Arataki Visitor Centre & Piha Beach

Day 2

Morning @Ponsonby

We had a lazy start to our day. Being jetlagged, we decided to start our day with a nice brunch and headed to Ponsonby nearby to check out the area. Instead of checking out cafe reviews online, we entered a busy cafe on the street which seemed quite popular with the locals as well.

Mushrooms and cheese sourdough toast and masala eggs

Ordered the above and I absolutely loved the way they made the masala eggs. Felt like I am eating in India. It was that good :)

After the brunch, we just window shopped in Ponsonby for pleasure of the eyes. The place was cheerful too with just a few days to go for Christmas :) We also wanted to stock on some Indian food, so we headed to an Indian grocery store nearby and picked up some snacks to munch on the go. I was overjoyed to find some fresh theplas and dhoklas on the counter made by the Gujarati owner of the store. Trust me, finding home-style Indian food on vacations like this is like a joy hard to describe.

Afternoon Drive to Arataki Visitor Centre & Piha Beach

With a full tummy and a plan for the day ahead, we started driving to Arataki Visitor Center. It is a tourist cum educational centre and a gateway to the beautiful Waitakere Ranges. These Waitkatere ranges are absolutely stunning - expansive and lush green. They are home to 16000+ hectares of rainforest and are deeply rooted in Maori heritage, traditionally known as Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa (The Great Forest of Tiriwa)

Address: 300 Scenic Drive, Oratia, Waitakere

The best way to reach this visitor centre is to drive. It is about 22 kms from Auckland CBD and takes around 30 minutes to reach this western part of Auckland.

At the visitor centre, we were welcomed by a beautifully carved, 11 m tall, wooden pou or column representing the Maori ancestors of the land. It stands as a beautiful testament reestablishing the guardianship and authority of the Maori tribe over the Waitakere ranges.

The Pou in front of Arataki Visitor Centre

Inside the visitor centre, there is a small gift shop with a coffee machine vending free coffee. There were no cups of any kind kept for the coffee though. On asking the person-in-charge, we were told to either get a cup from home or rent one glass cup from the counter for a nominal charge.

Impressed! This is what is true sustainability is all about. Reduce waste and avoid recycling wherever possible.We saw this mindset all over NZ…hats off.

The gift shop inside Arataki Visitor Centre

There is a fantastic viewing deck for the tourists inside the centre. The view is expansive and really beautiful. We can check out the beautiful rainforests, the Nihoputu dam, the Manukau harbour and even the Tasman sea beyond. It doesn't at all feel that we are so close to Auckland from here. We soon realised that that's the charm of the entire country :)

The panoramic views from the viewing deck of Arataki Visitor Centre

The Arataki Visitor Centre is the place for nature enthusiasts. It the point from where numerous trails and treks begin. The centre also highlights the flora and fauna of the region with a significant focus on containing the spread of Kauri dieback (a fatal infection of the Kauri trees).

The Kauri trees are the precious environmental heritage of North Island and this centre acts as the educational hub for containing the spread of this disease, like cleaning our shoes before entering and after exiting certain designated areas and staying on the path as directed.

This place is outdoorsy and calls for admiring nature. We did exactly that. We embarked on the Nature Trail from the centre. About a 45-minutes leisurely walk it was but it taught us a lot about the ancient coniferous Kauri trees and other vegetation. The 1.2 mile walk with many steps in between offered lovely views from the lookout and especially from the Kauri Cathedral. It was refreshing!

There are many signs and boards with great information about the area and the trails.

Nature trail track near the Arataki Visitor Centre

Piha Beach

After spending around a couple of hours at the Arataki Visitor Centre, we started driving to Piha beach. It is just a 20-minute drive through the Waitakere Regional Park and quite a scenic one at that.

The volcanic black iron sand beach, it seems, is a sight to behold on sunny days when the sun's rays make the black sand glisten like gold. However, it was raining on the day we went. Still, we managed to walk till the Lion's Rock and click a few pictures.

Piha beach is a popular surfing location, especially during summers. Swimmers and surfers can have a gala time at the beach within the patrolled areas allowed for water activities. The waves can be extreme and unforgiving as has happened in the past. So it's best to stick to the rules!

The Lion Rock dividing the beach into North and South Piha black sand beach

There are a couple of scenic waterfalls - Kitekite falls and Karekare falls within a couple of kilometers inland of Piha beach. It is a popular picnic spot with the locals. Another loop trek by the name of Mercer bay loop is a scenic walking track on the cliffs above the beach. It's a 2.5 kms loop wtih steps in between and takes about an hour to come back. This again is a popular track offering panoramic coastal views of the Tasman sea and the sheer cliffs next to it.

One can add these activities to their Piha beach trip and make it all the more memorable :)