8 top walks
With the Waita¯kere Ranges largely off-limits to hikers after a ra¯hui was placed over the West Auckland bush, many tourists and Aucklanders are looking for alternative walking tracks to enjoy over the summer months.
Auckland Council has closed much of the Waita¯kere Ranges and parts of the Hunua Ranges to the public to help stop the spread of kauri dieback disease.
The council unanimously opted to close the forested areas in the Waita¯kere Ranges Regional Park before May 1 last year after mana whenua Te Kawerau a Maki imposed a ra¯hui in December 2017.
Luckily for those desperate for trail time, the city offers plenty of decent alternatives, meaning those track closures are not only helping to save kauri but are also an opportunity to get out there and explore new places.
1 Shakespear Regional Park
Instead of heading west, head north to the stunning Shakespear Regional Park, right at the tip of the Whangapara¯oa Peninsula.
According to Auckland Council, this is “New Zealand’s most visited and accessible open sanctuary integrating conservation, recreation and farming”.
Shakespear has a good network of trails and boasts stunning views of the harbour. It includes walking and mountain biking trails that suit all levels and abilities.
2 Riverhead Forest
If you’re keen to stay out west, swap the bush for the forest and head to Riverhead. You can stick to the forest roads and just enjoy the silence between the tall pines or venture deeper through the trees and find the trails the locals know all about. Whatever the level of adventure you’re looking for, the forest always delivers.
3 Hunua Falls
If you want to take a walk to a waterfall, we suggest the Hunua Falls, less than an hour south of the city centre. The kauri in the Hunua area are mostly healthy but need your cooperation to stay that way so please
4 Waiuku Forest
the GPS towards Waiuku Forest, at the mouth of the Waikato River, southwest of Auckland’s centre.
This little-known forest is popular with locals for its network of gnarly trails that give anyone a good workout, rewarded with stunning scenery. If walking or running doesn’t appeal, go horse trekking or fishing.
5 Duder Regional Park
Duder’s coastal views alone are enough to make it worth the drive (it is nearly an hour from the city centre, past Clevedon).
On the Whakakaiwhara Peninsula, it is a beautiful spot looking across the Hauraki Gulf. Mainly on undulating grassland, the trails are not awfully technical and a lot of the park is accessible to mobilityimpaired visitors, even in the wet.
There are friendly farm animals about and, if you feel adventurous, the mountain-biking farm loop is good to get the blood pumping.
6 Ambury Regional Park
If you haven’t had enough of coastal views on your tour of other regional parks, Ambury has a lot more of those to offer as it sits neatly fronting the Manukau Harbour.
Farm animals wander around and the park is also the home for shorebirds.
Ambury has a 2.5km mountain bike route and a couple of walks, including a farm walk and a foreshore walk. Both are easy and short (1-2km), ideal for families.
7 Ta¯ wharanui Regional Park
Looking north again, Ta¯wharanui Regional Park lies just past Matakana, on a remote peninsula facing Kawau Island. It includes white sand beaches, rolling pastures and a native coastal forest as well as wetlands.
For bird-watching enthusiasts, this is the place to be, as many rare native species can be spotted in the area.
During the day, you might be lucky to spot saddleback, North Island robin, bellbird, fantail, pa¯teke and the occasional kaka. Kiwi and morepork like to wander when it’s darker.
There is also a large network of walking and multi-use tracks, with varied degrees of accessibility.
8 Totara Park
Totara Park is not far from the city centre, near the Manukau CBD and next to the Botanic Gardens (a bonus walking idea there if you’re keen).
The 216ha park includes a network of walking tracks through the large stands of native bush and farmland. It also includes kauri so be vigilant about cleaning your footwear.
The park also has a range of mountain bike tracks in the northeastern section.