The Hibiscus Coast is a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf

Hauraki Gulf

The Hauraki Gulf is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has a total area of 4000 km², and lies between the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island...

 coast located in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

's Rodney District

Rodney District

The Rodney District of New Zealand was a local government area in the northernmost part in New Zealand's Auckland Region, created in 1989 from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County. The seat of the district council is at Orewa, and the district includes Kawau Island to the...

, 10 minutes north of the former North Shore City by car. It contains the northernmost part of the Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

 metropolitan area.

The Hibiscus Coast runs north from the Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a peninsula and suburban area, around 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Part of Rodney District, as of 2006, it had 22,788 residents, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.-Geography:...

 towards Kawau Island. It is made up of several small suburban residential and commercial areas such as Stanmore Bay

Stanmore Bay

Stanmore Bay is a suburb and beach on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. The beach is on the northern side of the peninsula.The population was 5,007 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 405 from 2001.-Education:...

, Arkles Bay, Army Bay, Little Manly, Big Manly, Red Beach

Red Beach

Red Beach is a suburb and beach on the Hibiscus Coast, Orewa, New Zealand. State Highway 1 runs through the suburb, but the majority of traffic travels along the Northern motorway inland instead, and the motorway will be redesignated as State Highway 1 when an extension is complete in 2009.The...

, Gulf Harbour

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 retreat for Auckland's well-off...

, Silverdale

Silverdale, New Zealand

Silverdale is a suburb in south-eastern Hamilton in New Zealand.-History:It was named Silverdale after the original farm on the land, which itself was named after the shining silver poplar leaves.-Features of Silverdale:...

 and Stillwater

Stillwater

-Places:Canada*Stillwater, Nova Scotia New Zealand*Stillwater, Auckland*Stillwater, West CoastUnited States*Stillwater, Minnesota*Stillwater, Nevada*Stillwater, New Jersey*Stillwater , New York*Stillwater , New York...

, but the main town in the area is Whangaparaoa.

Population

The current population of the Hibiscus Coast, including residents of Silverdale

Silverdale, Auckland

Silverdale is a village approximately 30km north of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the north bank of the Weiti River and lies to the west of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula...

, Whangaparaoa

Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a peninsula and suburban area, around 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Part of Rodney District, as of 2006, it had 22,788 residents, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.-Geography:...

 and Orewa

Orewa

Orewa, a town in New Zealand's North Island lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. Orewa's population was 7,326 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 1,692 from 2001. It is a popular holiday destination...

, is estimated to be around 28,000 people.

Attractions

The Hibiscus Coast is known for its wide range of beaches, and is populated by many people for this reason. Other places of interest on the coast or nearby include Snow Planet

Snow Planet

Snowplanet is an indoor snow recreation centre located in Silverdale on the Hibiscus Coast in New Zealand.Snowplanet is New Zealand's first and only all-year indoor snow resort where snow guests can experience the thrill of snow sports and the atmosphere of a snow village only 20 minutes North of...

, Silverdale Luge

Luge

A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...

, Go-Kart Centre, the Pacific Plaza (and surrounding shopping centre), the hot springs

Waiwera Hot Pools

Waiwera Hot Pools is a large thermal spa situated in Waiwera, just north of Auckland, New Zealand. The park is New Zealand's largest water park...

 at Waiwera

Waiwera

Waiwera is a locality situated in the north of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. The name is of Māori origin and means "Hot Water" . Its main claim to fame are the hot water springs which were well-known in pre-European times and reputedly visited by Māori from as far away as Thames...

, Orewa

Orewa

Orewa, a town in New Zealand's North Island lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. Orewa's population was 7,326 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 1,692 from 2001. It is a popular holiday destination...

 Beach, Shakespear Regional Park

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....

, and Gulf Harbour

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 retreat for Auckland's well-off...

. Gulf Harbour is near the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a peninsula and suburban area, around 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Part of Rodney District, as of 2006, it had 22,788 residents, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.-Geography:...

, which is quite close to the wildlife reserve Tiritiri Matangi. Ferries

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

transport people to the island from the harbour and back, on a regular basis.

External links

• Official website of the Orewa Beach
• Official website of the Shakespear Open Sanctuary