Whangaparaoa is on the map, but in East Cape.

The location confused tourists trying to find their way to Whangaparaoa Peninsula by using the AA North Island sheet map distributed at the Auckland International Airport. The map lists Whangaparaoa in the index, a small town near Cape Runaway in East Cape with a population of about 900. Whangaparaoa Peninsula is not included, despite having about 30,000 people.

Verdelais luxury bed and breakfast owner Glenys Ferguson says the map caused an Australian couple who were on their honeymoon to drive a huge distance in the wrong direction.

"The couple took nine hours to get here from Auckland. They called us when they were near Whakatane, heading east, asking where to go," Glenys says.

When she called AA Maps to ask why the peninsula wasn't included, Glenys says they told her the word was too long to fit on the cluttered Auckland area.

"It's a bit ridiculous really."

- © Fairfax NZ News