Shakespear Regional Park is at the eastern tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, which juts out into the Hauraki Gulf. It is about an hour north of central Auckland and particularly attractive, with high cliffs on the northern side protecting an attractive bay and beach to the south. It is one of several Auckland City regional parks as you head north of Long Bay, all combining access to the coast, regrowth forests and active farms. The park also has a predator-free programme to encourage native birds.
The peninsula was purchased by the government from Ngāti Kahu in 1853, which led to subdivision for farming. In the 1890s, the Shakespear family consolidated many smaller holdings, and the tip continued to be farmed well into the 20th century. The army took possession of the northern side of the peninsula's tip during WWII and still has a base there. In 1967, the Shakespear family sold the southern side of the tip to Auckland City, and the park was established.
From Silverdale, take Whangaparaoa Road to the park entrance, immediately after Army Bay. As you enter the park, there are a couple of options for parking. Go straight ahead to walk through the predator-proof fence into the forest section of the Heritage Track, or take a right towards Te Haruhi Bay and the campground. There is also some parking as you head towards the bay near various track access points.
The park has several trails. The best is the Heritage Track, which heads through a section of forest protected by a predator-proof fence. This is accessed from the first parking area and includes a waterfall and several mature puriri trees with an amazing array of shapes. At the end of the forest track, walk up a farm paddock to the high point in the park. From there, walk to the coast or head down the farm road for a loop back to the start. The short Mānuka Track also allows you to take a bit of a shortcut.
From the top, you can also follow three other options that take you down to Te Haruhi Bay and its attractive, safe swimming beach. The most interesting is Tiritiri Track via Pink Beach. All tracks, except Heritage's forest section, are shared with cyclists.
There is a lot of open space by the beach, but it does get very busy in summer!
