Take a walk in Mangere Domain with the family this autumn. Photo / Tristan Brynildsen, Dreamstime
Take a walk in Mangere Domain with the family this autumn. Photo / Tristan Brynildsen, Dreamstime
Roam the southern suburbs of Tāmaki Makaurau this autumn on free-range family adventures, writes Ceana Priest
Inhale salty breezes sweeping across the Manukau Harbour while cycling or strolling across landscapes battered by fiery volcanic unrest. Or, visit where some of the country’s earliest green-thumbed settlers coaxed kūmara and taro to thrive among warm volcanic stonefields. There’s plenty of space on these five adventures south of the inner city for kids to explore this autumn.
Watercare Coastal Walkway | Māngere
Skirting around Manukau Harbour past nesting rare native birds, this out-and-back trail offers easy riding with a healthy dose of bird-twitching. It’s a good option for kids graduating on to longer trail rides, as the route can easily be shortened if little legs tire. Don’t miss the scenic bird hide detour to peer at some of the country’s most intriguing native birds; the threatened native ngutu pare/wrybill with its laterally-curved bill (always curved to the right) or the incredible kūaka/godwits, which return each year from the Northern Hemisphere. This area is also the nesting ground for the endangered tūturiwhatu/ New Zealand dotterel.
Need to know: Allow 60 to 180 minutes return biking the 7km (one-way) trail, or as short as you like. The main starting point is from the Ambury Regional Park car park. Suitable for walking, buggies and bikes. No dogs allowed.
This rugged, windswept landscape beside Manukau Harbour has been occupied and cultivated since the earliest human occupation in New Zealand. The warm volcanic stonefields extended the area’s growing season, helping kūmara, yams and taro to flourish. Choose from three self-guided walks beginning near the reserve’s entrance focusing on geology, botany and history with different-coloured markers to follow. Or, explore the sprawling site free-range to see remnants of Polynesian house sites, various cultivation areas and midden sites containing shells and stone. Visit between October and March to grab a couple of ripe avocados to take home from the public orchard.
Need to know: Allow up to 90 minutes for a free-range exploration. Walking only. Plenty of parking at the end of Ihumātao Quarry Rd, Ihumātao. Dogs on leads. Download a trail map from aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Ōtuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve and its rugged landscape beside Manukau Harbour. Photo / Outdoor Kid
Hidden beneath the ferns at the far end of the Auckland Botanic Gardens, this forest trail feels like a tropical oasis – especially after a heavy dousing. Follow the Lookout Walk signs for views of the suburbs surrounding the Gardens before looping back on the Puhinui Stream Forest Trail and the Waterfall Walk. Combining the trails ticks off plenty of highlights beneath the kauri, pūriri, tōtara and nikau forest. Budding botanists will enjoy foraging for the 155 native plant species that live here and in the nearby Tōtara Park. Peek in the wētā motels attached to the trees to see the ancient critters chilling out.
Need to know: Allow 60 minutes for casual exploration. Walking only. Park at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, 102 Hill Rd, The Gardens. Dogs on leads. Download a trail map from aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Puhinui Stream Forest Trail is found at the end of the Auckland Botanic Gardens.
Photo / Outdoor Kid
Te Pane o Mataoho / Te Ara Pueru / Māngere Mountain | Māngere Bridge
After calming down from its fiery past of spewing rocks and plumes of steam into the sky, this volcanic cone overlooking Manukau Harbour is now home to docile cattle and keen exercise buffs. Walk around its perimeter or dip down into the crater before clambering to the trig for views towards the Ōtuataua Stonefields and Te Motu a Hiaroa/Puketutu Island. Volcanic cones were hot spots for early Polynesian settlement, as they provided commanding views that helped protect iwi from attack. This relatively unspoiled 106-metre-high cone was a food basket for traditional crops like kūmara, taro and gourds, which flourished in the fertile warmer volcanic soils. You can still see the remnants of low stone walls that divided the landscape for gardens and living areas.
Need to know: Allow 45 min to 1 hour to explore. Walking only. Toilets by sports fields. Car park off Domain Rd, Māngere Bridge. Dogs on leads.
Māngere Mountain in Māngere, Auckland. Photo / Tristan Brynildsen, Dreamstime
Māngere Lagoon Path | Māngere Bridge
Blasted into existence thousands of years ago, this volcanic maar/crater overshadowed by Māngere Mountain has an easy trail looping around its flax-strewn shoreline. Easily explore the wide gravel loop by foot or bike for a quick, accessible dose of nature within half an hour. Once part of the wastewater treatment plant, the restored lagoon with its central perky scoria cone is now home to native wading birds. During summer, migratory birds flock to feed here from the chilly Arctic Circle.
Need to know: Allow 30 minutes (2.3 km) to walk the loop or 10 minutes to bike. A good starting point is Creamery Rd. No dogs.
Ceana Priest is the author of the kid-friendly Auckland Outdoor Kid guidebook outdoorkid.co.nz
Māngere Lagoon on the Māngere Lagoon Path. Photo / Tristan Brynildsen, Dreamstime
