Things to do in Auckland During Summer 2025
Auckland has hundreds of adventure opportunities to explore if you dig deeper than the city walls; waterfalls, wild western beaches and cute cafes are all easy enough to find if you’re willing to venture outside the Auckland CBD.
The bush walks on this list of things to do in Auckland are relatively easy and require an average fitness level.
Below is an easy to follow 1-day itinerary if your strapped for time but want to explore West Auckland and it’s Waitakere ranges to its fullest.
Places to Visit in Auckland
This itinerary requires a full day to explore West Auckland. And it’s always best to start as early as possible, depending on day of the week and where you are staying you want skip as much traffic as possible and also check out these places before it gets crowded. Leaving the house before 8am is usually a good start.
Fitness Level Required
Karekare waterfall and Piha beach are both accessible via a short walk from their respective car parks. Kitekite falls however needs a basic fitness level as it’s around a 40 minute walk with a few steep mounds. The upper level of the waterfall is the steepest section of the walk but isn’t too difficult.
What do I Need?
- Good walking shoes
- Water bottle
- SPF 50 Sunblock*
- Togs and towels
- Access to a vehicle
Help Protect Aucklands’ Native Kauri
Shoe spraying and scrubbing stations are positioned at the start of many bush walks. This is to help prevent the spread of Kauri Dieback Disease. Spray and scrub your shoes at all of the cleaning stations when entering and exiting any walks. Our native Kauri trees are slowly being killed off by a disease which we are yet to find a cure for, so please help preserve our beautiful native bushlands!
Karekare Falls
Titirangi is the last major suburb before you enter the Waitakere Ranges. It’s the perfect place to grab lunch from a supermarket and a couple of coffees from the Hardware Café. The drive from Titirangi to Karekare falls takes around 30 minutes, depending on your driving confidence on the windy roads, Click here for Google maps directions.
There are two slightly different routes you can take to get to Karekare Falls, and any tall vehicles such as campervans and buses should not take the Karekare Rd route, instead use Lone Kauri Rd to access Karekare Falls. As there is a large overhanging tree halfway down Karekare Rd which would wipe out the top of any vehicle that is too tall.
Once you reach the carpark on Karekare Rd, walk across the bridge and up a slight hill, until you see the sign for La Trobe Track. Follow for no more than 10 minutes and you will have reached the falls.
Kitekite Falls
Kitekite waterfall is where exercise meets leisure. The trail leading to Kitekite is worth the walk when you have Kitekite falls at the end to greet you. The path leads you through native forest and is bordered by a fresh-water stream which runs from the waterfall. The water is fresh and clean enough to drink from (literally).
Kitekite falls are a 15 minute drive from Karekare, as well as being a 5 minute drive from the Piha beach carpark. Click here for Google map directions from Karekare to Kitekite.
Once you reach the Kitekite falls, walk across the little stream and across the rocky platform to where you will find the walking track which will lead you to the top. It’s only about 15 minutes but can be a killer on your quads. But the the view at the top is amazing and worth every opportunity to do this west Auckland bush walk (killer Instagram opportunity as well).
Piha Beach
Piha beach is Auckland’s most dangerous beach and home to one of New Zealand’s most popular reality TV shows; Piha Rescue. This is one of the most dangerous, swimmable beaches in New Zealand. With unpredictable rip currents and strong waves many people have died despite the efforts of lifeguards. Always swim between the flags and only when lifeguards are on.
Piha is popular among surfers and anyone wanting a thrill on their beach day. The waves are big and fun to jump in if you’re a confident swimmer. The beach is separated by ‘Lion Rock’, take a walk and discover the many lagoons and tracks hidden within the bush. South Piha car park has a food shack that is open during the summer months, and North Piha hosts a cafe and restaurant if you want to splash out a little bit more.
Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island is one of my favourite places to visit during summer. Glamping at Fossil Bay, Waiheke Island offers a great getaway from the busy, bustling lifestyle of living in Auckland city; from wine tasting at one or more of the many vineyards on the island, to enjoying a beach day at any of the white sand beaches scattered across the island.
The Waiheke Island ferry runs at regular intervals during the week and more services are put on for the weekend. Plan a day or a weekend on Waiheke and explore one of Aucklands’ amazing remote locations within arms reach of the city.
Kawau Island
Take the drive up to Snells Beach to grab the ferry from Sandspit over to Kawau Island. This isolated island paradise is only accessible via boat, and only part of the island is open to the public. Kawau Island has been a favourite holiday destination for generations; from hiking through the native forest to jumping off and swimming from one of the many private piers on the island.
Take the Royal Mail Run Cruise over to Kawau and explore the forest floor before settling down for lunch outside the Mansion House. Learn about the history of the copper mine which still remains to this day sitting on the waters edge, and explore the mansion house which was owned by one of New Zealands’ first governors.
Manukau Heads Lighthouse
The Manukau Heads Lighthouse is a stunning slice of New Zealand’s maritime history perched on the Āwhitu Peninsula, overlooking the entrance to the Manukau Harbour in Auckland and across to the Waitakere Ranges
The drive to the Manukau Heads Lighthouse takes around 1.5 hours from Auckland city, and takes you through some of the southern most townships of Auckland like Waiuku and Karaka.
Manukau Heads Lighthouse History
Built in 1874, the Manukau Heads lighthouse was one of the earliest wooden lighthouses in New Zealand with the design eventually becoming a model for other lighthouses across the country. Open daily from the morning to early evening, the Manukau lighthouse is an extremely popular day trip destination from Auckland, so I’d get there early if you want to take photos that are unspoiled by other tourists.
Another historical significance of the Manukau lighthouse is that is stands near the site of the worst maritime disaster in New Zealand history, where the HMS Orpheus became shipwrecked on the Manukau bar which claimed 189 lives.
Top Tips:
*Sunblock is 110% required when visiting New Zealand. Blistering sunburns from an hour in the sun is a shitty possibility. Any supermarket or pharmacy has stocks of sunblock for reasonable prices.
**The roads out to Piha can get very windy and narrow at times, locals drive this road on the daily so don’t feel you have to go 80 kms an hour if you don’t feel safe enough doing so HOWEVER pull over in any/all of the slow vehicle bays if you have cars coming up behind you that can clearly take the corners with more experience. Pissing off a West Aucklander with slow driving is the last thing you want to do.
