Ferry Landing to Shakespeare Cliffs
Your Nature Guide
Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
Nau mai, haere mai
Nau mai, haere mai
I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.
I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!
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Photos
Information
Ferry Landing to Shakespeare Cliffs
4.6 km return | 1 hour 30 minutes return
From Cooks Beach or Whitianga, the profile of the edge of the cliff resembles an orator. Cook noted that this figure must be speaking poetry and thus named Shakespeare Cliff. There are great views from the lookout and a useful plaque names prominent landmarks and islands of Mercury Bay.
Walking Track
Access
Follow the road from Ferry Landing to Flaxmill Bay (1.5 km). A track departs from a white sign nailed to a shoreside tree at the mouth of Flaxmill Stream.
Alternatively, a signposted vehicle track, 1km from the entrance to Cooks Beach, takes you to the summit carpark.
Track
The path from Flaxmill Bay is wide and well-formed, but unmetalled. It skirts along the cliff-edge before crossing a grass paddock and meeting the vehicle track.
From the summit carpark, the metalled path loops around the various lookouts.
European History
In November 1769, whilst moored at the Purangi River end of the beach to which he left his name, Cook observed the transit of Mercury across the face of the sun. By accurately recording the time this took place, he was able to calculate his exact latitude and longitude. Mercury Bay thus became the verified reference point for his subsequent charts. A plaque at the lookout commemorates this observation.
A royal picnic was held in the paddock near the carpark. In 1970 Queen Elizabeth II and her royal entourage visited the area to celebrate the bicentenary of Cook’s visit.
Details
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Organisation |
Thames-Coromandel District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Walking
Nearby
Reviews
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4.0/5
A good walk from Ferry Landing which can also go down to a nice sandy bay (Lonely Bay) near Cooks Beach.
