Thick forest leads down to this popular swimming beach in Mercury Bay, where explorer Captain Cook anchored in 1769.
Relax on the white sands of Cooks Beach, hike over the headlands to the secluded Lonely Bay, cast a line or take a game fishing trip.
Cooks Beach is surrounded by the bush of Shakespeare Reserve and is protected from the elements by Shakespeare Cliff. An estuary provides safe swimming for children, although the ocean doesn’t experience large swells and is relatively safe. Bush walks through the Shakespeare Cliff Reserve will take you to Lonely Beach and the Cook Memorial. See where the famous explorer stopped in 1769 for some hull repairs and astronomy study.
The area is known for its fishing. Striped Marlin, tuna, Hapuka, snapper and Trevally have a chance to grow to a great size in the Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve just south of Cook’s Beach. Game fishing charters leave from Whitianga, which is known for its fresh seafood. Come in September for the annual Scallop Festival. Cooks Beach has a local shop and only a handful of restaurants. Stock up on groceries at Whitianga if you plan to stay a few nights.
Foodies will love the vineyards along Purangi Road, the main access road to Cooks Beach. Wines, spirits, liqueurs and teas are produced in the area. Some of the vineyards open their cellar doors in the evening for tapas, live music, and wine. Stay overnight at a vineyard hotel. There are B&Bs, resorts and self-contained cottages close to the beach. Camping is permitted at the Cooks Beach Resort.
This area of beaches is located in Mercury Bay, a 30-minute drive from the town of Whitianga, the largest settlement in Mercury Bay. A ferry service operates from Whitianga across the bay, where you’ll step off at the oldest surviving stone wharf in Australasia, built in 1837. Once here, get around on foot in true beach style.
