Coast to Coast Walk Auckland - Explore the suburbs on foot

Walk from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean in less than a day!
No matter if you’ve been living in Auckland for years, just moved here or are on holiday and want to see more of the City of Sails than Britomart and the waterfront, the 16km Coast to Coast Walk Auckland is for you!

The Coast to Coast walk starts either in Onehunga, Manukau Harbour (South Auckland) and leads to Princes Wharf in Auckland Central on the Waitemata Harbour, or you can walk it the other way around. Stroll through Auckland’s suburbs and explore some of the most popular parks and pass five of the approximately 50 volcanoes in the area, such as Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill.

On the Coast to Coast Walk Auckland

Our walking group met at the train station in Onehunga as we all live South or East of the city centre. It’s a lot easier and cheaper (speak: free) to park the car at the train station and ride into the city by train than the other way around.

From Onehunga train station, it’s still about 1km to the official starting point of the Coast to Coast Walkway. We made our way towards park number one, walking past lovely Victorian houses. Jellicoe Park is not very big but pretty and has an interesting history. Did you know it used to be a defence point against the Maori back in the day? The suburb of Royal Oak near Jellicoe Park also used to house the very first Zoo of Auckland, in 1911. The neighbours complained about the smell and the crowds, so after about a decade, the animals were transferred to Western Springs after the new Auckland Zoo was built.

START OF THE COAST TO COAST WALK IN ONEHUNGA

CHRIS TOUCHING THE WATERS OF THE TASMAN SEA BEFORE THE START

After another few kilometres through Royal Oak on the Auckland Coast to Coast, the first of the two distinctive natural landmarks of Auckland lay in front of us: One Tree Hill.

(N)One Tree Hill

One Tree Hill used to be famous for its Totara tree on the top of the hill. It has been chopped down by someone and was replaced with a range of pine trees, planted by Sir John Logan Campbell. However, only one survived. The tree on the top was attacked a few times by people with chainsaws. In the end, it had to be taken down in the year 2000 because it was becoming a danger to the public. Since then, locals also sarcastically call the hill (N)one Tree Hill.

GOING UP ONE TREE HILL ON THE COAST TO COAST WALK AUCKLAND

The hill is actually a volcano with three craters, one of them is still intact. Since it’s completely overgrown with grass, you wouldn’t think there’s a volcano underneath and the fact it’s dormant and hasn’t erupted in the past 20’000 years helps to forget, too.
The view from the summit is amazing! The mountain is 187 meters above sea level and gives a great 360° view from South Auckland via Rangitoto Island and all the way north.

At the feet of One Tree Hill, we stopped for a coffee at Cornwall Park Café, a lovely café in a pretty, very English looking house. The park itself seems to be quite popular for photoshoots and to just hang out, as there were a lot of people! But the vast grass, the huge trees, the café and the BBQ stations are good reasons why the park is so popular with the locals.

Mt Eden

About half an hour further down the Coast to Coast walk Auckland, we stood at the bottom of yet another famous volcanic mountain: Mount Eden. A few years ago, we used to be able to drive to the top by car, but now only tour buses with special permits are allowed to drive all the way up. Everyone else only has to walk up on foot.
It’s another grassy hill, making it difficult to remember it’s actually a volcano, even though the crater is very visible here. Since Mt. Eden is closer to the Auckland city centre, you get a great panorama of the Sky Tower and the Harbour Bridge, which makes Mt Eden a popular spot for both tourists and locals.

Auckland Domain

Walking on, we passed through Auckland Domain, which technically is volcanic, too, but it erupted such a long time ago it doesn’t even have a proper crater or a hill anymore. Auckland Domain is home to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Domain Wintergardens and a huge park. We only walked through a small piece of the park on our Auckland Coast to Coast walk, albeit a very picturesque one, complete with ponds and a lot of big, shady trees.

20180120_new_zealand_auckland_coast_to_coast_walkway_auckland_domain_3 (Medium).jpeg

Missed it somehow: Albert Park

The last of the parks was supposed to be Albert Park right in Auckland central, but somewhere along the way, we took a wrong turn and ended up walking along Beach Street to get into the city centre. We also cheated a little and cut a few hundred metres off the walk. We didn’t go all the way to the end of the Auckland Coast to Coast on Princes Wharf but stopped at Mexico restaurant, where we had a reservation for lunch.

About the Coast to Coast Walk Auckland

Coast+to+Coast+Walkway+map+Auckland+New+Zealand.jpg

If you haven’t been in Auckland for long and want to get to know the city properly, or you have, but don’t really know your hood all that well (happens to all of us), I would really recommend you do the Coast to Coast Walkway.
It’s not one of those walks where you get to see Auckland’s wild and rough natural wonders as in the Waitakere Ranges. It’s an actual city walk through Suburbia. I find this is nice for a change. Coast to Coast walk Auckland is great for the ones who like a little bit of nature, but not too much. And who don’t like getting their shoes muddy. 😉

The Coast to Coast walk is part of the Te Araroa trail that spans all the way from the tip of the North Island to Bluff in the south of the South Island, so chances are you come across a long-distance hiker.

Sheep are relaxing under massive trees in carnwall park auckland

How long does the Auckland Coast to Coast walk take?

The walk from the Tasman Sea (Onehunga) to the South Pacific Ocean (near Viaduct Harbour) is 16km | 10mi long. It took us 4.5 hours in total, including the break at Cornwall Park and lots of photo ops along the way. The walk is almost completely on sealed roads and paths and apart from the 2 Maunga very easy to walk and mostly flat. Coast to Coast walk Auckland is one of the easier Auckland Walks but should not be underestimated due to its length.

How do I know I’m still on the Coast to Coast Walkway?

There are signs along the Coast to Coast walk. If you start from central Auckland, you need to follow the yellow signs. Coming from Onehunga, the same signs are blue. That way you know you don’t accidentally walk in circles when following the signs. That said, the signs are rather small and can easily be overlooked. You might have to get used to looking out for them.

FINDING THE COAST TO COAST WALK SIGNS: BLUE FOR ONEHUNGA - CITY AND YELLOW FOR THE OTHER WAY

I would recommend starting in Onehunga, no matter where in Auckland you live. You can park your car for free at Onehunga train station. Plus, you will be hungry at the end of the walk and can treat yourself to a nice meal at Viaduct Harbour after the walk. You’ve earned it!

To get to Onehunga it’s the easiest to take the train from Britomart. They are leaving often, but to be on the safe side, please check Auckland Transport’s timetable.

Are you located towards East Auckland? Duder Regional Park is a seaside park just waiting for you to go exploring!

What to bring for the Coast to Coast Walk Auckland?

Being a suburbian walk, you won’t need any special gear. Just wear comfortable sneakers, pants and a shirt and you’ll be right. Don’t forget to pack a wind or rain jacket, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. And water! We are in New Zealand after all and the weather can change at a moment’s notice.

By the way: There is also a cycle version of the coast to coast that is slightly different. Make sure you give this one a try, too!

Have you hiked the Auckland Coast to Coast walk? Which direction did you walk it? Or got questions about the walk? Fire away in the comments below or send me a message!

New Zealand Travel Blog

Coast to Coast Walk Auckland - Exploring the city and suburbs in 16km