Stanmore Bay on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Location of 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. Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa, NZ, in evening light. ... Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa, NZ, in evening light. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... The North Auckland Peninsula, frequently referred to simply as the Northland Peninsula, is located in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The word Māori refers to the indigenous people of New Zealand and to their language. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). ... Genera See article below. ...

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 Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... State Highway 1 is the most significant road in the New Zealand roading network. ... Orewa, a town in the North Island of New Zealand lies on the Hibiscus Coast, 30 kilometres north of Auckland city, and close to the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. ...

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 small 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. A true-colour image showing Auckland city (left), the Hauraki Gulf (centre) and the Coromandel Peninsula (right). ... East Coast Bays is the collective name for a series of small suburbs of North Shore, in the Auckland metropolitan area of New Zealand which line the northeast coast of the city along the shore of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Channel. ... Tiritiri Matangi, lighthouse and ranger station. ... The Hibiscus Coast is the name of a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast to the north of Auckland in northern New Zealand. ...

Communities along the peninsula include Red Beach, Stanmore Bay, and Manly. 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. The military of New Zealand consists of three branches- the New Zealand Army; the Royal New Zealand Navy; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. ...

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.