This multicultural suburb is natural and industrial, hugging both the coastline and the international gateway to New Zealand. Spot the sparkling waters of Manukau Harbour at one of the many lookout points around Māngere – no flight needed.
Walk up an ancient volcano with incredible summit views and Māori history. For some 800 years Māngere Mountain (Te Pane o Mataoho / Te Ara Pueru) was prized by the region’s earliest settlers for its position overlooking the Manukau Harbour. Stroll up on your own or take a guided tour to learn centuries of Māori settlement at the maunga (mountain), including a fortified pā and the remains of villages, gardens, storage pits and forts.
Choose from several paths at the picturesque Ambury Regional Park, which doubles as a working farm. Walk through idyllic pasture or around the coast on the Māngere Foreshore Path to spot seabirds and remnants of basalt lava flows.
Take a self-guided historical walk through one of Auckland’s major remnants of volcanic stonefields. Ōtuataua Stonefields is a site of significance to mana whenua, where the earliest Māori settlers cleverly adapted to a subtropical environment, using warm volcanic stones to give their tropical crops a longer growing season. The stonefields and Ambury Park each link to the Kiwi Esplanade Walkway, a coast-hugging path ideal for walkers, birdwatchers or anyone who fancies beautiful harbour views.
Walk across the city in a single day on the Coast to Coast Walkway, a 4-5 hour walk stretching from Waitematā to Manukau Harbour. The 16-kilometre path winds through urban streets, historic suburbs and volcanic summits – which can start or end at Onehunga nearby.
Entertain the kids aboard a miniature steam train for a couple of dollars per ride on Sundays. Near the airport? Be sure to visit Butterfly Creek which, as its name suggests, is home to an incredible tropical butterfly house. Next door, you can miniputt over waterfalls and around eel-infested waters at Treasure Island, Australasia's largest adventure golf course.
Getting there Te huarahi ki reira
Māngere is a 15-minute drive from the city centre, and accessible by train and bus.
Local tip He tīwhiri mō te rohe
Visit Ambury Park from July to November, when the park lets visitors feed lambs or milk cows. Lamb feeding usually begins in mid-August.
