Orewa

Orewa's long Pacific Ocean beach is a place for swimming, surfing and long, relaxing walks. 

The town centre has everything a visitor could need.  Just half an hour north of Auckland's harbour bridge, the town of Orewa spreads inland from the edge of a magnificent three kilometre beach. It's a great destination if you like swimming, surfing, kayaking, windsurfing and kite surfing. 

For coastal views, you can't beat a stroll along the Millennium Walkway. Orewa has a comprehensive shopping centre and a wide selection of eating places with lots of accommodation options. 

The Estuary Walk and Cycleway is also very popular taking you around the Estuary, into Millwater and back around to Orewa with Estuary Arts Centre at the start and end well worth a visit. 

Silverdale

Silverdale is the start of the Hibiscus Coast region. 

Nestled on the banks of the Weiti River it was originally called Wade but renamed Silverdale in 1911 because of the many poplar trees in the area at the time. 

Silverdale Village is a boutique old village on one side of the main highway with a large industrial park on the other side. 

In recent years there has been a lot of development around Silverdale and a large shopping centre and area developed as well as a new suburb known as Millwater with housing and facilities for up to a further 10,000 new residents

Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Maori for “Bay of Whales” Whangaparaoa is a spectacular and unique Peninsula extending 11 kilometres into the Hauraki Gulf. 

Sprinkled on both sides with many sandy beaches, depending on which way the wind is blowing you can always find the right conditions for action sports such as sailing and windsurfing alternatively, head to the opposite side for shelter, family swimming and picnics. Other popular water sports include fishing, kayaking, kitesurfing, pleasure boating to the off shore islands, standup paddle boarding, water ski-ing and more. 

The end of the Peninsula is home to Shakespear Regional Park, a wildlife sanctuary, including home to wild Kiwi and complete with walks through native bush, a waterfall gully as well as along high ridges to a lookout boasting 360 degree views over the Hauraki Gulf and back towards Auckland city. The Park has two beaches (Okoromai and Te Haruhi), camping and BBQ facilities popular all year round and ideal to make a great day out or a weekend away. 

The Peninsula boasts two golf courses, Whangaparaoa Golf Club is a small and welcoming local club and Gulf Harbour Country Club is a world-class Robert Trent Jones Jnr designed course and facility which was host to the 1998, 2005 and 2006 New Zealand Open.

Gulf Harbour marina also offers a regular ferry service to Auckland city, great for a day in town without the traffic and parking hassles. Just off the end of the Peninsula, and easy to reach with regular ferries from Gulf Harbour is Tiritiri Matangi Island wildlife sanctuary, one of New Zealand’s most exciting conservation projects. Tiri is home to some of New Zealand’s rarest birds and reptile species, including the tuatara and the flightless takahe.​


Millwater

Millwater is one of the newer areas of the Hibiscus Coast. Well developed with a popular town centre Millwater is the home to Silverdale Primary School and excellent new sporting facilities. 

Milldale

The area of Milldale is currently under development. 

Shakespear Regional Park

Shakespear Regional Park can be found at the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. 

With sheltered bays, pastureland spotted with grazing sheep, regenerating native forest, walks and look out. The park has a camp ground and is great for camping, fishing and picnicking with BBQ's available for hire. 

The park is also an open sanctuary which is a pest free haven for native New Zealand species. Protected by a 1.7 km pest proof fence the 500 hectare sanctuary provides a safe environment for indigenous flora and fauna including white faced herons, native pigeons (kereru), tui, stilts, bellbirds and dotterels. There are also native lizards and glow worms in Waterfall Gully. There are also resident peacocks at Te Haruhi Bay!

Tiritiri Matangi Bird Sanctuary Island

An open wildlife sanctuary alive with birdsong. This entire island is an open wildlife sanctuary and one of the most successful conservation projects in the world. 

Catch the ferry from downtown Auckland or Gulf Harbour (just a 20 min boat trip) and if you’re a first-time visitor, join a guided tour to discover the thriving wildlife all around you. Keep a watchful eye out for stitchbirds, bellbirds, tiny North Island robins and spot the beautiful blue-grey colours of the kokako. Plus check out the little blue penguins’ nesting boxes on the walking track around Hobbs Beach.

Don’t miss the historical lighthouse built in 1864, the oldest working lighthouse in New Zealand.