Discover Cooks Beach Pukaki
Cooks Beach Pukaki, located at the southern end of Mercury Bay / Te-Whanganui-a-Hei in the Coromandel, is a prime destination for beachgoers. Stretching 3 km, it is the largest beach between Whitianga and Pauanui. The adjacent town of Cooks Beach is a popular holiday spot, featuring a variety of restaurants, cafés, and even a winery.
Activities and Attractions
The beach is sheltered by Mercury Bay, making it a generally safe spot for swimming. Beyond enjoying the sandy shores, you can take a walk to the scenic Lonely Bay and Shakespeare Cliff at the western end of the beach. The picturesque Purangi Estuary is located at the eastern end.
Historical Significance
Cooks Beach and the wider Mercury Bay area hold significant historical importance for both Māori and Europeans. It is believed that Kupe, the Polynesian explorer credited with discovering Aotearoa New Zealand, first landed here as much as 1,000 years ago. In 1769, Captain James Cook's HMS Endeavour anchored off the beach during his first visit to New Zealand.
Cook conducted astronomical observations here, measuring the transit of Mercury, which followed his earlier measurements of the transit of Venus in Tahiti. These observations were crucial for improving estimates of the Solar System's size. Monuments commemorating Cook's visit can be found atop Shakespeare Cliff and near the Purangi Estuary.
How to Get There
To reach Cooks Beach from Whitianga, you can take a short ferry ride across the harbour to Ferry Landing, followed by a 2.5 km walk to Cooks Beach. To drive, you need to go a long way around Whitianga Harbour, following State Highway 25, then turn off onto Hot Water Beach Road, followed by Purangi Road. It's 36 km and takes 35 minutes. From Auckland, it's a 2.5-hour drive.
Other nearby beaches include Maramaratotara Bay, Cathedral Cove, Hahei and Hot Water Beach.
