Now that we completed our tour of the Great North (→ Northland ←), it’s time for us to go down to the next region, we name Auckland. Then yes, when we say Auckland we, first of all, think about this big cosmopolitan metropolis representing the biggest urban and populated area of ​​the country, and we will ansewer that it is totally correct. Yes, but that’s not all! It is also a set of districts forming a beautiful area that we will try to visit at best, let’s go !

Matakana

As we begin our journey from the north, our first stop will be a Saturday morning on the famous farmer’s market of the Matakana small town.
A rural place, crossed by a river, where the wood stands have been skilfully laid out on the shores and where it is good to stroll. Here, it is craftsmanship which take precedence, fresh fruit, pastries, soaps and bags, it all accompanied by musicians, we can say that the place doesn’t lack for charm.
We walked around it with great pleasure despite the number of visitors, but we didn’t break our “piggy bank”, because yes this fancy rural touch has a price. Aside from that, it’s hard to find anything else to do here, except perhaps for oenology lovers.

West coast

 Piha

Our day mission was to discover the beautiful black sand beach of Piha at low tide.

Indeed, in order to take full advantage of the wild environment, we wanted to climb the Taitomo island, or “Camel rock” located south of the beach and accessible only when the sea is at the lowest.

It was a picturesque and exhilarating discovery, despite of the sea wind, the  island summit reveals a magnificent landscape, overlooking the surfers and unveiling the whole beach and its “Lion rock” which we climbed next. For us, the point of view is well worth the climb ! On the way to the island, you can also discover a breach in the rock crossed by the sea and wind, there we can feel the elements power.

Piha is, in our view, a must  in ​​Auckland area, an extensive beach preserved and wild, beautiful.

Kitekite falls

At 5 minutes drive from Piha beach, it is possible to take a small path that will lead you to Kitekite waterfall.

It takes 30 minutes to reach the falls from the parking.

A nice walk well maintained along the river through the forest wich end at the waterfall base. The place is rather nice, and although the waterfall is not extraordinary the water flows in 3 floors, which makes it charming. In addition, it is possible to swim there in summer, which is quite cool.

Karekare

Our next step was to visit Karekare beach and waterfall. We had a picnic on the beach, but after Piha we must admit that we have not been transcended, this long stretch of sand appeared to us well exposed and deserted. Maybe the surfers will find their happiness there, also there are a multitude of hikes departures longer or shorter that look very nice. As for the waterfall, the ridiculous doesn’t kill… We didn’t find it ! There was no sign, no description of the applications and the 3 different people we met and questioned didn’t even heard about a waterfall there. So we didn’t waste any more time and we headed towards our next stop.

Bethells Beach

We wandered on the pleasant black beach of Bethells, a popular surfing spot (yet), where you can find two hiking trails, one alonging the coast to Muriwai, the other leading to Wainamu lake on a path through giant dunes. Still less beautiful than Piha, but nicer than Karekare, this is here that we met the most people.

Muriwai

Our last stop on Auckland region west coast will be on the longest beach, Muriwai, also hotbed of our surfer friends. Once again, we find ourselves facing a vast expanse of sparkling black sand, nothing exceptional on our view on this side.

However, all the interest of this stop was a colony of seabirds called “Gannet”.

There we can say that we don’t see this kind of thing every day and we register this show as an unavoidable of the region. The cliffs have been laid out so that birds can be observed very closely without impinging on their living space, and what a space ! It’s thousands of birds that come every year to experience their history, encounter, nest making, mating, birth and education of the young, everything happens a few meters from the visitors. It’s an incredible spectacle, despite the smell, we can only be fascinated by the wingspan, the behavior and the precision shown by these great gannets. Elephant’s Word!

Auckland city

Parnell

We continue on our journey and choose to visit the Parnell area on a Sunday morning in order to take advantage of the “French” market, then let’s go to downtown and the bourgeois districts to stroll along the stands of “La Cigale” .

Even if the place is decorated with our French flag colors, we find mainly cosmopolitan food, but also wine, overpriced cheese and bakeries. The location was crowded and after Matakana, we didn’t find a lot of interest there.
After we offered us the luxury of a Turkish meal and a croissant coffee (yes we did), we decided to walk  through Parnell, discovering this bourgeois fief to colonial-style villas imprints of history and wealth.

Auckland Domain

It’s walking from Parnell that we decided to push our visit, this time heading to the big Auckland Domain park. No less than 75 hectares of green space in the heart of the city it’s, of course, the largest, but also the oldest park in Auckland. It houses numerous artistic sculptures as well as the “memorial war” museum.

Mont Eden

We will finish our loop on the inevitable Mount Eden, which was once a very active volcano. The walk takes us around the huge crater and reveals a panorama over the whole city and its two bays. A small ascent for a memorable view.

Sky tower

Because it seems necessary to pass there, as a symbol of Auckland, and
inevitable during the discovery of the city center. This tower is the tallest building in New Zealand, but also in the entire southern hemisphere. People can make a bungee jump or simply pay for a walk above the void on the tower periphery.

Devonport

This is the area where we resided during our visit. A quiet neighborhood with typical Victorian houses. It’s very nice to come and take a walk there, however it is useless to make the detour if you are not in the vicinity. Mount Victoria and North Head are the key points, embued by history, with old tunnels and bunkers used by the Navy to defend the bay. These hills, once volcanoes, also deliver a view of Auckland and Hauraki gulf which deserves a look.