A historic Devonport naval fort and a picturesque stretch of coastline have been opened to the public for the first time in a century.
The Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve, a 11.2ha headland between Narrow Neck and Cheltenham Beach, has been a training base for thousands of soldiers and sailorsfor more than 100 years.
It also houses the rabbit warren-like Fort Cautley, which was built in 1886 to repel Russian invaders who never turned up, and abandoned in the 1930s.
The land also doubled as a prisoner-of-war camp for Germans in 1918.
Former Conservation Minister Nick Smith tried to sell the land, valued at $26 million, on behalf of defence forces three years ago, but the Tamaki Reserve Protection Trust successfully challenged his decision.
The land was handed to the Department of Conservation, which renovated the fort in time for yesterday's opening by Conservation Minister Sandra Lee.
It is now part of the new Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Sandra Lee paid tribute to the Devonport Community Board, the protection trust and others in the community who had spent years lobbying.
She said most of the land would be occupied by the Navy as long as it needed it, and would eventually become part of the reserve, which is also known as the HMNZS Tamaki and Operetu.
It would be a fitting venue for Anzac Day services.
