A popular pedestrian shortcut connecting the Grey Lynn shops on Great North Road to Western Springs has reopened, thanks to Waitematā Local Board.
The path, starting behind Grey Lynn Library, offers a short walk down the hill to Arch Hill Scenic Reserve’s recently upgraded playground. It’s a well-used route for commuters, school students, library goers, and families wanting to enjoy swings, slides and climbing frames.
The walkway was significantly damaged in the weather events of early 2023, including a slip which required major repairs. The walkway remained closed until mid-2025 while repairs were completed. Waitematā Local Board invested $280,000 to rebuild and stabilise the route so it can be enjoyed for years to come.
“Walking through our reserves is a quick and pleasant alternative to following the road”, says Waitematā Local Board chair Alexandra Bonham.
“The board has been reassuring people in Arch Hill that the path would be fixed, and they were stoked when the work was completed.”
Creating and maintaining infrastructure in parks and reserves is a big part of what the local board does to make our area a better place to live.
The path makes it easier for locals to access Grey Lynn Library for all their reading, research and printing needs. Staff at the library heard positive feedback from the community as the remediation works took place.
“People would come in and mention it was great that it was getting sorted,” said librarian Sergio Cornaga.
It takes half the time to walk from Grey Lynn Library to Ivanhoe Road via the reopened path that it does to walk around the street, providing a faster route with greener, more natural surroundings.
Arch Hill Scenic Reserve not only connects Grey Lynn and Western Springs, but also has walking and bike tracks through to Bond Street in Kingsland. It is one of the only places in central Auckland with mountain biking trails.
The project is one of several walkway improvements funded by the Waitematā Local Board. Recent upgrades include a new boardwalk at Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Parnell, storm remediation at Bayfield Park, and renewals of the Centennial and Watson-bequest paths in Pukekawa / Auckland Domain. Two additional walkways are planned for the Domain.
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