Whitianga, known to the locals as "Whiti", is on Mercury Bay on the eastern coast of the Coromandel Peninsula and is a 131 mile (208 kms) drive south from Auckland.

The area is one of the longest continuously occupied parts of New Zealand, having been settled by the Maori chief Kupe and his tribe of explorers in 950.  There are a few more people here now, with a population of 4,100 residents.

It was occupied by various Maori trides over the years as they fought each other for the best location on the Peninsula.  The area was visited by Captain Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour during November 1769, while the Endeavour was anchored in  "Te Whanganui A Hei " (the Great Bay of Hei).  It was later re-named as Mercury Bay, as on November 5th, they observed the transit of the planet Mercury, an official sighting for the Royal Society of London, whos representative, Charles Green, was the expeditions official astronomer.  Sadly, he did not live to recant his experiences to his associates at the Royal Society, as he died in 1771 during the expeditions return voyage to the UK.

The first European settlers arrived in 1836 and the town developed, although until 1881, the original settlement was on the other side of the River of Mangroves, from its current position.

In its early days, the town was known for its ship building, forestry, gold mining and gum digging.  During the height of the areas timber industry, ships came from Norway, Sweden, France, Italy and the UK to collect their cargos of Kauri wood, which was most sought after in Europe.

More recently, the local business activities have centred on fishing, (it's a great area for seafood, especially scallops), farming and the tourism industry.  a huge range of activities are available to experience, such as swimming, diving, bushwalking, fishing, golf, kayaking, scenic cruises, whale and dolphin spotting, horseriding and sailing.

Being a popular town for visitors to the Coromandel Peninsula, accommodation in the area is varied and abundant, with properties to suite every taste and budget.