāmaki isthmus, is a narrow stretch of land on the North Island of New Zealand in the Auckland Region, and the location of the central suburbs of the city of Auckland, including the CBD. The isthmus ...
. Ferries operated by
Fullers360 run between
Gulf Harbour
Gulf Harbour is a development some 4 km from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It has one of the country's largest marinas, one of the country's top golf courses, and is regarded as a ...
and central Auckland daily, and to Tiritiri Matangi.
Education
Whangaparaoa College
Whangaparaoa College is a co-ed state secondary school located on the Hibiscus Coast
The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11t ...
is the main college. It was formed from Hibiscus Coast Intermediate School in 2005, and first had all years 7 to 13 attending in 2009.
Other schools:
*Wentworth College and Primary
(
Gulf Harbour
Gulf Harbour is a development some 4 km from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It has one of the country's largest marinas, one of the country's top golf courses, and is regarded as a ...
)
*Whangaparaoa Primary
*Stanmore Bay Primary
*Gulf Harbour School
*Red Beach Primary
*Orewa College
*KingsWay School
See also
*
Shakespear Regional Park
Shakespear Regional Park is a nature park in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located at the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and is named after the Shakespear family which bought the land in the 1880s from local Maori.[ ...]
*
Gulf Harbour
Gulf Harbour is a development some 4 km from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It has one of the country's largest marinas, one of the country's top golf courses, and is regarded as a ...
References
{{Coord, 36, 38, S, 174, 46, E, region:NZ_type:city, display=title
Hibiscus Coast
Rodney District
Peninsulas of the Auckland Region