ONE TREE HILL, MAUNGAKIEKIE

It’s easy to imagine that Auckland’s second-tallest volcano was once a sprawling Māori settlement planted in kūmara. At its peak, thousands of Māori resided around the three pā that make up what is now known as One Tree Hill.

The terraces cut into the dormant volcano remain and are a subtle reminder of the city’s preEuropean past. The vista on a clear day rivals that of Mount Eden.

One Tree Hill is best known for the memorial perched at its peak, which can be seen from across the city. When Sir John Logan Campbell donated the land to the city in 1901, he requested an obelisk be built for Māori. It was later revealed that the Auckland mayor had reserved 5000 pounds in his will to fund the monument, which wasn’t unveiled until 1948. Sir John was buried on the summit next to the obelisk.

One Tree Hill is the tallest part of Cornwall Park, a 270-hectare green oasis with winding paths, gardens, barbecue pits for picnics and hundreds of sheep and cows. It’s the innercity’s biggest green space and there is always something going on. Join the five-kilometre group run at 8am every Saturday, or take the kids to the Stardome (stardome.org.nz) for a planetarium show. Nothing, however, beats a spring-time stroll. City-dwellers flock to the park for newly bloomed flowers and newborn lambs stumbling across the grass.

Access: Free parking is available around the grounds. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to walk from the centre of Cornwall Park to the top of One Tree Hill. Find maps at cornwallpark.co.nz