Short Walks In Auckland

Puhinui Reserve Walkway

Posted on May 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Puhinui Reserve Walkway was another new discovery for us today. It is a huge (199 hectares of rural landscape) undeveloped area out near Auckland Airport. Puhinui Reserve Walkway will eventually link up with Te Araroa – The Long Pathway.

Copy of IMG 2971 300x225 Puhinui Reserve Walkway Puhinui Reserve forms part of the extensive Matukuturua volcanic field and is linked with pre-European settlements centred around Wiri Mountain (which has been extensively quarried) and Matukutura (McLaughlins Mountain).

Copy of IMG 2974 300x225 Puhinui Reserve Walkway The area is used for a 3 day equestrian event once a year. It is a great area for safe family cycling on mountain bikes.

Dogs are not permitted as it is a conservation area for birdlife (such as the rare or endangered NZ Dotterel, wrybill, fernbird, and black stilt).

Take a picnic – there are no nearby cafes.

Copy of IMG 2973 300x225 Puhinui Reserve Walkway

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Walks in Auckland South

Tagged Auckland Airport, Cafes, Conservation Area, Dogs, European Settlements, Eventing, Hectares, Landscape, Mountain Bikes, Nbsp, New Discovery, Pathway, Picnic, Puhinui Reserve walkway, Safe Family, Stilt, Undeveloped Area, Volcanic Field, walks in auckland, Walkway

Mangemangeroa Reserve walking track

Posted on May 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Copy of IMG 2959 300x225 Mangemangeroa Reserve walking track The Mangemangeroa Reserve track was a totally new discovery for us today. I was aware of it’s existence (and my awareness was raised further by my friend Isabel).

Today this walk was an initial explore. We concluded that it cannot be made into a circular walk however it is a beautiful magical place to walk, so we will be returning to document it fully. Yet again we hit the familiar snags, lack of sign posting – so we shall endeavor to keep fellow walkers on track with clear directions.

Today we met a couple at Shelly Park Beach who had walked from Howick Beach to Hayley Lane and were on their return journey. They had been walking for 31/2 hours to that point.

The views from the top of the ridge down the valley to the estuary were stunning, the bush was peaceful, and it was still and beautiful down by the water’s edge at Shelly Park Beach and the yacht club.

I also suggest if you have the time that you pop into Howick Village markets which are held every Saturday morning. There is also a Sunday craft market at All Saints Community Centre in Cook St.

IMG 2962 300x225 Mangemangeroa Reserve walking track

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Auckland Nature Bush Walks, Walks in Auckland East

Tagged All Saints, Bush, Cook St, Craft Market, Directions, Estuary, Existence, Fellow Walkers, Hayley, Howick, Howick Village, Isabel, Magical Place, Mangemangeroa Reserve, nature walks, New Discovery, Return Journey, Saturday Morning, Shelly Park, Snags, Views From The Top, Village Markets, Yacht Club

Mt Eden Walk Circuit

Posted on April 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

IMG 2905 300x225 Mt Eden Walk Circuit Mt Eden is one of the most popular places to visit in Auckland. Today’s walk around Mt Eden in autumn sunshine and clear skies was wonderful. We enjoyed the fly past of the Spitfires and DC3′s at 10am to commemorate Anzac Day.

This walk around Mt Eden takes you along the road and smaller tracks up and around the summit and crater, to give you an idea of the immense size of this volcano.

Friends of Maungawhau have kept up with planting native trees, so that in time, the mountain will have improved heritage protection.

Since our last visit, the work undertaken on the water reservoir has been completed, so we have added an extra loop to take in a bigger view of Auckland City and the harbour.

IMG 2908 300x225 Mt Eden Walk Circuit This very popular visitor’s site gives fine views of Eden Park (home of the All Black’s Rugby Team), the Waitakere Ranges, Rangitoto Island, Mt Victoria, North Head, Mt Hobson and more…

There is a good sized childrens playground (and a flying fox). And Mt Eden village offers a good choice of cafes.

This walk and others can be found at the Walks Store

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Volcano and crater walks in Auckland, Walks in Auckland Central

Tagged Anzac Day, Autumn, Cafes, Childrens Playground, Clear Skies, D3, Dc3, Eden Park, Eden Village, Fly, Flying Fox, Heritage Protection, Hobson, Immense Size, Mt Eden, Mt Eden walk, Mt Victoria, Native Trees, Rangitoto Island, Rugby Team, Spitfires, Summit, Sunshine, Victoria North, Volcano, Waitakere, Walks, walks in auckland, Water Reservoir

Onehunga to Pah Homestead

Posted on April 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Another fine autumn day. And a wonderful walk in Auckland up through Onehunga Mall and across to the Pah Homestead in Monte Cecilia Park. This walk is certainly diverse!

The Onehunga Railway station is a great spot to arrive in Onehunga at the southern end of the mall. From here you can either amble slowly and enjoy the curious collection of shops or just push on up the hill.

pahbalcony Onehunga to Pah Homestead Once you reach Monte Cecilia Park you can enjoy the magnificent old trees and the views across to One Tree Hill and Mangere Mountain, before heading down to Onehunga Bay Reserve. Or you can linger longer and view the art collection at the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre.

This walk takes in 3 children’s playgrounds and numerous cafes.

Recommended cafes:
The Library Cafe and Columbus Coffee

** Catch the train to Onehunga and consider making this into a day outing by taking the time to discover the places of interest along the way. Onehunga Heritage Walks. Dressmart Outlet Shopping offers a large range of products. Sunday indoor markets **

Find this and other walks at the Walks Store

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Walks in Auckland Central

Tagged Art Collection, Autumn Day, Cafes, Cecilia, Columbus Coffee, Curious Collection, Days Outing, Discover, Heritage, Homestead, Indoor Markets, Library Cafe, Monte Cecilia Park, Old Trees, One Tree Hill, Onehunga Bay, Outlet Shopping, Pah, Pah Homestead, Places Of Interest, Playgrounds, Railway Station, Taking The Time, the library cafe, Train, Tsb Bank, walks in auckland

Botanic Gardens and Totara Park Loops

Posted on March 31, 2012 | 2 Comments

A beautiful sunny morning made our trip south for a walk around the Auckland Botanic Gardens and Totara Park and the Puhinui Stream forest, a wonderful experience.

We had set out to do a 5km walk but we ended up getting lost due to poor signage.

There was a good side to getting lost 1) we walked further than we had planned and 2) we found a look-out that we did not know existed which gave us a clear view all the way to the Auckland city skyline and across to Manukau Harbour.

The Puhinui Stream Forest Trail (the full loop trail is approx 4 kms) in Totara Park was gorgeous with the sunlight dappling the native ferns and palms. The trail took us past beautiful totara, puriri, nikau and kauri trees. We enjoyed soaking up the beauty of the lush native forest.

There are great spots to stop and picnic along the trail and children’s playground areas (including a children’s flying fox). Dogs on-leash on the trail, but there are off-leash areas. It makes for a great family day out.

Miko Cafe at Auckland Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre provided us with much needed refreshments.

Find this walk and more at the Walks Store

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Walks in Auckland South

Tagged Auckland Botanic Gardens, Auckland City, Beautiful, Botanic Gardens, children's flying fox, City Skyline, dog off-leash areas, Dogs, Flying Fox, Forest Trail, Kauri Trees, Leash Areas, Loop Trail, Miko Cafe, Native Ferns, Native Forest, Nikau, Palms, Picnic, Playground Areas, puhinui stream forest, Refreshments, Remedial Work, Signage, Sunlight, Sunny Morning, Totara Park, Walks

Karangahape Road and Parks

Posted on March 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

The weather did not look too promising this morning (it did improve), so we set out to walk the back streets and parks of Auckland City. This walk provides fine views of Mt Eden (down the side roads off Karangahape Road), the Harbour Bridge and the Sky Tower.

We got our ‘out in nature’ hit in Myers and Western Parks (with children’s playgrounds and a dog friendly off-leash area). The Children’s playground in Western Park has seven slides and a Flying Fox.

Auckland doesn’t seem so big when we walk it – it seemed to take no time at all to walk from Aotea Square to Ponsonby!

This is a great walk for visitors to Auckland and for families. Catch the train to Britomart to begin the mini adventure!

We walked up to the Art Gallery in Kitchener Street to try the Gallery Cafe on Level One for the first time.

More photos on Facebook

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Things to do with children, Walks in Auckland Central

Tagged Art Gallery, Auckland City, Back Streets, dog friendly, Flying Fox, Gallery Cafe, Harbour Bridge, Leash Area, Mini Adventure, Mt Eden, Photos, Playground, Playgrounds, Road Weather, Side Roads, Sky Tower, Slides, Train, Western Park, Western Parks

Hobson Bay Walkway and Parnell

Posted on March 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

This walk in Auckland is a low tide walk (check the tides here) that takes you around the edge of Hobson Bay, via the Freda Kirkwood Walkway and along the back streets of Parnell finishing at the Shore Road Cafe.

Dog lovers have two reserves that are off-leash areas.

Nature lovers can enjoy the Native Bush in Ayr Reserve (look out for the cheeky fantails).

Parts of the Hobson Bay Walkway includes a boardwalk which hopefully will one day be extended to make this walk accessible at high tide too.

Suggested Cafe: Shore Road Cafe

Find this walk and more at the Walks Store

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Auckland Nature Bush Walks, Walks in Auckland Central

Tagged Auckland, Ayr, Back Streets, Boardwalk, Dog Lovers, Freda, High Tide, Hobson Bay, Kirkwood, Leash Areas, Low Tide, Native Bush, Nature Lovers, Parnell, Parnell walks, Tides, Walks, Walkway

Pigeon Mountain and the wetlands

Posted on February 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Pigeon Mountain in the suburb of Half Moon Bay is another of Auckland’s volcanoes. The mountain was originally three times its present size but its two craters have been quarried away to provide scoria. It is called Pigeon Mountain because in early European times, native pigeons called ‘kereru‘ used to live here. (For photos of the native pigeon click here)

You can walk to the top of Pigeon Mountain and from the summit there are great views of Tamaki Estuary and Wakaaranga Creek Reserve mangroves, whilst below are boardwalks that cross over wetlands that house nests for the pukeko bird.

The nearby mangrove edged Wakaaranga Creek has good paths for wheels. And there is a cool long slide in a playground that is worth checking out. Because most of this walk is in a bird reserve, dogs must be kept on-leash.

It is disappointing to find some pathways between houses and roads blocked off with iron bars that prevent users of wheelchairs, prams and cycles from using the path.

Find this and other walks at the Walks Store

See more photos on Facebook

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Volcano and crater walks in Auckland, Walks in Auckland East

Tagged Auckland, Bird Reserve, Craters, Dogs, Estuary, Half Moon Bay, Houses, Iron Bars, Mangrove, Path, Pathways, Photos, Pigeon Mountain, Pigeons, Playground, Prams, Suburb, Summit, Tamaki, Three Times, Volcanoes, Waka, Walks, Wetlands, Wheels

Macleans Park and Eastern Beach

Posted on February 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Today we explored Macleans Park and Eastern Beach – an area that was new to us. The walk took us up and over the Park and down to the waterfront. We were rewarded with wonderful views over the Hauraki Gulf/Tamaki Strait and were able to cool off in the snippets of native bush.

This is a dog owners paradise -a very dog friendly walk with an off-leash area throughout the park. Dogs are not allowed on the beach area.

The beach area is set up for picnics and there are children’s playgrounds.

See more photos on Facebook.

Find this and other walks at the Walks Store

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Walks in Auckland East

Tagged Bush, dog off-leash area, Dog Owners, dog walks in Auckland, Dogs, Hauraki Gulf, Leash Area, Macleans, Native Bush, Photos, Picnics, Playgrounds, Snippets, Tamaki Strait, Walks

Moire Park, Massey

Posted on February 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

This is the second time we have been to Moire Park in Massey/West Harbour West Auckland (the first time was 12 months ago). The park has many paths of different grades to suit all kinds of walkers. The walking circuit we have documented takes in the variety of the paths and scenery – from native bush to a hill view of the City. This is a dog friendly walk. And there is a variety of playgrounds for children to enjoy. There is a BBQ and picnic area available. And a Pump Park for young cyclists.

We studied the map near where we parked the car in Granville Drive (a great looking children’s playground nearby). We thought we had it sussed and set off. We had a print-out of the map with us because even though there are markers pointing out the tracks, they are not numbered or colored. This area would be enhanced with better sign-posting.

We did not find a cafe in the area – so if anyone knows of one please leave your suggestion in the comment box below.

What we do find puzzling is why is there no bridge over or a tunnel under the north-western motorway for pedestrians/cyclists to access the Westgate Shopping Centre? This seems incredibly short-sighted. (NB on the 28th Feb 2012 the NZTA announced that a pedestrian/cycle bridge will be built. Read more here)

Here’s a video I found that gives a taste of Moire Park.

Find this and other West Auckland walks at the Walks Store

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Auckland Nature Bush Walks, Walks in Auckland West

Tagged 12 Months, Bbq, Bridge, Cyclists, dog friendly, Granville Drive, Map, Massey, Moire Park, Native Bush, Nb, off leash dog area, Pedestrians, Picnic Area, Playground, Playgrounds, Scenery, Second Time, Suggestion, Waitakere Council, Walkers, Western Motorway, Westgate Shopping Centre, Young Cyclists

Short Walks In Auckland

Puhinui Reserve Walkway

Mangemangeroa Reserve walking track

Mt Eden Walk Circuit

Onehunga to Pah Homestead

Botanic Gardens and Totara Park Loops

Karangahape Road and Parks

Hobson Bay Walkway and Parnell

Pigeon Mountain and the wetlands

Macleans Park and Eastern Beach

Moire Park, Massey

Search It!

Recent Entries

Links

Enter your name and email to grab your FREE eGuide ‘What to do and see in Auckland’ below. Get walking with 5 FREE self-guides.

Categories

Connect on Facebook

Get our Free App for your mobile device