Whangaparaoa Peninsula

The Whangaparaoa Peninsula is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, close to the base of the North Auckland Peninsula. Whangaparaoa is Māori for "Bay of Whales", and pods of orca and dolphin are regularly spotted in the waters off the peninsula. While it lies within the semi-rural Rodney District, the peninsula is increasingly urbanised and forms part of the Northern Auckland Zone of the Auckland urban area, as defined by Statistics New Zealand. Proposals mooted in 2006 would have seen it absorbed into North Shore City.

Classification of this area as predominantly "Metro 1" by the Auckland Regional Council has caused sharp rates rises recently, causing outcry among residents. The new Penlink project, due to be completed by 2010, will provide a quicker path between Whangaparaoa and central Auckland.

Until relatively recently a sparsely inhabited rural area, it is now seen as something of a retreat for the more well-to-do members of Auckland society, the city lying 25 kilometres to the south. This is particularly true of the resort of Gulf Harbour which sits at the tip of the peninsula. Auckland's Northern Motorway (State Highway One) was extended to Orewa at the end of the 1990s, reducing journey time into the city and making it more popular for commuters.

The peninsula stretches east for 11 kilometres into the waters of the Hauraki Gulf to the north of East Coast Bays. The island of Tiritiri Matangi lies three kilometres off its eastern tip. The town of Whangaparaoa sits on the peninsula's southwestern shore, and is regarded as the start of the section of coastline known as the Hibiscus Coast.

Communities along the peninsula include Red Beach, Stanmore Bay, Big Manly, Tindalls Beach, Army Bay, Gulf Harbour, Matakatia, Little Manly, and Arkles Bay. At the end of the peninsula is Shakespear Regional Park. The New Zealand Defence Force also owns part of this area, which has been used as a resettlement camp for refugees.

In the past ten years a township has developed on the high land above Stanmore Bay and Big Manly beach. This development has grown to include a thriving shopping center, movie theatres, and a library and community center. While the area was once relatively remote, the shopping facilities, including a large supermarket, have made living on the extremities of the peninsula a much more realistic option, especially considering the central city is now no more than forty minutes from this center during off-peak periods.