You have the best of both worlds at  "Mussel Bed"

... nestled amidst native bush, tranquil gardens & streams and yet only 5 minutes walk to beautiful Cooks Beach! A perfect base to explore Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove with the passenger ferry to Whitianga all only a convenient 10 mins drive! Kayak the stream from our jetty & enjoy the natural bird habitat, explore caves and walk on gorgeous Lonely Bay.

Whether your interests be golfing, bird watching, astronomy, fishing or boating - the peninsula has it all for you!

Lonely Bay with Cooks Beach in the background

Visit us at historical Cooks Beach!
This long sandy beach which caught Capt Cook's eye is an ideal place to unwind and explore beautiful Mercury Bay! Cooks Beach is flanked by Shakespeare Cliff to the west and sheltered and picturesque Purangi Estuary to the east.

The area boasts some of New Zealand's oldest history - Capt James Cook sailed on the HMS Endeavour into Mercury Bay in 1769 and made anchor at Cooks Beach off Purangi.

Picturesque Flaxmill Bay

Located between Cooks Beach and Ferry Landing are the sheltered and white, sandy beaches of Front Beach & Flaxmill Bay providing a captivating walk along the water's edge to Shakespeare Reserve. The walking track takes you through New Zealand native bush to a vantage point with panoramic views of Mercury Bay and where you can view the Cook Memorial. A highlight of the walk is the walk down to beautiful Lonely Bay - an artist's dream - with its white sand of crushed shells and enormous limestone boulders!

A short distance away from your Cooks Beach accommodation at Ferry Landing is one of New Zealand's oldest Maori pa sites with Kupe, the famous Tahitian explorer & his people setting foot in Whitianga in 950AD.

Ferry Landing is the oldest stone wharf in Australasia, built in 1837. Ferry passengers can cross the harbour to the attractive township of Whitianga from this New Zealand historic site.