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 -
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- Bookable Site -
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- Event Site -
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- Mobility access (partial)
For special access provisions contact us on 09 366 2000.
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- BBQ
2 electric for casual use, 6 single wood and 1 double wood BBQ on six bookable sites.
- Beaches
There are three beaches, Te Haruhi, Army Bay and Okoromai Bay.
- Boat ramp
- Campervan access
Summer and Winter: Self contained campervans can stay for 1 night in the SCC parking area. Winter Special: If the vehicle based campground is closed, self contained campervans can stay up to 3 nights in the SCC parking area
- Cellphone coverage
- Historic homesteads
- Interpretation
- Limited mobility parking
There is 1 designated car park at Army Bay next to the toilet block, and 1 at Okoromai Bay alongside the path to the toilets.
- Limited mobility toilet
There is 1 male and 1 female wheelchair accessible toilet at both Army Bay and Okoromai Bay.
- 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
- Pram access
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 car park you can take your pram to the lookout. You'll need to push your pram over the two cattle stops to get to there.
- 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:
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.
