Auckland, New Zealand, The Good Fight, Walks

A Local Walk – Maungawhau/Mt Eden

Suzanne

Do you find walking is one of the best ways to make the most of a City?

I do, and Auckland is no exception. It gets me moving and raises my heart rate, and for my efforts, I enjoy some seriously stunning routes on offer. Most of my walks were enjoyed on what are typical Auckland days, with showers interspersed with bright sunshine.

During my early days in Auckland, I discovered I didn’t need to wander far to enjoy a heart-pounding walk. It was only 1.1 kms away. Just far enough away to warm up those calf muscles.

Glenfell Place, on a wet and windless day. Auckland does have fine days. It just seems not on days when I feel like capturing moments.

My first introduction to this walk was via Glenfell Place, a quaint, cherry blossom-lined street and, at the very end, a challenging flight of steps. They’re not too arduous as I achieved it reasonably quickly; okay, I admit I was puffing like Billy Goat Gruff, though my aim, unlike Billy, was to increase my fitness, not my girth.

By the time I reached the top, it was halfway up the mountain. I then chose to continue straight ahead and upwards on an off-road track or turn left and take the easy-going road route.

Up the stairs and more steps then a dirt track meandering to the top

I was feeling up for a challenge; it was my first time, so I took the off-road track, found it interesting and added it to my cardio workout.

Looking back and thinking that the stairs were worth the effort.
Always look back because sometimes the view is worth it
Then there is the easier way.

You can guess which route I took on my second time up there. What can I say? The easy-going road route was more gentle on my niggling lower back and exceedingly more scenic. Since I had tackled half the mountain via the steps, it wasn’t long before I saw the mountain summit. Which is the highest geographical point in Auckland; views of the Manukau and Waitematā harbours, Rangitoto and beyond took my breath away, and for a moment, I didn’t have a care in the world.

Views from the top

The volcanic rim
The boardwalk was installed to protect the sacred grounds of the volcanic rim.

Snapshots of other ways to the summit:

Owens Road track: At the southern end of Mount Eden Domain
Summit road: this is actually called Puhi Huia Road and is accessible from the western (Mount Eden Road) side of the mountain and from the eastern (Clive Road) side.

It was worth the effort on more than one occasion; it was the best distraction of all; being out in fresh air enjoying nature no matter what the weather threw at me.

Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

44 thoughts on “A Local Walk – Maungawhau/Mt Eden”

    1. Jo, I used to be a fast walker, so I class these as strolls as I’m always stopping to take photos or admire the view. Trying to keep my fitness up so I can enjoy getting back to playing senior indoor basketball when we return to Tauranga.

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    1. You’re welcome, Mel, more the merrier. My walks are limited to a few blocks from our accommodation until Les becomes healthier. Luckily, the area is lovely, and I’m enjoying the tree-lined streets and parks.

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    1. I keep thinking every time I see the crater that it would be fun to slide down there on a piece of cardboard, the kid in me coming out. Of course, it’s not allowed due to the area being a historic site and sacred. I don’t always do the stairs.

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    1. Thanks very much, Sue. The boardwalk is an excellent idea as it protects the rim and surrounding area. It is a very popular place to walk and always good to see a wide range of ages enjoying the area.

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  18. This was such a beautiful walk. Thank you so much for joining Walktober this year, Suzanne. I love seeing what spring looks like in your part of the world. The opposites (autumn in the northern hemisphere, spring in the south), even though I know the why’s of it, always seem magical to me. 🙂

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  19. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : street art and a little wine | Still Restlessjo

  20. Oh my! That first picture with the pink tree! You are in spring and it’s so good to see as we head into fall. I will probably never get to your part of the world so it’s so fun to see it! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks very much and we were fortunate to experience some lovely spring blossoms this year. We don’t usually spend this much time in Auckland as we live further down the country in Tauranga.

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  21. Hi Suzanne, I’m joining from Robin’s Walktober site. What a lovely walk you shared. It looked like a nice spring day (loved that pink tree!). The views were magnificent en route and at the summit. I’m impressed with your tackling all those stairs! But I’d say the views were worth it.

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  23. I love walking. I think its a great way to explore. I never found this walk, but I did my fair share of walking in New Zealand. I found NZ (and OZ) really well set up for walking to see everything with all the walkways etc 🙂

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