[2] The name, which is Māori for "The cloak of the south", reflects the peninsula's geographical role in guarding the southern half of the Kaipara Harbour from the Tasman Sea and prevailing westerly winds.

The Peninsula is mostly low-lying or gently undulating, rising to only some 191 metres (627 ft) at its highest point.

The peninsula is a sand dune that formed geologically very recently, within the last two million years.

[3] To the peninsula's east lie numerous small streams and inlets which feed Kaipara Harbour.

The northern tip of the peninsula is dominated by a large area of sand and mud, known as the Papakanui Spit and the Waionui Inlet.

[3] The northwest of the peninsula, adjacent to the Papakanui Spit, is an extensive sand dune used by the New Zealand Defence Force for weapons training.

[3] The Waionui Inlet to the north of the peninsula is the site of a number of middens dating to the archaic period of Māori history.

The results were 87.3% European (Pākehā); 21.4% Māori; 4.7% Pasifika; 3.6% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".