Auckland to Beachlands & Maraetai

Leave Auckland CBD from downtown, heading east on Quay Street to Tamaki Drive.

When you pass by the wharf container terminal you'll see Mechanics Bay on your left with the Heliport and Coastguard Marine Centre. This was originally Auckland's first international airport where the TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited – now Air New Zealand) flying boats thundered in after flying the Coral Route through the Pacific.

Continue around Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay and Kohimarama.
St Heliers Bay is a great place for a stroll along the beach before driving up Cliff Road for wonderful views back to the city and over to Rangitoto Island.

Continue on along Glover Road and turn right into Maskell Street. Keep going to St Heliers Bay Road and turn left onto Kohimarama Road. These roads pass through some of the best suburbs in Auckland.

Follow Remuera Road and Greenlane Road to the motorway turnpike and take the left onramp onto the Southern Motorway heading south. Take the eastern highway off-ramp and cross the Pakuranga motorway bridge.

Turn right onto Ti Rakau Drive and go straight until you reach an intersection with Chapel Road. Here you'll find the Botany Town Centre; a great place to go shopping in the large complex.

Turn left along Chapel Road until you reach a roundabout, and turn right onto Whitford Road.

Pass through the small town of Whitford and continue on the Whitford Maraetai Road to beautiful Beachlands and Maraetai.

Devonport to Leigh

Start by leaving Devonport from Victoria Road. As you drive up towards Mt Victoria, turn right into Vauxhall Road to Cheltenham Beach.

Keep going in the same direction, the road will turn into Old Lake Road.

Turn right onto Lake Road in the direction of Takapuna Township.
Takapuna is a great place to explore the shops and sunbathe on its magnificent beach.

Leaving Takapuna, drive north along Hurstmere and Kitchener Roads to Milford. This is another nice township with a popular beach to explore.

Head out of Milford along the East Coast Road until you reach the intersection of Browns Bay Road at Pinehill. Turn right and you can follow the suburban streets down to Browns Bay, Torbay, Rothesay Bay and Murrays Bay. There are some interesting walks around the headlands from some of the bays.

As you climb the hill turn right again onto the East Coast Road until you reach Glenvar Road. Turn right here to the very popular regional park of Long Bay – a perfect spot for a picnic lunch and a swim.

Return to the East Coast Road and turn right to eventually join SH1 at Silverdale. Next is Orewa, and Waiwera where there is also a hot pools complex.

Further up the road you will come to the picturesque Wenderholm Regional Park.

Head north on SH1 through the town of Warkworth which has some great craft shops and a museum. Take one of the roads heading for Leigh. Along the way you can visit Snells Beach and Mahurangi.

Auckland to Great Barrier Island (by ferry)

Take the Fullers Fast Ferry and hire a car or taxi when you get there. Another is to take your own car on the Subritzky Eco Ferry (approx 2 hours). For this particular trip we'll take your car.

Drive to the Subritzky Terminal at the corner of Jellicoe and Brigham Streets in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour on a Sunday – check with Subritzky for sailing times and return dates.

The car ferry takes about 4.5 hours, and doesn't sail everyday, so plan to stay on the island. You'll need to book a motel or campground in advance from Auckland.

Driving around Great Barrier Island is easy. There is a very simple road structure of one main road and a couple of short side roads.
Explore Tryphena Harbour to get your bearings. Visit the general store for last minute food and beverage needs and head off to Claris Beach on the Pacific Ocean side of the island.

From Claris cross back to the west coast to the port town of Whangaparapara. In this harbour you can see the remnants of a once industrious whaling and logging port. In fact, as late as the 1950s there was a whaling station in action here. It closed in 1962 because of a nationwide moratorium on whaling.

Leave on the same road towards Okiwi. There are numerous walking tracks through the remnants of the kauri logging days of the 1840s through to the mid 20th century.

Port Fitzroy is nestled inside a large harbour with many quiet bays. Because of the shelter it provides from virtually all weather, it is very popular for pleasure boaters. You can catch the ferry back from here on Tuesdays. Check for sailing times.

Auckland to Kumeu

To begin, leave from the Downtown Ferry Terminal driving along Quay Street towards Hobson Street. At the top of Hobson Street are the on-ramps to the Southern and North Western Motorways. Get into one of the right-hand lanes to join the correct on-ramp.

Exit the North Western Motorway via the Lincoln Road off-ramp. Turn left into Lincoln Road. Soon you will see the signpost for the many wineries.

SH16 and the surrounding side roads are dotted with many more fine vineyards.

Go right at the Waikoukou Valley turn off and turn right again for more big labels and a handful of limited edition boutique wineries.