Admiralty Lodge

Whitianga is a beach resort town on the East Coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, famous for its white sandy beaches, relaxed atmosphere, game fishing and other ocean activities.
 
Admiralty Lodge has 18 luxuriously appointed beachfront apartments, each featuring outstanding views of Mercury Bay, Buffalo Beach and beyond.

Settle in and enjoy tranquillity beside the seaside. With spectacular views across beautiful Mercury Bay and Buffalo Beach while you relax in the privacy of your spacious and very comfortable apartment. We provide you with climate-controlled air conditioning, double glazing, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious and fully tiled bathroom (spa bath an option), 10-channel SKY satellite TV, DVD, stereo, wireless broadband internet and a guest safe. Apartments are serviced daily and you can enjoy the use of our year-round heated swimming pool.

See a wonderful sunrise from your apartment as it comes up over the bay and then watch at night as the moon beam shimmers of the sparkling waters illuminating the beach and surrounding cliffs. Just fantastic!

About Mercury Bay, Whitianga, Buffalo Beach and the surrounding area:

This region is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. Besides the resort town of Whitianga their are the smaller beach communities of Hot Water Beach, Hahei, Cooks Beach, Flaxmill Bay, Ferry Landing, Coroglen, Whenuakite, Kuaotunu, Rings Beach, Matarangi and Whangapoua to visit and explore. The not to be missed Cathedral Cove is within this region and at Hot Water Beach you can dig your own spa pool in the sand!

There's plenty to do in town when on your Whitianga holiday. The Whitianga Cafes, restaurants, bars and takeaways cater for all tastes in food. The Mercury Bay Museum offers a taste of local history. You can check out the shops, Whitianga art and gift galleries, cross over on the Whitianga Harbour Ferry for a pleasant walk or take to the water for all types of Mercury Bay water activities.

With such a diverse and beautiful coastline there is plenty to do on the water: swimming, surfing, glass bottom boat, diving, snorkelling, sea kayaking and charter boats for Mercury Bay fishing, game fishing, sightseeing or adventure trips. Tuition is available in diving and surfing. You won’t want to miss Captain Rob’s Cave Cruises with Didgeridoos and all tooters. There are many trailer boat launching ramps are available throughout the region for good keen boat fisherman to utilise.

Maori History

Whitianga has been continuously occupied for more than a thousand years since Maori explorer Kupe’s tribe settled here after his visit in about 950 AD. Following this visit, many of Kupe's tribe settled here. Te Whitianga a Kupe is the original place name of the town, meaning Kupe's crossing place. There is still a passenger only ferry crossing from Whitianga to Ferry Landing, close to Cooks Beach. The alternative to the two minute ferry crossing is a 45 minute drive.

Buffalo Beach

This famous beach named after H.M.S. Buffalo which was blown from Cooks Beach in a storm and wrecked, drowning two crew members in July 1840. The ship built of teak in India in 1813 and originally called "Hindostan" took convicts and settlers to South Australia. She was calling at Whitianga to load with kauri spars to take back for the admiralty in London.

Captain Cook's visit - 1769

From Cook's journal - "my reasons for putting in here were the hopes of discerning a good harbour and the desire I had of being in some convenient place to observe the Transit of Mercury, which happens on the 9th instant and will be wholly visible here if the day is clear between 5 and 6 o'clock." Cook also named the Whitianga Harbour "River of Mangroves" and this area is still referred to as "The River".

The sighting of the Transit of Mercury is commemorated at Cooks Beach by a cairn of Coromandel granite which tells the story ; "In this bay was anchored 5 Nov 1769, HMS Endeavour, Lieutenant James Cook RN, Commander. He observed the transit of Mercury and named this bay."

Visit Us Here

 

Published 8th Jul 2010

print