Walks on Waiheke Island provide the perfect way to get close to nature and discover the beauty of the island. Try the three-hour loop from the old wharf at Matiatia through the Matietie Historic Reserve around the waterfront to Cable Bay. Continue on the track aroundto Owhanake Bay then onto Oneroa Bay before looping back to Matiatia wharf. Suitable for novices, the walk also takes in World War II pillboxes and terraces of an ancient headland pa. If you feel like a fancy lunch, then take a detour to Mudbrick Cafe on nearby Church Bay Rd.
No, not the famous South Island challenge, instead this is a 16km walk from the Viaduct Basin to Onehunga's harbour. The journey takes in Albert Park, the Auckland Museum, the slopes of Mt Eden, One Tree Hill then through Cornwall Park until you reach Onehunga. Don't worry about packing lunch, there are plenty of cafes along the way, and if you aren't being met in Onehunga, you can catch a bus from Onehunga back to the city.
The Coromandel Peninsula is a walker's dream with a centre dominated by a range of jagged mountains and its fringes scattered with picturesque coves and beaches. Check out the best remaining stand of kauri in the area with the two-hour Waiomu loop walk. This track takes visitors through luxuriant and diverse forest - from nikaus to tree ferns to kauri and takes you passed mining remnants. The track starts in the coastal settlement of Waiomu, 12.5 kms north of Thames, at the end of Waiomu Valley Road. Walkers will need to be prepared to cross a number of shallow fords and creeks but in some cases swing bridges are an alternative to getting wet feet.
