Mechanics Bay landed in Mechanics Bay, which was the centre of international aviation for New Zealand until the 1950s. Even after the construction of Auckland International Airport at Mangere in the 1960s, Mechanics Bay was still used by flying boats to the Pacific Islands, e.g. for the "Coral Route" to Fiji. From 1962 to 1989, Mechanics Bay was home to first Tourist Air Travel, then Mount Cook Airline then Sea Bee Air operating a fleet of Grumman Goose, Grumman Widgeon and Grumman Turbo Goose amphibian aircraft for regular scheduled passenger and freight services to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf (particularly Great
Admiralty Bay (New Zealand) to the waters of Cook Strait, but to the west a narrow and treacherous stretch of water French Pass is the only maritime access. The Bay was named in March 1770 by Lieutenant James Cook during his first voyage to the Pacific. Having completed a circumnavigation of New Zealand aboard "HMS Endeavour", Cook had the ship anchored in the bay for resupply with wood and water, and remained there from 27–31 March 1770. Cook described the land surrounding the bay as "of a very hilly uneven surface and appears to be mostly covered with wood, shrubs, firns & c. which