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Park activities

Bird watching
Boating
Camping - vehicle based
Dog walking with restrictions
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Dog walking with restrictions

Dogs are only permitted in the area between Army Bay and Okoromai Bay, but not between 9am and 7pm from the first Sunday in October to the 3rd Sunday in March. Dogs are prohibited at all times from Te Haruhi Bay, farmland and adjoining beaches.

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Farm Animals - Viewing
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Farm Animals - Viewing

Shakespear Park is a working farm where you will find cattle and sheep.

6 out of 10

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Kayaking
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Kayaking

The best launch points are Army Bay and Okoromai Bay.

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Mountain biking
Orienteering
Paragliding
Picnics
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Picnics

There are five bookable sites for groups and casual sites also available.

9 out of 10

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Pram walks
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Pram walks

All beaches have reasonable pram access with Okoromai Bay having large grassy flat areas. There are also grass verges along all the roads suitable for prams. If you park at the lookout carpark you can take your pram to the lookout. You'll need to push your pram over the two cattlestops to get to there.

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Sightseeing
Swimming
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Swimming

All beaches are suitable for swimming, Okoromai Bay is better at high tide.

7 out of 10

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Walks (1 hour or more)
Walks (less than 1 hour)
Wedding / civil union
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Wedding / civil union

There is a weddding site available for booking which overlooks Te Haruhi Bay. Weddings and civil unions require a consent to be obtained prior to commencement. Some locations are very popular over the summer months and early booking is recommended. Please contact parks on 09 366 2000 to discuss your requirements.

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Tracks

Heritage Trail
2 hours / 4 km
Lookout Track
 ½ hour / 3 km
Lookout Track
1 hour / 3 km
Tiri Tiri Track
2 hours / 5 km
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Shakespear

Shakespear Regional Park is located on the scenic Whangaparaoa Peninsula, 40 minutes from Auckland City.

The park offers a sanctuary with magnificent panoramic views. The inner Hauraki Gulf can be admired in all its glory and Auckland City can be seen on the horizon.

Birds from nearby Tiritiri Matangi Island sanctuary have migrated across to the regenerating native forest on Shakespear. You can hear bellbirds and see the occasional kakariki. In the spring you are able to enjoy the newborn lambs amongst the expansive rural pastural setting.

At Te Haruhi Bay the resident peacocks display. White-faced herons, stilts and dotterels frequent the tidal flats of Okoromai Bay, and tui and native pigeons flourish in the regenerating forest of Waterfall Gully.

The first steps have been taken towards establishing an Open Sanctuary at Shakespear.

Park facilities

Camping - view details
Bookable Site - view details
BBQ
10 electric, 2 single wood and 5 double wood.
Beaches
There are three beaches, Te Haruhi, Army Bay and Okoromai Bay.
Boat ramp
Campervan access
Campervans can stay up to 2 nights in the Te Haruhi car park.
Cellphone coverage
Historic homesteads
Interpretation
Mobility access
Native bush
Notice board
Parking
Overflow parking available.
Picnic tables
There are 5 bookable sites for groups and casual sites are also available.
Potable water
Ranger contact phone
Ranger office
Sealed access road
Security gates
Security surveillance
Toilet block

History

Read the PDF below to find out more about the history of Shakespear:

Archaeology and history of human occupation of Shakespear Regional Park (880.0 KB PDF)

Wildlife

With the island sanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi just across the water, Shakespear Regional Park is considered an ideal home for endangered native birds. Already bellbirds have crossed from Tiri and established a breeding colony in the park. To help protect native species predator numbers are kept down, wetlands are being restored and native trees planted in the valleys. The parrots kakariki and kaka are amoung native birds found at Shakespear. Also present are bellbirds and shy brown quail. Shakespear also provides an important habitat for 3 native skink species.

Native bush

The hills are mainly grassy farmland, though volunteers are working with the ARC to replant some valley areas in native bush.

Picture of Shakespear

Take a stroll on the beach and admire the views back over the Hauraki Gulf and Auckland City.

Download map
(400 kb)
Open map in ARC-GIS
(our mapping application)

Park opening hours:

Summer:
6:00am - 9:00pm
Winter:
6:00am - 7:00pm

Weekend opening hours:

Summer:
6:00am - 9:00pm
Winter:
6:00am - 7:00pm

Public holiday opening hours:

Summer:
6:00am - 9:00pm
Winter:
6:00am - 7:00pm

How to get to Shakespear

From Auckland, head north on the Northern Motorway (State Highway 1) and take the Silverdale off-ramp. Drive through Silverdale and turn right onto Whangaparaoa Road. Follow the brown Twin Coast signs to the end of the Peninsula.

Distance from Auckland CBD: 50 km

  
Get directions with Google Maps
Public transport information:
There is also a daily bus service to and from Shakespear. Buses run daily from Downtown Auckland to the Park entrance 0-9-366 6400.
www.maxx.co.nz

Limited mobility access

For special access provisions contact us on 09 366 2000. 

Limited mobility parking
There is one designated car park at Army Bay next to the toilet block, and one at Okoromai Bay alongside the path to the toilets.

Limited mobility toilets
There is one male and one female wheelchair accessible toilet at both Army Bay and Okoromai Bay.