If towering kauri trees, farm animals and wonderful views are on your list of things to see in Auckland this weekend, then the northern end of Waitākere Ranges Regional Park is the place to go.
The long and winding road
With dense bush creating leafy tree tunnels and a view around every corner, you’ll have plenty of reasons to take it slow. The roads wind through native forest offering amazing vistas back to the city and beyond to Waitematā Harbour. Factor in extra time to pause and enjoy.
Spraggs Bush track
This super family-friendly walk located between Scenic Drive and Turanga Road in the Waitākere Ranges follows a well-maintained 3.1km path of gravel and boardwalks, with enough canopy cover to keep you cool on a hot day. Expect to spend around an hour hiking with your head mostly flipped back to admire the huge kauri along the way.
Read about more walks in the area and check maps on here.
Stay a while
Make a full weekend of it and stay at Pae o te Rangi campground near the edge of the regional park. A 20-minute walk south from the disc golf course, you can pitch your tent in a fenced grassy space surrounded by a working farm with fantastic northern views of the Waitākere Ranges. The hills surrounding the campground stop the light pollution providing great starry views at night.
Pae o te Rangi disc golf
What is disc golf? The rules are similar to traditional golf, but the ball and clubs are exchanged for a flying disc that’s thrown like a frisbee into a basket. Disc golf is fun and easy to pick up, and the 18-hole Pae o te Rangi course on the way to Te Henga / Bethells Beach is one of three disc golf courses in west Auckland. It’s a hilly course that runs through farm paddocks and is surrounded by native bush. Grab a disc and give it a whirl.
See more about disc golf courses at Pae of te Rangi and other locations on the council website.
