Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland

I’d been in New Zealand for 3 weeks at this point & as we crested the hill & Lion rock came into view my mind was blown!!! The drive to Piha from Auckland was very picturesque & loads of fun with all hills & curves....next year on a motorcycle for sure. We were there on a weekday & it was overcast but still very pleasant & warm compared to the -15* in Toronto where I’m from. We were the only people on the beach except for a small group of surfers. Parking was no problem & the council keeps the area clean & well maintained. We walked from Lions rock all the way to the opposite end of the beach.....views views views!!! The black sand, shells, surf & all the little critters. ❤️ I’m told when the season is high & the weather is nice it’s just rammed with people. Now I take this with a grain of salt as I come from a city that has more people in it than all of New Zealand so their version of rammed may be different than mine. All in all it’s a worthwhile drive even if it’s busy. Don’t let that deter you from a wonderful experience. Also don’t let less than perfect weather scare you off. It was overcast & there was light rain the day I was there but it was 27 & warm. On the less than sunny days you can go & still enjoy the beach when it is less busy. I can’t wait to go back.
5 7 years ago (11-03-2018)

Famous for Bush walking. You can also find other things to do like the mini steam train.
4 7 years ago (12-02-2018)

I like to go there for a bit of hike. It's close to Auckland, really easy to get there. There are plenty of tracks for all experiences.
5 7 years ago (16-12-2017)

Beautiful lake just up the road from bethells has a loop track around with bush walks galore
5 7 years ago (07-02-2018)

Love the Waitakere for hiking. My favourite playground. Hikers beware of Kauri dieback, a disease attacking our majestic Kauri Trees. MUST have clean boots, walking poles, use wash stations and KEEP TO TRACKS to help stop the spread of this disease. Some tracks are closed. This should be respected
5 7 years ago (07-01-2018)