Category Archives: Walks in Auckland – General Information

Find info on walking with children, walking with dogs and off-leash areas, wheelchair and buggy friendly walks, how walking keeps us fit and healthy.

Auckland Volcano walks, Hauraki Gulf Island, Things to do with children, Walks in Auckland - General Information, Walks in Auckland East

Browns Island auckland

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View of Browns Island Crater and Hauraki Gulf
View of Browns Island Crater

Wow – Browns Island in Auckland Harbour – what a cool little island to visit. Browns Island is a small volcanic island that you can visit for an hour or a full day. Rising to 65m above sea level, the views of Auckland City and the Hauraki Gulf as you climb are superb.

Integrated GPS Map of Browns Island

Find tips on how to use this Google GPS Map

Get there by boat, kayak or paddle board

Browns Island is close to Auckland’s mainland. Launch a boat at Halfmoon Bay or another closeby spot or kayak or paddle board from one of the nearby beaches. Crater Bay at the northeast corner is a great landing spot for small boats – it is a good deep water beach – 1.9m of water at half tide only 20m from the beach. We beached our front and unloaded and then anchored about 25m off the beach.

Kayaks and Paddle Boards may want to access via the shallow beach on the southwest side.

What to see and do?

Browns Island Auckland is a fascinating small volcano in the Waitemata Harbour that deserves to be explored. It is mostly grassy paddocks that can be freely walked. Some highlighyts are:

Browns Island Auckland View
View of Auckland City from the summit of Browns Island
  • Climb the volcanic cone to the trig to get a great 360 degree view of Auckland and the Gulf. The volcano is also very defined and worth a look!
  • Walk the circumference of Browns Island
  • Visit the shipwreck on the Southwest beach
  • Examine the three types of volcanic structures present on Browns Island – the only volcano in Auckland to have all three types.
  • Swim at Crater Bay – the water is clear and deep with a nice little beach
  • Search for fossils

Walking Difficulty and Suitability

That walking tracks on Browns Island are largely unformed tracks that just wander through the grass. There are stairs ascending from Crater Bay towards the volcanic cone.

The walk to the summit is short but quite steep – suitable for most, except those who are unsteady on their feet. The island is not suitable for buggies, pushchairs or wheelchairs.

This is a fascinating book on Auckland’s 50 volcanoes. Learn about the prominent, obscure and unexpected. Discover locations, history and geology.  Great book to add to your Auckland collection.

CBD Walks, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Arriving in Auckland by Cruise Ship

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Recently we received an inquiry from Hawaii about arriving in Auckland by Cruise Ship . It reads:

Aloha! We arrive in Auckland on Christmas day and are looking for walking tracks near where the cruise ship will dock, or even if we need to take a shuttle or bus to get to it. We do not know our way around. What are the options for nearby scenic walking tracks from off the ship? Thank you!

The Ferry Building is an Auckland landmark at the downtown waterfront.

First of all, cruise ships dock in Auckland right next to downtown and within easy walking distance of Britomart Transport hub.
More Auckland port info: HERE

 

To plan your journey by bus or train visit Auckland Transport Journey Planner  (use Quay Street Auckland for your starting point). For ferries visit Fullers.

We have responded with some ideas and you can decide what you would like to do, depending on your interests and how much time you have available. If you are arriving on a public holiday, you may find many places/public transport are closed.

    1. Explore Auckland CBD.  Sign up for our Free eGuide and download the Free “CBD Discovery” . Time: approximately 60 minutes + time for loitering. All within easy distance from the port.
      Read more: CBD Discovery
    2. Take a bus to Parnell (or walk if you have the time). History and Rose gardens.
      Read more: Parnell – Roses, trains and cranes
    3. Walk to Victoria Park and up to Ponsonby.
      Read more: Victoria Park and markets
    4. Mission Bay is a seaside town that you can walk to along the waterfront (away from the harbour bridge) or catch a bus.
      Read more: Mission Bay to Okahu Bay
    5. St Heliers is further along from Mission Bay. It is a bus ride away. Here you can experience New Zealand bush and bird life in the Dingle Dell Reserve.
      Read more: Dingle Dell and St Heliers Circuit
    6. Karangahape Road is an interesting place to visit when the shops are open. It is easy to walk to from Queen Street.
      Read more: Karangahape Road and Parks
    7. Point Erin and harbourside is an easy walk from the port heading towards the harbour bridge.
      Read more: Point Erin and Harbourside
    8. Wynyard Quarter is an easy short walk from the port again heading towards the harbour bridge. It takes in the Viaduct Basin where Auckland held a previous Americas Cup from.
      Read more: Wynyard Quarter Waterfront loop
    9. Art Gallery Loop takes in not only the art gallery but other interesting places along the way.
      Read more: Auckland Art Gallery Loop
    10. Auckland Museum Loop starts at Britomart Transport hub and takes in interesting places along the route. If you have time, you can explore the Auckland Domain too.
      Read more: Britomart to Auckland Museum 
    11. Catch the ferry to Devonport for 2 walks.
      Read more: Devonport/North Head Loop and Devonport/Mt Victoria Loop
    12. Take the bus or catch the ferry to Northcote Point for 2 walks. Northcote Point Loop gives you views of Auckland City as well as the undercarriage of the Harbour Bridge. New Zealand bush can be enjoyed on the Le Roys Loop.
      Read more: Northcote Point and Auckland Harbour Bridge and Le Roys Bush.
Auckland Nature Walks, Auckland Wetlands and Waterways, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Spring walks in Auckland

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Winter in Auckland can be very wet and sometimes very cold. So to lift your spirits we have listed suggested walks where you can enjoy the signs of spring in Auckland.

Auckland Domain
Spring sunshine in Auckland Domain – at the duck pond

Walks in Auckland - General Information

Your Feedback

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Here at Short Walks in Auckland, we are committed to helping you stay on track. If you have downloaded our free walks brochures, or purchased our books or other brochures; and followed our walking route, we would like to know what you think.

Please complete this short 3 question survey to help us improve on what we provide to you. Your participation would be very helpful in creating the best Auckland walking experience for all walkers. Thank You!

Click here to take survey

Walks in Auckland - General Information

Winter walks in Auckland

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Grab your rain jacket, hat and gloves and head outside to warm up with a winter walk!  Even though the weather may not appeal, walking will awaken your senses.

Cornwall Park © 2011-2013 Unleashed Ventures Limited

Go tree spotting in Cornwall Park, Mt Eden and Monte Cecilia Park; and enjoy the benefits of taking a walk on a crisp winter day.

Another place to walk in winter and enjoy the trees is Waiata Reserve which you can walk through on the Remerua to Hobson Bay Circuit.

We cover Cornwall Park and Mt Eden in our new book “Short walks in Auckland:Volcanoes“.

When the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, more views are revealed, and on those beautiful, clear, dry winter days, the sun is great for warming up our bodies!

Click on the photos below to enlarge.

Things to do with children, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Walking with children on bikes and scooters

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Walks in AucklandRecently a friend enquired about doing walks in Auckland with young children who like to ride bikes and scooters. This can be a lot of fun for the kids, and is a great way to get them into outdoor activities  while adults get their exercise and fresh air too.

Be prepared to carry the bike/scooter and also make sure your children know how to stop on downhill slopes (and warn them about how to use their muscles to go up hills!). Good idea to have a first aid kit handy and some water and snacks to keep up the energy!

The important thing to look for is mainly flat wide paths, so with that in mind here are a few ideas:
Cornwall Park * – the circular path does have hills
Western Springs – take some bread to feed the ducks!
Albany Lakes Civic Park – An urban oasis, this 6.4ha Albany Park has an art bridge, water features, an outdoor staging area and two large storm water lakes.

Waiaturua Reserve – Wander over wide open spaces, enjoy the beauty of the wetland environ or explore pockets of bush. With wide pathways established for walking and jogging and a landscape that includes extensive native planting. See more of Waiaturua Reserve.

Watercare Coastal Walkway – 7kms one-way from Ambury Farm to Otuataua Stonefields
Henderson Creek Cycleway
Opanuku Walk & Cycleway  – Twin Streams Walk & Cycleways Fun Map
Te Atatu Peninsula Walkway *
Pikes Point/Onehunga Foreshore walkway – Southdown to Mangere
Sanders Reserve
Onepoto Basin

(Those marked with an * are currently included in Short Walks in Auckland self-guides.)

More ideas from the NZ Herald here

And some other great bike rides for when the children are older – Bicycle Culture on Auckland’s North Shore.

If you have another suggestions, please share and post in the comment box below. Thanks!

Have fun!walks in Auckland

Dog Friendly Walks, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Dog walks in Auckland – dog off-leash areas

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Our self-guides indicate if there are any dog friendly off-leash areas and/or are suitable for dog friendly walks in Auckland. This is noted when we visit the area – it may change without any notice due to Council regulations. Check with this Auckland Council webpage: Exercising your dog before you head out.

We have published 3 books with 12 circular walks in each, of Dog Friendly Walks in Auckland.

Dog Walks in Auckland

The Herald on Sunday Living section edition dated August 7th, 2011 listed in detail 8 areas for dog walks in Auckland, plus another 4 in brief.

In case you missed it – you can read the article here: Off-leash dog parks and another here: Five of the best: Off-leash dog parks

More: Recommended Dog Walks in Auckland

The areas are:

1. Meola Reef , Point Chevalier*
2. Big King Reserve , Three Kings/Mt Eden*
3. Craig Avon Park
4. Waiaturua Reserve
5. Western Park,  Ponsonby *
6. Kakamatua Inlet
7. Takapuna Beach
8. Macleans Park , Bucklands Beach/Half Moon Bay*
9. Churchill Park , Glendowie*
10. Heron Park
11. Kauri Point Domain
12. Waikowhai Park
13. Moire Park , West Harbour*
14. Hobsonville Bomb Point Dog Park

The Localist lists 10 great parks to walk the dog

PLUS (I will add more as I find them and if you know of any that are not listed here, please inform us all in the comment box below):

1. Dove Myer Robinson, Shore Road, Remuera (part of the Hobson Bay Walkway)

Those marked with an * are currently included in Short Walks in Auckland self-guides.

To find some of the best places to walk a dog in Auckland, visit these other dog friendly sites:

Doogle – dog friendly exercise areas

FetchMag – Dog walks

Auckland Council – Exercising Your Dog

The Localist Dog friendly cafes

Things to do with children, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Pram, mountain buggy and wheelchair friendly walks

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Auckland is a hilly city and not very wheel friendly to prams, mountain buggies, wheelchairs and people recovering from an accident or operation.  However there are some flat walks in Auckland that do avoid the steep bits.

You can find a list of wheel-friendly walks at Auckland Regional Council.

Check out Pram and buggy friendly walks in Auckland for more ideas.

If you know of any other flat walks, please leave your suggestion in the comment box below.

walks in Auckland with pram

 

 

Walks in Auckland - General Information

Health Benefits of Walking | Walks in Auckland

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We all know that walking is good for us but do we really know how good it is? Many studies have shown walking promotes longevity and other numerous health benefits.

Studies show that walking can:

  • Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
  • Lower blood pressure.
  • Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile.
  • Reduce body fat
  • Enhance mental well-being.
  • Increase bone density: helping to prevent osteoporosis.
  • Reduce the risk of various cancers.
  • Reduce the risk of diabetes. Help osteoarthritis
  • Help flexibility and co-ordination: reducing the risk of falls.
  • Improves circulation.

Watch this fun video:

At Walks in Auckland, we believe that walking can be healthy and FUN!  Our walking self-guides show you the way…

walks in AucklandDiscover the uniqueness and diversity of Auckland, download your FREE guide to things to do in Auckland

 

Auckland Nature Walks, Auckland Volcano walks, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Auckland Domain and Museum

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It turned out to be a beautiful sunny Mothers Day in Auckland. And time for a relaxing walk in Auckland Domain, the home of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

The Domain has a variety of landscapes from open fields, to formal gardens and statues, to native bush walkways and waterfalls (you could almost imagine that you are in the Waitekere Hills).

Duck Pond
Auckland Domain Duck Pond Copyright 2013 Unleashed Ventures Limited

We dropped into the Winter Garden Pavillion Cafe for coffee and we plan to go back to try the food. It was lovely sitting in the sun overlooking the duck pond.

After a quick look at the Winter Gardens, we headed for the Columbus Cafe inside the Museum. But when we saw their high prices for their cabinet food, we left.

It was an enjoyable amble on a beautiful day.

Main Entrance: Park Road, Grafton MAP
Dog off leash exercise area: Gum Tree Hill
Auckland Domain Sculpture Walk: Map available here
Auckland Domain Self guided heritage trail: Map unavailable  (includes Auckland Domain bush walking tracks (not named on the map)).
Auckland Domain Volcano Walk: Map available here (includes Auckland Domain Forest walks)

To download a complete map of the Auckland Domain paths (shows steps) click here.

Things to do with children, Walks in Auckland - General Information

Walks in Auckland with children

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When children are age 5 or 6, they may be ready to get out walking to discover things to do in Auckland that are low-cost and fun.

What age do you start walking with children? You can get out and about with very young children in pushchairs and backpacks, but at some stage they will want to start stretching their legs and do their own walking. My general advice is from ages 5 or 6. But it does depend on your child, their attention span and how much energy they have.

When I lived in England, I went walking with my husband-to-be and his friend Tony and Tony’s daughter Joanna. Joanna must have been about 3 or 4 years old. It was May and the bluebells were out and it was a beautiful spring day. Joanna walked about 10kms that day and only asked to be carried for a short while. I was amazed at the stamina of the wee girl. For this child, she had plenty of energy and a long attention span (and possibly a working imagination too).

When my son was about 8 our family went out on walks and he used to be the one out front – it was hard to keep up especially as his little sister was only 4. We also had to be aware where he was, so that he did not get too far ahead and lost. The ways to overcome that problem is to a) have an adult accompanying the child, or following at a short distance b) provide the child with a whistle to blow if they get post c) if they are obedient, tell them to wait when they come to another path.

Think carefully when choosing the walk. Here is a list of questions to ask yourself before you make your plans:

Does it have something that will interest your child and keep them motivated?

Are they happy to wait until the end for a playground? Or would they like a playground at mid-point? (Here is a list of fun playgrounds ). Auckland Council looks after more than 900 playgrounds, many of which are new or recently upgraded – list of top 10 here. Join a Facebook group – Auckland Playground Guide.

Would they like to play in the sand at the beach so that they can have a rest?

Are they adventurous and would enjoy exploring tunnels with torches?

Would they like a ride on a mini-train at the end of the walk?

Would like to go with a friend or they are happy to keep company with your pet dog?

Do they have the stamina to walk up hills and steps?

Would a visit to a museum be an enticement to a walk?

When you start off with short walks try to pack a picnic or carry healthy snacks (such as nuts, dried fruit and low GI health bars) and water with you to keep the “hungries” away. Be sure to have hats and sun block handy on sunny days. Pack raincoats for those cloudy days,and wool hats for colder days. And of course, make sure the walking shoes are comfortable (and be prepared for blisters).

The book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen is fun to read and to play along with when out walking.
Here is the video:

Look for places near your home where you could start to encourage your children to love walking. In Auckland there are many walking options and as they get older they will enjoy longer walks and new places to visit. You could do weekend hikes up in the hills of the Waitakeres, or go further afield and camp out. Giving your children a taste of the outdoors at an early age gives them an appreciation of their own capabilities and a love of nature.

There are some great resources here: Little Ferns – Activity sheets for children in parks

Make the walk a fun adventure and your children (and you) will have many happy memories.

Walks in Auckland - General Information

Things to do in Auckland

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There are many outdoor activities and things to do in Auckland, and I would like to share with you one thing that won’t cost you too much money and won’t take up too much of your time – and thats by going on one our short walks in Auckland!

When you go for a short walk in Auckland, you will not only feel energised from being outdoors in the fresh air, you will also be able to experience the beauty, uniqueness and diversity of Auckland. Life is such a rush these days, and a short walk gives you the chance to slow down, unwind and maybe discover something about Auckland that you weren’t aware of previously.

What makes Auckland special?

Auckland is a city with lots of green spaces and native bush. There are lots of places to walk away from the hustle and bustle of city life. There are some areas that are so close to residential house or city streets and yet you could feel very isolated because of the surrounding native bush.

I have spent the last three years finding new places to explore and I am continually being pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness and diversity of Auckland.

Here are seven good reasons to get out walking in Auckland.


1. Volcanoes and Craters

New Zealand is famous for the All Blacks and Rugby, winning the America’s Cup, skiing in Queenstown, Sir Edmund Hillary and the flightless Kiwi. But did you know that the Auckland region contains 55 volcanoes? (Don’t worry, they are extinct.) Two well-known volcanoes are Mt Eden and One Tree Hill. Both have great views from the summits and walking paths around the volcano’s crater, and through fields that feed cattle and sheep (and there aren’t many cities with sheep farms handy to the city center). Mangere Mountain is a volcano with two craters and is more rugged and natural. Rangitoto is an island that can be viewed from many parts of Auckland – you can catch a ferry and then walk to the top of Rangitoto from where you can get great views of the Gulf.

If you would like to learn more about Auckland’s volcanoes, I recommend this very good book Volcanoes of Auckland: The Essential Guide
By Hayward, Bruce W.; Murdoch, Graeme; Maitland, Gordon


2. Beaches

Because Auckland is on an isthmus that goes between two harbours, the shores have many inlets and beaches, making it great for sailing and swimming. However, do take care when swimming – the tidal flow in the Harbours can be strong.


3. First settlers

The Maori people were the first to settle in Auckland and their traces can be found in and around the volcanoes and craters. More information about the Maori people and their way of life before white man came, can be viewed at the Auckland Museum. When the Europeans arrived they built their fences for their fields from the volcanic rock.


4. European History

New Zealand is a young country compared to America and Europe. Man-made structures are fairly recent. The cemetery in Symonds Street under the Grafton Bridge was established in 1848. Part of it has not been maintained which is quite sad because it is a fascinating place to wander around.

North Head looks across the harbour to Auckland City. The strategic position made it one of a number of defence forts that were rapidly set up in the late 1800s to defend Auckland from a feared Russian attack. During World Wars I and II the fort was expanded as part of Auckland’s coastal defence system.

Pah Homestead in Hillsborough was built between 1877 and 1879. It has recently been restored and now houses an art collection.

Other historical buildings in the Auckland region are listed here at the Historical Places Trust. Find out more about European History at New Zealand History online.

This brochure Heritage Walks  The Engineering Heritage of Auckland can be downloaded for free.


5. Birdlife

There are several places for bird lovers to go to enjoy seeing New Zealand’s native birdlife. There is a large wetland that has been established out east near Pigeon Mountain, and there are breeding places on the edge of the Manukau Harbour for rare species. As you walk along the bush tracks in Auckland, you will hear many birds singing.


6. Native bush

The planners in Auckland have been thoughtful enough to leave areas of native bush. The bush provides cool shelter on hot days. You will get to see native Kauri trees and Nikau ferns amongst the many other varieties. You do not have to look out for snakes and spiders – the spiders are harmless and there are no snakes.


7. Cafes

You are never far from a cafe in Auckland. They are famous for serving up some of the best coffee in the world and the food is pretty good too – just what you need after an energetic walk?

Gather up your walking shoes, friends, family, pet dog and discover the pleasure of walking in Auckland – there are so many things to do and see in Auckland – you may be surprised.