Half Moon Bay, is a suburb of East Auckland, New Zealand, lying immediately south of Bucklands Beach. It is home to the Half Moon Bay Marina, where over 500 boats berth. It is located on the TÃÂmaki River in the Hauraki Gulf.
Half Moon Bay is located on the western side of a peninsula between the TÃÂmaki River and the TÃÂmaki Strait of the Hauraki Gulf. The bay itself is found to the north of the suburb, and Wakaaranga Creek forms a border to the south. Part of the shoreline of Half Moon Bay is a lava flow that was formed approximately 10,000 years ago during the eruption of Maungarei.
à Âhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain is a 53 metre high volcano found in the centre of the suburb. Part of the Auckland volcanic field, the volcano erupted an estimated 23,400 years ago. The mountain was extensively quarried from 1913 to the 1970s, with the entire north half of the volcano removed.
The Half Moon Bay area is part of the rohe of NgÃÂi Tai ki TÃÂmaki, who descend from the crew of the Tainui migratory waka, who visited the area around the year 1300. The mouth of the TÃÂmaki River was traditionally known as Te Wai à  TÃÂiki ("The Waters of TÃÂiki"), named after the NgÃÂi Tai ancestor TÃÂiki. TÃÂiki settled with his followers along the eastern shores of the TÃÂmaki River, alongside the descendants of HuiÃÂrangi of the early iwi Te Tini à  Maruiwi.
à Âhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain was an important pàsite for NgÃÂi Tai ki TÃÂmaki, named after ancestress HuiÃÂrangi, daughter of TÃÂmaki of Te Tini à  Maruiwi. The slopes of the mountain and surrounding areas were home to extensive stonefield gardens, and the mountain was an important location for snaring kererà «. In approximately the first half of the 18th century, NgÃÂriki, a rangatira of NgÃÂi Tai, built a fortified pàat Te Naupata (Musick Point), the headland at the end of the peninsula, called Te WaiÃÂrohia (a shortening of Te WaiÃÂrohia à  NgÃÂriki). The followers of NgÃÂriki also settled at the à Âhuiarangi pÃÂ. From the 1790s, Te RangitÃÂwhia was the paramount chief of NgÃÂi Tai, whose principal residences were at WaiÃÂrohia and to the south at à Âhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain. After the village was attacked by Kapetaua of the related iwi Te Patukirikiri, NgÃÂi Tai built a smaller pàon the mountain.
During the Musket Wars in the 1820s, the Half Moon Bay area was evacuated, and the lands became tapu to NgÃÂi Tai due to the events of the conflict. Most members of NgÃÂi Tai fled to the Waikato for temporary refuge during this time, and when English missionary William Thomas Fairburn visited the area in 1833, it was mostly unoccupied.
In 1836, William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale between TÃÂmaki MÃÂori chiefs covering the majority of modern-day South Auckland, East Auckland and the PÃ Âhutukawa Coast. The sale was envisioned as a way to end hostilities in the area, but it is unclear what the chiefs understood or consented to. MÃÂori continued to live in the area, unchanged by this sale. In 1854 when Fairburn's purchase was investigated by the New Zealand Land Commission, a NgÃÂi Tai reserve was created around the Wairoa River and Umupuia areas, and as a part of the agreement, members of NgÃÂi Tai agreed to leave their traditional settlements to the west.
In 1847, Howick was established as a defensive outpost for Auckland, by fencibles (retired British Army soldiers) and their families. The area was close to Tamaki Landing, the ferry launching point at Bucklands Beach that connected the area to Panmure and Point England. The bay became known as Barn Bay, or Hancock's Bay, after Herbert John Hancock, a long time tenant of the major farm in the area.
In the early 20th Century, Half Moon Bay became a popular location for picnicking. In 1949, the King George V Memorial Health Camp was opened, as a location for children to recuperate from illness. This led to the bay becoming known as Camp Bay.
In 1967, Unit Subdividisons Ltd began subdividing the area, adopting the name Half Moon Bay. A large-scale marina was established in the suburb, which officially opened in 1972. In 1976, a shopping district was opened at the marina.
The Bucklands Beach Yacht Club moved to Half Moon Bay, and opened new clubrooms in 1988. The first ferry services between the Auckland City Centre and Half Moon Bay began in 1999.
Half Moon Bay covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>.
Half Moon Bay had a population of 8,061 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 45 people (âÂÂ0.6%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 252 people (3.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 3,993 males, 4,044 females and 27 people of other genders in 2,649 dwellings. 2.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,641 people (20.4%) aged under 15 years, 1,410 (17.5%) aged 15 to 29, 3,771 (46.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,242 (15.4%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 45.6% European (PÃÂkehÃÂ); 5.4% MÃÂori; 5.4% Pasifika; 48.3% Asian; 2.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 89.7%, MÃÂori language by 0.9%, Samoan by 1.0%, and other languages by 42.5%. No language could be spoken by 1.6% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 53.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 31.1% Christian, 2.8% Hindu, 1.8% Islam, 0.2% MÃÂori religious beliefs, 3.4% Buddhist, 0.1% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 2.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 52.1%, and 6.2% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 2,187 (34.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,580 (40.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,659 (25.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $43,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 939 people (14.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,282 (51.1%) people were employed full-time, 801 (12.5%) were part-time, and 165 (2.6%) were unemployed.
Pakuranga College is a coeducational secondary school (years 9âÂÂ13) with a roll of as of