Our first proper hike or Tramp in New Zealand and we had to go BIG! We did the Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland Coast to Coast hike, which is a 16.4km hike from, you guessed it, coast to coast. It is also the easiest way to say you have walked across the country!
It highlights a lot of major attractions in Auckland, from stunning parks, picturesque streets and sacred sites such as Maungawhau (Mt Eden) which has the best views in Auckland. If you only have one full day in Tāmaki Makaurau, then this is the best way to see it all! An added bonus is that its also so cheap! All you have to pay for is the train ride to the starting location and parking at the end. Alternatively, if you have someone to drop you at the start then it will be free, perhaps minus a cheeky celebratory beverage at Viaduct harbour when you arrive at the end of the hike.
We had a blast and loved getting to see so much of the city in such a short time. In terms of introducing yourself to day hikes you really can’t go wrong with this one. We definitely recommend it as a way to see if you like day hiking, as that’s exactly what we did with it!
Be sure to check out our Instagram to see more of our favourite hikes!
Details
Starting Point: Onehunga Bay Reserve.
Distance: AllTrails – 16.4km. We racked up over 20km, which included, getting to the starting point and plenty of exploring at all of the points of interest.
Duration: The trail can be completed in 4-5 hours. We took 7-8 hours because of the numerous fantastic stops. We would recommend starting early in the morning and planning to take your time as there is a lot to take in!
Difficulty: Moderate. While the walk was reasonably easy, with only a few ascents, this walk is quite long and can easily take you all day. We are relatively fit but we were still exhausted when we finished. If you are used to hiking long distances like this you may find it much easier than we did!
When: We completed this trail in April. The weather was perfect. Plenty of sunshine but not too hot! We managed to squeeze it into the last day of daylight savings too so we had sunlight for the entire walk.
Local Iwi: Ngāti Whātua ki Tāmaki
Additional Information: Pack food with you! Even though there are cafe’s along the trail we preferred to stop in the parks and have little picnics along the way. We ran out of water along the hike and didn’t happen to see anywhere to fill up our water bottles. Not sure if we are just bad at looking as we figured there would be some points at the parks along the way but we didn’t see any.
Trail Map
Getting to the Starting Point of the Auckland Coast to Coast
Since the end of the walk is the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland CBD, we parked nearby. We then walked to Britomart Station and caught the train from there to Onehunga Station. It’s then a short walk to the coast where we dipped our fingers in the water to get started on our coast to coast trek! This little walk adds on to the distance you’ll be walking today so if you want to keep to the 16.4kms get a lift to the starting point.
The Trail
The trail itself is quite well sign posted, however we still downloaded it onto all trails to make sure we wouldn’t get lost or miss a sign. Keep your eye out for blue coast to coast markers like this one and as the track is part of the Te Araroa Trail look out for these markers as well. Make sure to enjoy all the stops along the way and take in the sights of suburban Auckland as you go.
We’ve highlighted all the places we stopped below to give you a good idea of what you’ll get to see and how long you may want to spend at each stop. The first stop of course is really the start. Taking in the views of the bay and get your feet wet in the water to really say you went from coast to coast! There is also a beautiful Māori carving here to look at and read about so make sure you don’t miss any of this in your haste to start. We took a minute or two to use the bathrooms here and slap on some sunscreen before starting on our way.
Jellicoe Park
The very first point of interest is Jellicoe Park. As you are walking there be sure to enjoy the views out over the ocean and the pretty gardens of all the older housing you will be walking past. At Jellicoe Park you will find a cute little entry way under a stone arch and some historic buildings as well. Take in the trees and wander through the park.
We didn’t stop for too long at the historic buildings but found them lovely to look at. As you continue on the trail away from Jellicoe you will come across a row of giant trees near a school. These are native to New Zealand and often called Kiwi Christmas trees or Pōhutukawa trees which have a brilliant red flower in December.
Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill
Let us warn you that the next two points of interest are going to be hard to leave!
Named one of Auckland’s most beautiful parks for a very good reason, Maungakiekie or One Tree Hill is a stunning parkland surrounding the 182m high volcano home to an integral pā site in precolonial times. Sadly there is no longer only one tree on the top of this Maunga after British settlers chopped down the sacred tōtara in 1852.
To get to the top of this magnificent Maunga is a steep climb well worth the effort when you take in the views. To make your way to the next point of interest be sure to follow the path from the little gate shown here. It’s a narrow track down the other side of Maungakiekie that will lead you to the start of Cornwall Park. Make sure to walk down the grand stone stairway and follow the magnificent trees lining a paddock. If you are as lucky the cows will be near the fence for you to enjoy their beauty. We stopped for little picnic snacks at both Maungakiekie and Cornwall park. We loved the parkland so much that we have since gone back to sit on the grass and enjoy a leisurely picnic.
Along the walk to your next point of interest you’ll find yourself wandering through cricket grounds and a University. Keep your alltrails open at this point as it does get a little confusing. You’ll soon hit a footpath with lots of imposing stairs leading you to Maungawhau. If you need a little break along the way keep an eye out for this community swing! We stopped for a breather and a rejuvenating swing in the trees before continuing up the Maunga.
Maungawhau/Mt Eden
Our favourite stop along the entire trek is hands down Maungawhau (Mount Eden). Be sure to stay on the path when climbing to the top and especially when walking around the top of this sacred site. There are plenty of signs to remind you of the cultural significance of the area so please pay attention to them as it is such a privilege to be permitted onto this place.
Sit a while on the board walk and take in the stunning views over Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). Standing at a majestic 196m tall not only is this the highest volcanic cone in the area it is also the best viewing point in the city.
But what about the Sky tower we hear you ask? Well the viewing platform of the sky tower is only 186 meters above street level. So you do the math! Also this is FREE and more importantly steeped in history and nature. The remains of food storage pits and pā sites can be seen on the Maunga’s slopes. You can also take in the fresh air along with the view.
If you can’t do the hike and are trying to choose one of these stops to go to instead then choose this one. You wont be disappointed.
Auckland Domain
By the time we got down the slopes of Maungawhau we were both feeling the effects of the hike. Not far after we hit footpath again Tiff twisted her ankle and Nathan was really starting to struggle. We have never walked so far in a day before and at this point we realised we were going to be doing a lot more than the 16km AllTrails and Lonely Planet promised us. So we were a bit tired and cranky when we got to Auckland Domain.
We enjoyed the beautiful gardens and sculptures but didn’t stop at this one. We have since gone back to take it all in a bit better and wonder along the trails that aren’t part of the coast to coast hike. From here you wander through the University of Auckland’s campus and take in some cool buildings and little gardens. The rest of the walk we aren’t gonna lie we just focused on getting to the end.
Viaduct Harbour
When we finally got to the end and Viaduct harbour we were thrilled, if not a little disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to touch the water from here. We didn’t spend too long trying to find a way to the ocean though as we were pretty excited for a post hike bevy! We reckon we had earnt it!
Just one last point of advice though, don’t park your car somewhere you have to take stairs to get back to it! After sitting down for our drink and then leaving to get to the car we were very stiff and sore. Tiff almost camped out at the bottom of the stairs for the night, that’s how badly we didn’t want to take them to get back to the car!!
Extra Tips/Info for the Auckland Coast to Coast
As with any day hike remember to be prepared! Pack plenty of food and water, be SunSmart (we carried extra sunscreen) and bring a raincoat as the weather can change quickly in Aotearoa. We also added a picnic rug to our backpacks so we could picnic at all the different parks and eat though our vast array of snacks.
This trail is a good day hike to start on if like us you’ve not done one before. If you don’t pack enough food or water you’re in suburbia and walking through shops and towns so you can always restock along the way! It’s also great to see if you have the stamina for a full day hike. If you find out half way that it’s too hard you can jump on one of the many e-scooters you’ll walk past or even grab a taxi!
Believe us when we say we were very close to choosing one of these options towards the end of the hike. Nathan was in a world of pain with tight calves and Tiff rolled her ankle on a kerb just outside of Auckland city. But we are (Tiff especially) very stubborn.
We set out to finish the hike and we we’re gonna give it our all! It’s a good thing it was a long weekend cause we did absolutely nothing the next two days after the hike. We’ve done a fair few more day hikes since and although we are better at it we still do nothing the day afterwards!
Keen for more inspo? Be sure to check out:
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