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.