Last Updated on: 16 April 2026

Shakespear Regional Park sits at the very tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, about 50km north of Auckland city. The Heritage Trail is the best introduction to what the park has to offer — native bush, a small waterfall, farmland, a WWII gun emplacement, and a 360-degree lookout at the top. It’s a genuine loop, mostly easy going, with one steady climb to the lookout.

  
Distance3.9 km loop
Time1–1.5 hours
DifficultyEasy
Track surfaceForest path, gravel, open farmland
Starting pointWaterfall Gully car park, Shakespear Regional Park
DogsNot allowed — open wildlife sanctuary
ToiletsYes, at the car park
ParkingFree at Waterfall Gully car park
CampingYes, bookable through Auckland Council parks website

 

Getting There

From Auckland, follow SH1 north to the Silverdale off-ramp (about 26km), go through Silverdale and turn right onto Whangaparaoa Road. Continue for 12.3km to the end of the peninsula and follow the signs to Shakespear Regional Park. The drive takes around 40 minutes from the city.

By public transport, take the NX1 north to Hibiscus Coast Station, then the 982 bus toward Gulf Harbour. Get off at 2 Shakespear Road and walk along Whangaparaoa Road to the park entrance.

The nearest cafes are at Gulf Harbour, about 4 minutes by car.

The Route

  • Start at the Waterfall Gully car park and go through the pest-control gate following the yellow markers
  • The forest section winds past the small waterfall — check the pool for kokopu and keep an eye on the streams for tuna (eels)
  • Tui and kereru are common overhead through here
  • The forest opens into open farmland as you start climbing — hat and water useful from this point, no shade
  • Pass the WWII gun emplacement on the way up
  • The lookout at the top has 360-degree views across the Hauraki Gulf, back to Auckland city, and across to Tiritiri Matangi Island
  • From the lookout, follow the yellow markers back down to the car park
  • Total time is about 1 to 1.5 hours
  • From the lookout you can connect to the Lookout Track (blue markers) or the Tiritiri Track (red markers) if you want to extend

Good to Know

  • No dogs at all — fully fenced open sanctuary with pest-control gates. Dogs aren’t allowed even in cars on the road through the park. People get fined
  • Kauri dieback — check the Auckland Council kauri trail map before you go. Sections of the Waterfall Gully area have had closures; the Heritage Trail has remained open as an alternative during past closures but conditions change
  • Muddy sections — the forest section gets slippery after rain, decent footwear is worth it
  • Exposed on top — no shade on the farmland section, bring water and sunscreen in summer
  • Campground — bookable through the Auckland Council parks website, separate area for self-contained vehicles

History

The Ngati Kahu iwi occupied the Whangaparaoa Peninsula for close to a thousand years before European settlers arrived in the 1820s. The Shakespear family purchased 800 hectares at the tip of the peninsula in 1883 and farmed it until 1967, when the Auckland Regional Authority bought the land. Part of the peninsula was used by the army during WWII and the Ministry of Defence still maintains adjacent land.

Other Walks in Shakespear Regional Park

  • Heritage Trail — yellow markers, bush, waterfall, WWII gun emplacement and the lookout
  • Lookout Track — blue markers, shorter and more direct to the lookout
  • Tiritiri Track — red markers, heads to the coast with views of Tiritiri Matangi Island
  • Ōkoromai Track — connects Ōkoromai Bay to Te Haruhi Bay through native bush and farmland
  • Kanuka Track — green markers, good alternative route through the park

Back to Shakespear Regional Park walks