Hibiscus Coast, Auckland Region, North Island, New Zealand

🇳🇿 The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It is the 10th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Region, behind Auckland itself.

As an urban area delineated by Statistics New Zealand, the Hibiscus Coast consists of Hatfields Beach, Orewa, Silverdale and Whangaparaoa Peninsula. It includes several small suburban residential and commercial areas such as Stanmore Bay, Arkles Bay, Army Bay, Manly, Red Beach, Gulf Harbour, Tindalls Beach and Matakatia.

The Hibiscus Coast is part of the Albany ward of the Auckland Council region. It is also in the Hibiscus Coast Subdivision of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board area, the other subdivision being East Coast Bays, to the south. The Hibiscus Coast Subdivision extends beyond the Statistics New Zealand area to include Waiwera to the north, and through Stillwater to the south as far as the Okura River. From 1989 to 2010 the Hibiscus Coast was part of Rodney District, until Rodney District Council became part of the amalgamated Auckland Council.

History Prior to the arrival of the first humans, the area was covered by dense kauri forest.

Ngāti Kahu inhabited the region peacefully for many years due to relationships with neighbouring iwi in the area. Several Pa sites are located across the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

Travellers frequently used a waka portage over the low-lying land between Tindalls Bay and Matakatia, allowing people to avoid travelling around the entire peninsula.

Following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, between 1841 and 1865, the Crown purchased much of what would later become the Hibiscus Coast and surrounding areas as part of the Mahurangi Purchases.

Six years after the construction of New Zealand's first lighthouse, the Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse was built in 1864. It remains New Zealand's oldest working lighthouse.

In 1869, Silverdale Primary School opened, becoming the areas first school.

Then in 1875, the Waiwera Hotel was established by entrepreneur and politician Robert Graham.

Modern History In the early 20th century, the Hibiscus Coast's population began to rise as developments were undertaken, opening up vast subdivisions over the coast.

During the night of the 27th of September 1939, a fire broke out in the Waiwera Hotel, seeing the building burnt to the ground. The fire was reportedly visible from Auckland City. The hotel's two only guests were able to escape the building safely.

Following the start of World War II, the threat of Japanese invasion saw the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, chosen as one of two Auckland defence sites. Coastal defences were subsequently established in what was then the Shakespear family farm. Eleven pillboxes, and a number of other army barracks were built on the land. By 1961, the batteries and much of the other military equipment had been decommissioned. The base, remains active into the 21st century as part of the Royal New Zealand Navy as the RNZN Tamaki Training Centre.

Following pressure to protect areas of Auckland, Wenderholm became the Auckland Region's first regional park in 1965. Not long after, in 1967, what would become the Shakespear Regional Park was sold to the Auckland Regional Council.

In 1971, the Hibiscus Coast became formally adopted as the name for the area.

On the 20th of December 1999, the Northern Motorway was extended to Silverdale. This created a major link for the area back to the city.

In 2018, the Waiwera Hot Pools closed for renovations; however it never reopened. In 2023, the derelict water park was demolished.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan in 2020, any New Zealanders who were located there, were required to quarantine upon return to New Zealand at the RNZN facility. As the pandemic continued, the facility was not used further in favour of quarantine hotels and facilities closer to the international airports.

In 2023 work began on O Mahurangi Penlink.

Geography The Hibiscus Coast sits north of Auckland and stretches along part of the region's eastern shoreline bordering the Hauraki Gulf. The area encompasses several townships, suburbs and islands. It includes Orewa, Stillwater, the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, Tiritiri Matangi and two smaller islands off the mainland.

The area is home to six rivers, estuaries and streams: the Waiwera Estuary to the north, Otanerua Stream, Nukumea Stream, Orewa River, Weiti River, and Okura River to the south.

Beaches in the region are predominantly sandy with gentle slopes. Many of these are wide and provide excellent opportunities for sunbathing, swimming, and water sports. Red Beach and Orewa are some of Auckland's best beginner surf beaches, whilst other Hibiscus Coast beaches are more suitable for swimming and families.

Tiritiri Matangi Island is an open sanctuary and the largest island on the Hibiscus Coast. Tiritiri Matangi is located a short distance off the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula adjacent to the Shakespear Regional Park. Mahurangi Island is a smaller Island which sits off the mouth of the Waiwera River, the island forms part of the Wenderholm Regional Park. The smallest island on the Hibiscus Coast is Kotanui Island (Frenchman's Cap), which sits between Matakitia and Gulf Harbour Marina.

Recreation The Hibiscus Coast has a number of beaches that attract people to live there. Other places of interest on the coast or nearby include Snowplanet, Auckland Adventure Park, the Waiwera Hot Pools (now abandoned), Orewa Beach, Shakespear Regional Park, and Gulf Harbour. Gulf Harbour is near the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, which is quite close to the wildlife reserve Tiritiri Matangi Island. Ferries transport people to the island from the harbour and back on a regular basis.

Education Primary • Gulf Harbour School, is a primary school which first opened in 1998. • KingsWay School - Junior Campus, is a state-integrated Christian school, which was first established in 1986, moving to a new site in 1990, where the senior campus later opened, and then to its own site in 2014. • Nukumea Primary School, announced in 2018 as Orewa North West Primary School, in 2021, work began on the third Orewa primary school which, opened in term one 2023. • Orewa Beach Primary School, was the second of three primary schools located in Orewa, it was founded as Orewa North Primary in 1978. • Orewa Primary School, the first of three very similarly sized primary school located in Orewa, formed from the Orewa District High School was founded in 1956. • Red Beach Primary, was established in 1989. • Silverdale Primary School, the oldest school on the coast, was founded in 1869, and in 2006 the school moved to its current site. As of 2019 it no longer offered years 7 and 8 classes. • Stanmore Bay Primary. • Wentworth Primary, is a private primary school located in Gulf Harbour, established in 2008 following the success of the secondary school. • Whangaparāoa Primary.

Secondary • Orewa College, formed in 1974 from the Orewa District High School which was originally founded in 1956. • Wentworth College, a private secondary school located in Gulf Harbour, started in 2003. • Whangaparaoa College, formed from Hibiscus Coast Intermediate School and was formally established 2005. • KingsWay School - Senior Campus, a state-integrated Christian secondary school, was first opened in 1992 following growth in the primary school.

Transport: Road Marking the inner boundary of the Hibiscus Coast is Auckland's Northern Motorway (State Highway One). The motorway was extended to Orewa at the end of the 1990s. In early 2009, a further motorway extension connected the motorway to Puhoi, creating the Northern Gateway Toll Road and replacing that section of State Highway 17.

Connecting State Highway One at Silverdale to Puhoi via Orewa and Hatfields Beach, the Hibiscus Coast Highway was formerly a section of State Highway 17 and prior to that State Highway One. Motorway extensions allowed the Hibiscus Coast Highway to be repurposed to serve growth in the local areas.

Set to connect State Highway One at Weiti Station (between Silverdale and Albany) to Stillwater and Stanmore Bay, O Mahurangi Penlink will be a crucial connection to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. The new connection will feature a new crossing of the Weiti River and is set to open in 2026.

Bus Services Auckland Transport local bus routes are operated by AT Metro across the Hibiscus Coast.

Urban Rapid Transit services operate from the Hibiscus Coast Busway Station and connect the coast to central Auckland and Warkworth. InterCity services also operate via the Hibiscus Coast Busway Station.

Ferry Services Auckland Transport commuter ferry services are operated by Fullers360, running between Gulf Harbour and Downtown Auckland on weekdays.

Tourism services are operated by Explore via Gulf Harbour to Tiritiri Matangi Island and operate year-round.