Volcanic viewing in Auckland

The 'New Zealand Herald Guide to Auckland 2004' explores some of the city's top vantage points.


From several of the top vantage points in Auckland, you can witness the panorama of a city with two harbours which lead off into different oceans, the Pacific in the east and the Tasman Sea in the west. The isthmus separating the two masses of water is only 2km wide at its narrowest point (at Otahuhu). There was a time, when electric trams ran, that Auckland had the only coast-to-coast tramway in the world, from the bottom of Queen St in the city to Onehunga.

From up high, you can see images of the city as colour - green (massive tree plantings, parks, the volcanic cones, the Waitakere Ranges), red (corrugated iron and tile roofs), white (the predominant house colour).

The New Zealand tradition of a house on its own piece of land is evident. The suburban sprawl stretches as far as the eye can see, even as multi-storeyed apartment blocks proliferate, principally in the central business district. The open access to water everywhere around the Auckland region contributes to the spacious vista.

FROM MT EDEN

Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden. Open to people and vehicles 24 hours a day. Free entry.

The cone of this volcano is 196m high, and the bowl-shaped crater from which the volcano exploded is 50m deep. Apart from the local views, a direction table indicates where, over the horizon, major cities of the world are to be found. Sample distances are pinpointed by arrows.

The direction table, presented in 1928 by city philanthropist and later mayor Sir Ernest Davis, was originally of Royal Doulton porcelain.

It was destroyed by vandals in 1988 and the present bronze replacement installed. Cows wander the slopes, but not the summit where sensitive archaeological evidence of early Maori occupation (kumara pits, terraces) is still visible.

FROM ONE TREE HILL

Entrances from Manukau Rd, Royal Oak; Greenlane Rd West, Greenlane; and Campbell Rd, Onehunga.

Open to people 24 hours a day, vehicles 7am to dusk. Free entry. Drive or walk through the 200-plus ha reserve, Cornwall Park, to the summit of One Tree Hill (or Maungakiekie: maunga means mountain, kiekie is a type of flax). The 183m volcanic cone was the site of a major Maori pa, which once had a population of 3000. The obelisk dedicated to the Maori people was unveiled by the Maori King, King Koroki, in 1948.

The name One Tree Hill originally referred to the existence of a lone totara tree some hundreds of years old. This was destroyed in 1876 by a European settler who wanted firewood.

A stand of pines planted as a replacement was thinned to a lone pine tree, which was cut down after being damaged in Maori protest attacks.

FROM TAMAKI DRIVE

Auckland Central, along the waterfront.

From car, bus or footpath, take in the harbour and islands from the pleasant waterfront drive which meanders 9km from downtown Auckland to St Heliers Bay.

Few cities have such lengthy, free public access to a waterfront drive and inner-city beaches. Every year in March the annual Round the Bays Fun Run takes place along the road.

Runners, walkers, people in wheelchairs, families and teams create crowds of up to 75,000 on the flat course. For a more considered view of the harbour and Rangitoto at any time, you can walk, bike or Rollerblade along the footpath (several hire companies are along the route).

* The New Zealand Herald Guide to Auckland 2004 (Penguin $16.95)