Gulf Harbour is a suburb development some 4 km from the end of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, and 7 km from Whangaparaoa Town Centre, towards the northern end of Auckland, New Zealand. It has one of the country's largest marinas, and had, until 2023, one of the country's top golf courses, and used to be regarded as a retreat for Auckland's well-off. The site is sometimes also known as Hobbs Bay and was sold in the early seventies by landowners, the Hobbs family, who still retain some of the coastal area including the Hobbs Bay beach.
A ferry limited service operates between Gulf Harbour and downtown Auckland.
Demographics
Gulf Harbour covers 4.10 km2 (1.58 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 6,290 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 1,534 people per km2.
View from the east at head of the harbour 2014view of the marina from the passenger ferry jetty 2014
Gulf Harbour had a population of 5,988 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 387 people (6.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,683 people (39.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,973 males, 3,003 females and 12 people of other genders in 2,190 dwellings.[5] 2.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 42.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,197 people (20.0%) aged under 15 years, 789 (13.2%) aged 15 to 29, 2,868 (47.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,131 (18.9%) aged 65 or older.[4]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 82.1% European (Pākehā); 6.7% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 15.5% Asian; 2.1% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.8%, Māori language by 1.1%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 22.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 46.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,050 (21.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,316 (48.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,113 (23.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $47,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 879 people (18.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,457 (51.3%) people were employed full-time, 630 (13.1%) were part-time, and 93 (1.9%) were unemployed.[4]
Gulf Harbour School is a decile 10 primary school (years 1–6) school with a roll of 601 students.[8][9]
Wentworth College is a secondary (years 7–13) school with a roll of 411 students.[8][10] It is a private school which opened in 2003.[11] Wentworth Primary School is a private primary school which opened in February 2008 on the same site. It has a roll of 167 students.[8][12][13]
All three schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of November 2024.
