| Shag Point | |
| Settlement Type: | township |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Shag Point within New Zealand |
| Coordinates: | -45.4611°N 170.8139°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | New Zealand |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Otago |
| Subdivision Type2: | Territorial authority |
| Subdivision Name2: | Waitaki District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Ward |
| Subdivision Name3: | Waihemo Ward |
| Leader Title1: | Local authority |
| Leader Name1: | Waitaki District Council |
| Leader Title2: | Regional council |
| Leader Name2: | Otago Regional Council |
| Timezone1: | NZST |
| Utc Offset1: | +12 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | NZDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +13 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Blank Name: | Local iwi |
| Blank Info: | Ngāi Tahu |
Shag Point / Matakaea[1] is a headland and township in East Otago, New Zealand. Both the point and the nearby Shag River take their English name from a seabird, the pied shag.
The township extends along a single road, which leaves State Highway 1 nine kilometres to the northeast of Palmerston, at the southern end of a long open bay known as Katiki Beach. The road links the highway with the point itself, three kilometres southeast of the junction. The point is a hilly promontory between Katiki Beach and the mouth of the Shag River. The headland is within the Matakaea Scenic Reserve, which is known for its population of New Zealand fur seals.[2]
A historic Māori site, the Matakaea/Shag Point Occupation Site, is located close to the headland. It is listed as a Category II site by Heritage New Zealand.
Geologically, the area is an exemplar of the Katiki Formation, and the site of the discovery of the plesiosaur Kaiwhekea katiki. It is also the location of the oldest characterised ignimbrite deposit in the South Island at 112 million years ago.[3]