Things to do
The wider Remuera area is blessed with many beautiful parks, playgrounds and walks. Some provide stunning views of Auckland and its harbour while others offer a quiet sanctuary from which to enjoy the birdlife. Children of all ages will enjoy the playgrounds and skateparks - pack a picnic or pick up a coffee from a local cafe and make the most of living life local.
Little Rangitoto Reserve
This popular park is located in the heart of Remuera, just a few minutes’ drive from the Remuera Shopping Centre. With a circular swing system, Jungle Gym, big climbing frame, slides, flying fox and a skateboard bowl there’s something here to entertain children of all ages and abilities. Plus you can take your dog on a leash. Pack a picnic, nip across to the dairy for ice blocks or visit one of the nearby cafes for the perfect ending to a fun-filled day at the playground, summer or winter. There’s natural history at Little Rangitoto Reserve too, as it was once a volcano with a scoria cone peak 75m above sea level before it was quarried away. The quarry site is now Little Rangitoto Reserve.
Address: Upland Road, Remuera between Ventnor and Poto Streets
To locate Little Rangitoto Reserve on Google Maps click here
Waiatarua Reserve
Photo courtesy of Walks in Auckland
This fascinating reserve offers something for everyone: joggers, walkers, families and dogs. Wander over wide open spaces, enjoy the beauty of the wetland environ or explore pockets of bush. With wide pathways for walking and jogging and a landscape that includes extensive native planting, Waiatarua Reserve also provides sanctuary for a variety of wetland bird species. Waiatarua Reserve also has a children’s playground, basketball half court and skate park, making it attractive to children of all ages. This park is a unique haven in the midst of Remuera, right next to Remuera Golf Club.
Address: 98 Abbotts Way, Remuera
To locate Waiatarua Reserve on Google Maps click here
Mt Hobson Walk
Just a short walk from the Remuera shopping centre is one of Auckland’s most well-preserved volcanic cones. Formed some 25,000 years ago, Mt Hobson is 143 m high and the expansive, panoramic view of Auckland from the summit is well worth the walk. Enter the pathway to the summit from Remuera Road – in Spring the lower field along the path is filled with jonquils, commemorating the Remuera boys who lost their lives in WWII. Further up, terraces and kumara pits are still evident from the Maori occupation of Mt Hobson in pre-European days. From the summit you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of Auckland City, the Waitemata Harbour and Rangitoto Island. Kids will enjoy this walk too, as Mt Hobson is also a working farm with cattle grazing nearby.
Address: Main pedestrian entrance is on Remuera Road, just past the Market Road/Remuera Road intersection
To locate Mt Hobson on Google Maps click here
Remuera Heritage Walk
Photo: LJ Keys Grocery, Remuera Road 1914. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries 7-A11228
Remuera is one of the older suburbs of Auckland, and the commercial district dates back to the early 1900’s. Download a Heritage Walk brochure here or collect one from the Remuera Library, 429 Remuera Road – a heritage building itself – and enjoy a self-guided tour of the history of Remuera. Just around the corner from the Library is Cotter House, one of the oldest houses in Auckland built c 1848 – beautifully preserved, it is now a private luxury retreat. Formerly the Council stables, the Village Green dates back to 1915 and the old Remuera Post Office was built in 1914. Feel a sense of history as you wander through Remuera, and take time to enjoy the heritage of this established neighbourhood over coffee or lunch. Some buildings are marked with a Historical Place plaque – scan the QR code to uncover an even richer history of the area.
To download a Remuera Heritage Walk brochure click here
Orakei Basin Walk
Easily accessed from the bottom of Upland Road or Lucerne Road, Remuera, the Orakei Basin Walkway provides a safe and scenic loop around the Orakei Basin, which was once a flooded volcanic crater with mangrove forest. Now a sheltered environment used for recreational water sports, the Orakei Basin Walkway enables cyclists and walkers to share a purpose-built boardwalk, footbridge and track that circumnavigates the Basin. The full loop is approximately 2.9km, making it a great option for runners and walkers seeking inner-city off-road options away from the traffic. Close by are the Meadowbank and Orakei train stations for quick transport into town, and the Remuera shopping centre is only a few minutes away by car or bus. This is also a dog-friendly walk with off-leash areas along the way, but not suitable for prams or wheelchairs due to stairs.
To download a map of the Orakei Basin Walk click here
To locate the Orakei Basin walkway on Google Maps click here
Hobson Bay Walkway
Wilson's Beach, photo courtesy of Auckland Council
This is a low tide walk around the edge of Hobson Bay and has two off-leash areas for dogs. The walkway starts beside Saint Kentigern School on Shore Road, and follows the shoreline along to the bottom of Victoria Avenue. Here you will find Wilson’s Beach, named after Joseph Liston Wilson, who helped to found the New Zealand Herald.
This small beach was re-sanded in 2014 and is now a pleasant spot to picnic, swim or kayak. From here the Hobson Bay Walk heads back up to Shore Road, and along to Shore Road Reserve and the water’s edge behind Thomas Bloodworth Park. This is a popular park for club cricket on summer weekends, rugby practice in the winter and the Shore Road Dogwalkers.
Address: Shore Road, Remuera, Auckland beside Saint Kentigern School
To locate the Hobson Bay Walkway on Google Maps click here
Remuera Library
Remuera Library is a heritage icon much-loved by the local community. The friendly staff is always willing to help visitors and can provide information about the wider Remuera area along with a copy of the Remuera Heritage Walk brochure. Inside the Library you can also see renowned New Zealand artist, Jeff Thomson’s, corrugated sculpture ‘Bouquet’, gifted by the Orakei Local Board and the Remuera Arts & Culture Trust.
Address: 429 Remuera Road, Remuera
To locate Remuera Library on Google Maps click here
