Tag Archives: New Zealand

Glen Eden and Waikumete Cemetery Circuit Walk

Walks in Auckland

When I first came to live in New Zealand, I lived in Glen Eden. I had never visited Waikumete Cemetery until today. What an amazingly beautiful and fascinating place.

The Waikumete Cemetery takes up a huge area between Great North and West Coast Roads, with beautiful landscaping and fabulous trees. And there is so much history here – from the 1918 flu epidemic and the Gallipoli soldiers to the mausoleums of the wine magnates of Corbans and Nobilo. It is really worth visiting.

Part of this loop is a short bush walk where you may be lucky to hear the sounds of native birds, and even spot a rabbit dashing for cover.

The walking route is also suitable for prams/buggies and dog walkers (must be kept on leash within the cemetery grounds).

Description: A mix of level paths and steep paths/steps. Suitable for users of average fitness and mobility (with good knees). May require boots in wet weather, running shoes suitable in dry weather.
To see: Auckland City views, Waitakere Hills, trees and fauna, historical graves.
Time: approx. 60 minutes. (about 5 kms)
Start: Waikumete Road MAP

You may decide to arrive by train to Glen Eden railway station and make this a day outing.
The ‘Pumped Cafe’ at the station has good coffee and food or there is a new Columbus cafe on the corner of Oates Road/West Coast Road.

Best of the West - Short Walks in Auckland

Stay on track…get your detailed guide and map (AW-028 Glen Eden and Waikumete Cemetery) over at our Walks Store and our Book Store (one of 12 walks featured in our book “Best of the West“).

St Johns Bush

Walks in AucklandToday was my first visit to St Johns Bush. This little gem of a nature walk is in a reserve of beautiful native trees and bush, with a stream and a mighty Kauri tree.
This is a great spot to take vistors to show them native New Zealand bush without having to drive to the Waitekere Ranges.

The only sounds we could hear were the calling of the birds, the rain dripping off the trees and the running of the stream. All this in an urban area!

We arrived via a back entrance so we got a little lost at first, however once we found the main entrance and a map, it all became clear.

There is no nearby cafe, so we drove up to nearby Meadowbank shops and found a choice of 3 cafes.

Download this walk for free here or for longer walks that take in the St Johns area see Apirana St Johns Loop and Saint Johns Explorer

Walks in Auckland

Walks in Auckland – weekend in the Coromandel

As much as I enjoy going for walks in Auckland, it is also refreshing to head out of town.

Our family has a holiday house on the south-east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula.  The Coromandel is mostly an unspoilt part of New Zealand with beautiful beaches, many walk paths and natural bush.  I love going there to relax and refresh myself.

It is only a two hour drive for us from Auckland via Paeoroa and the Karangahake Gorge.  Two places that are worth stopping at.  The Gorge has interesting walks and mining tunnels that are fun to explore with torches.

You can choose from a variety of walks in the Coromandel region, no matter where you stay. There is a great uphill walk (that I suggest you do on a cool day) to the Wentworth Falls near Whangamata that I enjoy. And another walk for cool days is around the Martha Mine in the gold mining town of Waihi – I like to go around that anti-clockwise. From the northern end of Waihi Beach is a track that leads to the spectacular secluded beach of Orokawa Bay with the typical pohutukawa trees providing shade at the edge of the sand.

In the future I will be putting together some family day trips from Auckland that will include interesting places to visit.