Whangaparaoa

If you want to spot orcas and dolphins in the Auckland district, Whangaparaoa is your place to go. As well as being famous for this reason, Whangaparaoa also houses a healthy shopping district, with a mall located in the center. Grab some fish and chips and take a stroll down to the beach and enjoy stunning panoramic views of Orewa Beach from breath-taking cliff faces.

Whangaparaoa hosts many favorite towns and suburbs where holidaymakers come to relax and unwind due to the close proximity to Auckland City. Orewa’s 3km of golden sandy beach is a family friendly oasis and Orewa’s town center is a pleasant and convenient setting to leisurely visit, with its tantalizing selection of cafes, restaurants, retail stores, and boutique gift stores. Orewa has its own surf life-saving club, where surf carnivals are held and skills are honed. Windsurfers, jet-skiers, kite-surfers, kiteboards, water-skiers, fishing kites and fishers all enjoy the length and breadth of Orewa beach along with the many visitors who come to enjoy a day or extended holiday in this fun, friendly village atmosphere. Stanmore Bay has always been a favorite holiday destination as seen by the holiday beaches that still remain amongst many of the newly built sumptuous residential homes. Stanmore Bay and its surrounding suburbs take pleasure in the popular Leisure Centre along with its playing fields. Winter sports such as soccer and rugby are favorite sports played on these fields. The Stanmore Bay Plaza has a whole host of international and local eateries available for every palate. From a quick firm favorite of fish and chips to Indian, Chinese, Italian, and Japanese to burgers and roasts.

Shakespeare Regional Park with its 929 acres of parkland abounds with nature’s treasures. The park holds many walking trails and tracks, bike-friendly areas, picnic areas, lookout areas, and three picturesque bays; Army Bay, Te Haruhi Bay, and Okoromai Bay. The cliff tops of Army Bay are popular amongst Paragliders and hang gliders. The Tiri Tiri Track (5km in length – duration 2 hours) starts at Te Haruhi Bay; the largest of the beaches, and leads you along the coastline and past an early Maori settlement. Lookout Track is 3km in length and will take around 60 minutes to complete, although it is good to note that there is a steep incline. However, the picturesque scenery is what brings many to take this walk to take in the 3600 view of the Hauraki Gulf, local regional parks, and Auckland City’s distant skyline. The Heritage Trail (4km and 2-hour duration to complete) begins at the Waterfall Gully carpark. While at Waterfall Gully you may like to take a look at the glow worms and watch the new-born lambs happily romping in the park at springtime. This trail covers native forest, farmland, historic sites with a WWII gun emplacement, and more fantastic views of Auckland.