Location - whitianga

Our backpackers is situated right on the beach front over looking the Pacific ocean and only 1km from Whitianga's town centre.

Catherdral Cove

Hot Water Beach

Voted one of the world's Top Ten beaches, Hot Water Beach has a natural thermal spring that lets visitors dig their own spa baths right on the beach.

Purangi Winery

Situated on the east coast of the scenic Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand, The Purangi Winery beside the Purangi River, is a favourite spot for all visitors to the area. We make a range of wines, fruit wines, fortified wines and liqueurs from fruit and herbs organically grown and gathered on the Estate.

The winery complex is also the local market place that provides a retail outlet for the artists, crafts people and artisans of the area.

History of the area

Whitianga is one of the larger towns on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Archaeological investigation of village sites at the north-western end of Buffalo beach has revealed a thousand years of continuous occupation, making it one of the oldest in New Zealand.

750 A.D - It was first inhabited by a shy, peaceful people, small of statue and pale of skin, called the Turehu known as the ‘Moa Hunters”

950 A.D – Saw the coming of the famous Polynesian explorer Kupe who gave Whitianga its name. “Te Whitianga-Nui-a-“Kupe”, Meaning Kupe’s big crossing place, it is also said to be named after Hitia’a (Whitianga) an east coast Tahitian place name.

Because of the nature of the Turehu people some of Kupe’s fellow explorers elected to stay and settle in the new land.

1150 A.D – With travel to and from New Zealand and the South Pacific becoming fairly frequent after its discovery by Kupe. More chieftains began to arrived, one being Toi-Te-Huatahi who settled in what is now the Whakatane area. These were a war-like people who quickly flourished and spread north to eventually dominate the Whitianga area.

1350 A.D – Bought Hei a sailing master on the canoe Te Arawa who eventually settled in the Hahei area, upon seeing this bay, he was overcome with its beauty, called out in wonder naming the area after himself “Te-o-a- Hei” meaning the wonder of Hei”.

Hei also named the Mercury Bay “Te-Whanganui-o-Hei, meaning the Great Bay of Hei.

Hei’s descendents intermarried with those of Toi, eventually dominating the area from Whangapoua to Whangamata as the Ngai Hei Iwi (tribe).

1768 – Captain James Cook, lead an expedition south to seek the great southern continent. Cook anchored at Cook’s Beach, and spent several days exploring the area.

During his time in New Zealand James Cook and Mr Green observed the transit of Mercury. From this they knew exactly where New Zealand lay in the South Pacific, and were also able to work out Greenwich Mean Time, which is still in use today.

1820 - Whitianga had its share of warfare and one such story is the survival of Maggie Kupae. It is not certain whether the story originates from the battle of Te Ana or a separate battle.

Maggie was in the outpost at Toumuia when it was devastated by a raiding party. She was seized, and to prevent her from escaping the sinews at the back of her heels were cut. She was then put into an enclosure to become a meal for her captives. But Maggie was of strong constitution and to the boiling pot she was not to go, on her first opportunity Maggie managed to escape and remained hidden until she was found by Chief Maihi, who later became known as William Marsh. Chief Maihi took her into his home at Wharetangata (which is now part of Whitianga Township). For the remainder of her life Maggie was destined to get about on her hands and knees. She was the last person to be buried in the Maori burial ground at Hukihuki in 1875.

1840 – The sinking of the HMS Buffalo. Buffalo Beach is named after this British ship that was caught in heavy seas and gale force winds for 3 days. The Buffalo was anchored at Cook’s Beach but during the night her anchor chain broke and she began to drift towards Shakespeare Cliff. At 4.30 am she lost her rudder so the Captain Wood decided to place the ship on shore. She eventually came to rest just north of the Mercury Bay Hospital. A memorial cairn can be found along Buffalo Beach. It is also a memorial to the lives of two of the sailors who lost their lives when the cutter they were in capsized in the surf. Permission was granted by the Maoris to bury one of the sailors in their burial ground at Hukihuki. Some of the wood off the Buffalo was used by the Maori to erect a fence with carved gateway and figureheads, which remained fairly well intact until the late 1880’s.