Category Archives: Auckland Volcano walks

There are over 50 volcanoes in the Auckland region. Many are accessible and the walk paths provide views of the city and environs. Here we list some varied crater and volcano walks in Auckland.
We have compiled a selection of 12 volcano walks into a book which is available from Amazon and your lcoal library.
For detailed information on Auckland’s volcanoes and carters, we recommend the book ‘Volcanoes of Auckland: The Essential Guide” by Bruce W. Hayward, Graeme Murdoch and Gordon Maitland

Auckland Volcano walks, Walks in Auckland South

Mangere Mountain Walk

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walks in auckland

I have driven past Mangere Mountain many times without realising where it was. I knew of it, but hadn’t seen it. I discovered it last year and found that it’s a huge and unspoiled volcano with fabulous views across the Manukau Harbour. Mangere Mountain has little exposure from the motorway to the airport, but on it’s western side it looms high (106 metres above sea level), from the Harbour shores. This volcano does not have paved paths and roads like Mt Eden or One Tree Hill. It erupted about 18,000 years ago and is in the most original condition.

Dogs – on leash.

Other Mangere Walks: Mangere Bridge to Onehunga Loop, Ambury Park Farm Walk, Mangere Esplanade Loop

Nearby places to visit: Watercare Coastal walkway, Ambury Regional Park, Villa Maria Winery and cafe, Butterfly Creek,  Otuataua Stonefields historic reserve , Mangere Strawberry and Vegetable Farm @ 127 Kirkbride Road.

Description: A mix of level paths and steep paths. Caution: Muddy and slippery when wet. Suitable in dry weather. Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness and mobility, designed with flat shoes or running shoes in mind. Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
To see: Volcano crater and rim, Manukau Harbour views, views of other volcanoes.
Time: approx. 45 minutes (3.69kms)
Start: Coronation Road, Mangere Bridge Village There is a children’s playground and an off-leash dog area.  (See other Dog Friendly Walks) Mangere Village has several cafes.

Find this walk and other walks over at our Walks Store  (GS006 Mangere Mountain) and our Book Store (“Volcanoes”  and “Best of the South”).

12 Volcano Walks
12 Volcano Walks

Mangere Mountain is featured in our book “Volcanoes”. Available from Amazon– Short Walks in Auckland: Volcanoes (and on Kindle)

Auckland Coastal Walks, Auckland Volcano walks, Dog Friendly Walks, Teen friendly walks, Walks in Auckland North Shore

Spectacular views from Mt Victoria Devonport

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walks in Auckland

Today was clear and sunny, which called for a walk and climb to look over Auckland from up high from Mount Victoria. Mt Victoria provides spectacular views – it is higher than North Head and closer to Auckland City. This walk has a dog friendly off-leash area. (See other Dog Friendly Walks) And Devonport’s village-style shops and cafes is always a great place to visit and walk around. It’s fun to arrive in Devonport by ferry. And you could spend the whole day there – spend half the day at North Head and the other half at Mt Victoria with a lunch and shop browse in-between…..

Description: A mix of level paths, steep paths and steps.  Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness and mobility, designed with flat shoes or running shoes in mind. Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
To see: Wonderful views of Rangitoto, Hauraki Gulf and Auckland City, historical buildings.  Mount Cambria Reserve – A volcanic cone that is now a park, having been quarried away for roading, garden walls and ship’s ballast. Victoria Picture Palace/Theatre – built in 1912, oldest cinema in NZ. Fort Mt Victoria and the Disappearing Gun. St Francis De Sales Catholic Church, St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Devonport Cemetery
History: https://www.devonport.co.nz/heritage.htm
Time: approx. 60 minutes. MAP

12 Volcano Walks

Suggested Cafés: 1) Along King Edward Parade 2) Many in Devonport Village 3) Five Loaves@ 29 Church St

Stay on track…get your detailed guide and map  (AN-020 Mt Victoria Loop) over at our Walks Store and our Book Store (Volcanoes).

  • Walks in Auckland

More: Devonport Walks and Trails 

Auckland Coastal Walks, Auckland Volcano walks, Dog Friendly Walks, Walks in Auckland East

St Heliers and the Hauraki Gulf

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Walks in Auckland

What a fabulous day for a walk in Auckland – warm, sunny, no wind….and there were so many people out and about taking advantage of the great weather!

St Heliers is a buzzy little place on Tamaki Drive with a small selection of cafes and restaurants to choose from for refreshments.

Todays walk provides spectacular views looking over the Hauraki Gulf to the small islands and the impressive Rangitoto volcano. And then onto Glover Park another of Auckland’s volcano remains – this one is an ‘explosion crater’.

This is a dog friendly walk with an off-leash exercise area.

Description: A mix of level and steep paths. Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness and mobility, designed with flat shoes or running shoes in mind. Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
To see: Wonderful views of Rangitoto, Hauraki Gulf and Auckland City.
Time: approx. 60 minutes. (about 4.5kms) Map

Find this walk over at our Walks Store (AE-016 St Heliers and Glover Park) and our Book Store (Volcanoes, Dog Friendly part 2, Best of the East)

12 Volcano Walks
12 Volcano Walks

Glover Park is featured in our book “Volcanoes”. Available from Amazon– Short Walks in Auckland: Volcanoes (and on Kindle)

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.

Auckland Volcano walks, Walks in Auckland Central

Walks in Auckland – One Tree Hill

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Walks in Auckland


One of my “most-walked” walks in Auckland is the loop of Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill. This volcano walk is right on my doorstep, I can walk there from my home.

Each season of the year can be enjoyed in this park – from the lambs and daffodils in the spring to the autumn colours in April through to pohutukawa flowers in December. Even when the leaves have dropped from the old oak trees in winter, the trees still look majestic.

Tree lovers may like to read this NZ Herald article: Growing our heritage

Watch video highlights: Walks in Auckland – Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill

The park has many things to enjoy. There are large areas of grass for picnics and ball games. There are the cattle and sheep and birds. There are native New Zealand trees such as the pohutukawa and the yellow flowers of the kowhai, and introduced species such as the oaks and eucalyptus trees. The information centre next to the Cornwall Park Restaurant provides leaflets on all the trees in the park plus information on other aspects.

One Tree Hill is a volcano and it has a fabulous view from the summit that takes in views of other Auckland volcanoes (Mt Eden, Mt Hobson, Mangere Mountain, Rangitoto Island, Mt Wellington, Mt Roskill) as well as views of both harbours – the Waitemata and the Manukau.

The park has picnic areas and barbecues, a bandstand and flower beds. And places where children enjoy riding bicycles and scooters. It includes a children’s playground as well as the Stardome Observatory Planetarium. It really is a great place to spend a day.

For visitors who have to choose between visiting One Tree Hill and Mt Eden – One Tree Hill is a larger area with more to see, sheep and cattle, a cafe plus a fine view from the summit. Whereas Mt Eden has a huge crater and a fabulous view of Auckland City.

If you like a bit of a laugh, in 2008 my son James created a 12 part video series titled ‘Steve McGill of One Tree Hill’ which you may enjoy watching.  “Meet Steve, a farmhand on Auckland’s One Tree Hill who has many misadventures. He loves his job, his gumboots and his sheep.”

Description: A mix of mainly level paths, and a few steep paths. Suitable for users of all ages and abilities, suitable for normal footwear and for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
To see: City views, harbour views, trees, Volcano, farm animals, observatory. The Park is home to many birds ranging from Native Pigeon, Fantail to California Quail, White-faced Heron and Paradise Shelduck.
Time: approx. 60 minutes. (about 5.14kms).
Parking: Carpark, Manukau Road entrance.

12 Volcano Walks

Suggested Cafés:
1) Frolic Café, Manukau Road opposite the park entrance. We have had many coffees here – children friendly.
2) Cornwall Park restaurant and ice-cream kiosk
3) Various at Greenwoods Corner (Golf Road exit).

Stay on track…get your detailed guide and map brochures over at our Walks Store  (AC-001 Cornwall Park) and our Book Store (Volcanoes). Or you can download it for free when you sign up in the box at the top right hand side of this page.

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Auckland Coastal Walks, Auckland Volcano walks, Teen friendly walks, Walks in Auckland North Shore

Devonport and North Head Loop Walk

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One of my favorite walks in Auckland is North Head and Devonport. There are many things to do and see in Devonport Village and the views from North Head are magnificent.

Catching the ferry across from the city adds to the experience. This brings back memories for me when my children were little and we caught the ferry to Devonport, they played in the playground and we followed that with take-away fish and chips eaten at the beach. As they got older they enjoyed visiting the shops especially the second-hand books shops. When we walked around North Head we missed out on seeing the many tunnels and gun placements because we did not know they were there. Our self-guides take you around North Head so that you do not miss out on the fun bits.

When Grace and I set out for Devonport this morning we did not realize that the Wine and Food Festival was today. It started at 1pm so it was fortunate that we did not leave the walk until the afternoon.
It is a glorious summer day and we wished we had brought our swimming togs to join others in the sparkling water at Cheltenham Beach. However, we were there to check out my walking directions and to take photos – and we did succeed doing that and had fun too.

If you do head out to North Head be sure to bring a torch with you to explore the tunnels and batteries. And your camera to capture the wonderful views overlooking the Hauraki Gulf.

Use this DOC brochure to find your way around.

We discovered the newly opened (October 2010) Torpedo Bay Museum and cafe at the base of North Head. Entry to the Museum is free and there are guided tours. The cafe sits in a great location overlooking the water with no traffic to hinder the prime view.

More: Devonport Walks and Trails 

Description: A mix of level paths, steep paths and steps. Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness and mobility, designed with flat shoes or running shoes in mind. Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
To see: Volcano, tunnels, military defenses. Wonderful views of Rangitoto, Hauraki Gulf and Auckland City. Be sure to bring a torch to explore the tunnels.
Time: approx. 60 minutes.
Start: In Devonport Village near ferry terminal or along King Edward Parade. MAP

Suggested Cafés: 1) Torpedo Bay Cafe 
2) Along King Edward Parade
3) Many in Devonport Village

12 Volcano Walks

This walk has something for almost everyone… how about you?

Stay on track…get your detailed guide and map (AN-005 North Head Devonport) over at our Walks Store  and our Book Store (one of 12 walks featured in our books “Volcanoes” and “Coastal part 1”).

Auckland Volcano walks, Dog Friendly Walks, Walks in Auckland Central

Walks in Auckland – Mt Eden/Maungawhau

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Mt Eden/Maungawhau is one of the many volcano walks in Auckland, and one of the most popular places to visit.

Mt Eden boasts spectacular views of the city centre and surrounding region. Most people take a coach to the summit, hop out, take photos and then get back on the coach again.

Today, Grace and I walked around and over the summit in the summer humidity.

There are some shady tracks that do give relief from the heat. These tracks can be slippery when wet so we advise suitable footwear. Mt Edens walking paths and tracks are not as developed as the ones in Cornwall Park. It feels like more of a country walk than a city walk. But it does allow us to do the Mt Eden ‘Round the Maunga walk’.

As I mentioned the views are spectacular. Which is the highlight of this walk, as well as of course, getting the outdoor exercise. This is an excellent workout walk for people who are watching their weight because of the steep inclines and steps.

For visitors who have to choose between visiting One Tree Hill and Mt Eden – One Tree Hill is a larger area with more to see, sheep and cattle, a cafe plus a fine view from the summit. Whereas Mt Eden has a huge crater and a fabulous view of Auckland City. There is a good choice of cafes in Mt Eden Village, a children’s playground and an off-leash dog area.

Auckland City provide a Mt Eden Heritage brochure for people who enjoy history.  More info online here.

Find this walk and other walks in Central Auckland here.