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Shakespear Regional Park
Walking trails at Shakespear Regional Park
Location	Auckland, New Zealand
Coordinates	36°36′29″S 174°49′23″E / 36.608°S 174.823°E / -36.608; 174.823
Area	500 hectares (1,200 acres)
Operated by	Auckland Council

Shakespear Regional Park is a nature park in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located at the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and is named after the Shakespear family who first came on to the land when Sir Robert Hamilton purchased 1392 acres on behalf of his grandson, Robert Shakespear, from Ranulph Dacre in 1883. Shakespear, Auckland Regional Council</ref>

The park includes the Tamaki Leadership Centre, a Royal New Zealand Navy base.

Geography

The park is located at the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Much of the coastline is lined by sandstone cliffs, which shelter the beach-lined Te Haruhi Bay. At the Park's western border, a narrow lowland separates Okoromai Bay and Army Bay. It used to be thickly populated with kelp but has now been thinned out by kina population.

Most of the regional park is the Shakespear Open Sanctuary, a collaboration between the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society and local authorities. Kiwi birds have been spotted in the sanctuary.

A 1.7-kilometre (1.1 mi) pest/predator-proof fence across the peninsula, completed in March 2011, protects the park's wildlife. This includes resident invertebrates and lizards, along with birds migrating from the nearby Tiritiri Matangi island sanctuary. Brodifacoum poison airdrops were conducted in July 2011 to eradicate mammalian pests.

History

The Kawerau hapū Ngāti Kahu traditionally inhabited the area, prior to the arrival of Europeans. Ngāti Kahu's major focuses of settlement were around Te Haruhi Bay and Army Bay. Whangaparaoa Peninsula was purchased by the government in 1853, after which settlers began developing the land for grazing. Ngāti Kahu continued to live on the land until the 1890s. The Shakespear family acquired many of the landholdings in 1883, and farmed the area for much of the 20th century.

The northern area of the park was acquired by the New Zealand Army during World War II. The Army still occupies the site, and because of this, pillboxes can be found around the park.

In 1967 the Shakespear family sold their land to the Auckland Regional Council, who established the Shakespear Regional Park.

Recreation

There are three main walkways in the park: Heritage Trail, Lookout Track and Tiri Tiri Track.

References

1. ^ Janssen, Peter (January 2021). Greater Auckland Walks. New Holland Publishers. p. 33-34. ISBN 978-1-86966-516-6. Wikidata Q118136068.
2. ^ "Council profile". aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Auckland Council.
3. Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Incorporated (SOSSI) (conservation society working to establish a bird predator-free environment)
4. "Rare kiwi spotted". stuff.co.nz. Rodney Times.
5. Bracewell-Worrall, Anna (10 May 2016). "North Island robins' big trip across the harbour". Newshub. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
6. "Pest-free regional park new safe haven for gulf birds". New Zealand Herald. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
7. Lee, Mike. "The regional legacy rolls on – Shakespear Regional Park Open Sanctuary pest eradication happening now!". Retrieved 2 December 2011.
8. ^ Cameron, Ewen; Hayward, Bruce; Murdoch, Graeme (2008). A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage. Random House New Zealand. pp. 124–125. ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.
9. Grover, Robin (2008). Why the Hibiscus? Place Names of the Hibiscus Coast. Silverdale Printing. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-473-13484-6.
10. "Regional Walkways in Auckland Region". Jasons Travel Media.

• Regional parks of the Auckland Region
• Tourist attractions in the Auckland Region
• Wildlife sanctuaries of New Zealand
• Hauraki Gulf
• Hibiscus Coast
• Farmed protected areas of New Zealand