Shakespeare Cliff is the best short walk from Whitianga if you use the harbour ferry. From Ferry Landing, the track climbs to a headland with views back over Whitianga, across Cooks Beach, and out into Mercury Bay.
The cliff carries the memory of Cook's 1769 visit, when the Endeavour was in the bay for the transit of Mercury. A side track drops to Lonely Bay, a sheltered cove that feels far quieter than the town just across the water.