Cooks Beach
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Cooks Beach
A georgeous seaside town with a stunning white sandy beach.
Cooks Beach, Mercury Bay, Coromandel

Cooks Beach

Location

Cooks Beach
New Zealand 3591

Quick Facts

Māori Meaning:
Named after Capt. James Cook visit in 1769
Proximity:
• 40 min (36 km) from Whitianga
• 2hr 30 min (176 km) from Auckland
• 24 min (2 km) walk from Ferry Landing
Population (2018):
459 permanent residents
Cooks Beach, Mercury Bay

A 3KM LONG SANDY BEACH,
RICH IN HISTORY

The harbour is one of the earliest places settled by Māori, with Kupe landing on the shore in the fourteenth century.

Te Arawa arrived later bringing a leader called Hei, resulting in the local iwi of Ngāti Hei. The bay was called Whanganui-o-hei, the great bay of Hei.

It was later named Cooks Beach after navigator Captain James Cook, who with his crew and expedition astronomer Charles Greene, landed here on the 9th November 1769, to observe the transit of Mercury and establish longitude.

Today, Cooks Beach is a favourite family holiday destination on the Coromandel Peninsula great for walking, swimming and sunbathing with 3km of white sandy beach beneath vine clad hills.

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Useful Visitor Information

Cooks Beach Local Tips

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Getting to Cooks Beach

You can get to Cooks Beach by car following SH25. Near Whenuakite there is a major intersection, which is well sign posted and will take you directly to Cooks Beach.
View in map.

Where to stay

Renting a bach is a popular way of enjoying a stay at Cooks Beach.

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Cooks Beach Boat Ramp

  • Cooks Beach boat ramp
    Purangi Reserve, Purangi Road.
    (concrete ramp with pontoon and trailer parking close by). There is a fee to park boat trailers and launch your boat. You'll find a QR code at the ramp to arrange payment.
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Must Do's

  • Nothing beats a walk along glorious Cooks Beach with an ice cream.
  • Find the Cook Memorial on Purangi Road where Captain Cook made his observation of the Transit of Mercury.
  • The annual Cooks Beach Summer Gala is good old fashioned gala fun.
  • For a seriously great view, walk or drive to the Shakespeare Cliff lookout.
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Where to grab a bite to eat

For a casual dining options you can’t beat getting fish and chips from the local takeaways and dining on the beach kiwi style. Head to The Vessel, Go Vino or The Hive (just out of town) and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere inside or out while sipping on a NZ beer or wine.

Tides

Download and print our Tides PDF file for local tide times.

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Shopping

The small village consists of a liquor store, general store, real estate agents and a hardware store. Often in the summer or long weekends there are pop up markets in the town centre.

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Things to do with kids

Purangi Reserve at the end of Purangi Road has a small playground that is ideally located by a sheltered barbeque area and popular paddling spot for children.

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Public Toilets (restrooms)

  • Cooks Beach North
    Riverview Road.
  • Cooks Beach Central
    Marine Parade.
  • Purangi Reserve
    Captain Cook Road.
Local Tips

Next Events in Mercury Bay

This iconic Mercury Bay event is held each year in early March. This first Art Esc...
Scheduled
Event Date
March 01, 2025 - 10:00am to 4:00pm
Mercury Bay Library run activities throughout the year and over the school holiday...
Scheduled
Event Date
March 07, 2025 - 10:30am to 11:30am
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The Kubota Billfish Classic in March 2025 is now sold out! 
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March 12, 2025
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In 2025 A Taste of Matarangi celebrates 10 years of this fabulous event! Get your ...
Scheduled
Event Date
April 05, 2025 - 10:00am to 4:30pm
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A big thanks to local photographer Dmitri from Fern Vision, for supplying epic Coromandel Peninsula photography.