Aucklands Prettiest Walks

We reckon Auckland should be renamed The Land Of Beauty with its spectacular vistas and even though its winter, sometimes a great walk is just what you need!  While some peeps love to live on the wild side, some prefer something a little gentler when it comes to dusting off the cobwebs, and so we’ve come up with a list of Auckland’s prettiest walks. Grab that camera, set aside some hours and enjoy. 

Okura Bush Walk

Get amongst nature and go bush on the Okura Bush Walk. The three-hour return walk winds its way through the estuary, coastal forest and a historic cottage. Located on the North Shore of Auckland, the Okura Bush Walk is one for the bucket list.

Okura Bush Track Bridge

Stony Batter Historic Walk

Head to Waiheke Island and do some exploring on the Stony Batter Historic Walk. The historic walk will have you viewing tunnels and gun emplacements from WWII. It’s located at the very eastern end of Waiheke and the walk is about 1.5 hours long. 

Orakei Basin Walkway

If you’re a central Auckland resident and looking for a spot to take up your morning walk, then the Orakei Basin Walkway is for you. The volcanic crater which was previously flooded, is now a hub for activity goers.

Hobson Bay Walkway

If you’re not really down for a big walk, then test out the Hobson Bay Walkway in Parnell. The short-but-sweet walk will have you enjoying the scenery of boats, birds, boardwalks, Victorian style houses and a lookout to Rangitoto, North Head and Mount Victoria. Note: You can only access this walk at low tide. 

Rangitoto Summit

A classic hike to be done Aucklander’s, and if you haven’t done it yet, hop to! A short ferry ride away, Rangitoto is perfect for a day trip and looks back on Auckland city so you can confirm just why Auckland is so great. 

Rangitoto Summit

Coast To Coast

There’s not many places in the world where you can literally walk from one coastline to the other. This is a ‘no place like home’ walk, where you’ll walk through inner city ‘burbs, volcanic mountains, historic sites (including One Tree Hill), all the way through to Manukau Harbour. It’ll give you a real taste of Auckland. 

Milford to Takapuna

This is easily one of our favourite walks on the North Shore. Park down one of the side streets in Milford and take the seaside walkway around to Takapuna. Enjoy viewing the huge seaside houses that you would own in an imaginary life, and appreciate the beautiful beaches the Shore has to offer. You may even come across the ever popular, not-so-secret beach of Minnehaha.

The Pink Cycle Track

Enjoy seeing the city lights by night when you walk the pink cycle track around Auckland’s CBD. We recommend walking it at dusk, so you can see the night sky start to darken as the city starts to light up. 

Mokoroa Falls

We obviously couldn’t complete this list without including a spot in West Auckland. The Mokoroa Falls is set out west near Muriwai, however it is inland, so you can get amongst the native bush. Be sure to head down the stairs to get to the base of the falls as this is where the magic really happens. And, if you’re keen for a quick dip then you’ll need to follow another track downstream until you find the secret swimming hole.   

Omanawanui Track, Whatipu

This one is perhaps a road less travelled, while still fully credible to being one of Auckland’s prettiest walks. The Omanawanui Track will lead you to Whatipu beach, out near Manukau, with an unexpectedly amazing view. Word of advice—time it right and you’ll get a surreal sunset. 

By Tennille Ziegler at theurbanlist.com