Venture to Pukekohe

Pukekohe, was I there....

Venture to Pukekohe, south of Auckland, a flourishing country town that most people only visit because they know someone who lives there.

Which is precisely why I go there. 
Though that's no reason for a tiki tourist to not take the time to visit. 

The drive down is easy as pie.  Head south along the motorway from Auckland, exit at the Drury turnoff, then turn right and stay on the main track.  Twenty to thirty minutes past this point (depending on driving speed), and after driving past Wesley College and through Paerata, you're there.  Or you can take the train or a bus, both will get you there easily, though that may make seeing the sites a bit difficult.

Yes I was!  And so were they :)

Pukekohe is not a tourist destination per se, but if you're looking for a rural day out surrounded by lovely farmland,, market gardens, hydroponics and country type folk close to the city, without going completely hick, then this is where you should come.

There are plenty of boutique shops with knick knaks, art, and clothes and the number of eateries and cafe's offering good food have quadrupled in the last few years.  My latest visit with the nieces required a food stop.  We chose the Pizza Box for a quick bite.

Pizza Box provided lots of room, with plenty of comfy seats and the pizza, iced coffee and fruit smoothies got the thumbs up.

When you get to Pukekohe what is there to do other than sampling the local cuisine, enjoying a good coffee and wondering the streets (or rather street) of town looking at the shops.  Franklin Country website has a number of good ideas, but here is what I have done in Pukekohe.

A drive to the top of Pukekohe Hill will give you some nice views of the surrounding area.
For a taste of local history have a look at the Pukekohe Pioneer Cottage.

If you go during summer, I believe the 50 meter swimming pool with high diving board is still open for business.
If you go on a winter weekend you will most definitely catch teams playing sport - mainly rugby or netball - at the local grounds.

Check out the racing calendar at the Franklin Trotting Club before you go and you'll likely find a horse racing meet to attend.  And if your horsepower preference is mechanical there is a calendar for that too at the Pukekohe Park Raceway.  If not there, then a little further south at Hamptdon Downs where you can pay and drive a race car yourself.

Golf is always on the cards.  In fact you pass the golf course about 7km's after the Drury turn off.

Planning your visit to Pukekohe around the Franklin A&P (aka Agricultural and Pastoral) show at the beginnig of the year will let you experience local farming and produce at it's best.

I suggest you time your drive home on a Friday or Saturday evening so that you can call in to Spookers and be totally freaked out, in a fun way of course.  If you are travelling with young ones that may not be such a good plan, though they provide over 8year old activities that run from 11am for the kids. 

Pukekohe is not really far enough from Auckland that you have to stay the night, however, should you choose to do so, B&B's and farm stays are available, as are a few hotels and motels if you'd rather. 

Unfortuatley  I can't provide a personal recommendation for any accomodation unless you plan on staying with my brother and his family - which is where I stay whenever I venture south to Pukekohe.

Mangere Bridge Hide Away

Real estate agents have been known to describe Mangere Bridge as a South Auckland hideaway.  I'm more inclined to call it an Off to the Side-away.

The Bridge, as locals are known to call it, is on a little peninsula all by itself right on the edge of the Manukau Harbour, beneath Mangere Mountain and has a lovely villagy feel to it.

In days gone by it was necessary to travel through Mangere Bridge to get to the airport.  Now, the south western motorway takes all that traffic and the original bridge, after which the town is named, is a popular walkway, cycleway and fishing spot.  It connects Mangere Bridge with Onehunga.

The Bridge has a number of things going for it - being next to a harbour you get water views.  The harbour shore has been developed into a great walkway with awesome green spaces.  And you have Ambury Park, with caravan sites and a hands on animal park, at your doorstep.

On the down side you have the poo ponds round the corner - I'm afraid Aucklanders in the know just can't get over that little 'Ewwww' idea.  The word "Mangere" also holds negative connotations for a lot of folk who have lived in Auckland for a while. 

My suggestion is ignore the Ewwww'ers (there have been major advancements in poop management over the years) and others and go see the place for yourself.

Take a walk up Mangere Mountain and look at the view, visit Ambury Park, stroll along the waterfront and take a hand line to fish off the bridge.  Should your fishing be unsuccessful there are a couple of Fish 'n' Chip shops in town where we can buy what you couldn't catch.  And definitely visit the cafe's in the village shopping area. 

Mangere Bridge is not a place that's going to rock your socks but you can chillax which is one of the reasons why I love to hide away there.

Driving the Waterfront

Driving the waterfront out towards Mission Bay always lifts my spirits.  It's a lovely drive.  I like to do it slow and soak in the sights - which is largely lots of water off to my left insterspersed with joggers, bike riders and waterfront walkers.

These warm afternoons with daylight saving are perfect for a drive along the waterfront, a walk on the beach and a glass of wine at a cafe or, better yet, chips on the beach.

It's been a few years since I undertook a waterfront drive right to the end of the road up to Ladies Bay.  I wondered how the old nudist beach was doing.

The beach is still there, though not as nice as I remember it.  There's a concrete path down to it now and, to really put a damper on naked sunbathing, there's a veiwing bay above the beach.   It's part of a beautifully designed rest spot with great views out toward Waiheke -  and down to Ladies Bay.

The viewing bay at Archilles Point.

A glass of wine was required (with a bit of a snack) to contemplate the cost of progress, so I stopped at the local shops in St Heliers, Annabelles to be precise, and enjoyed a quiet moment on a lovely afternoon.

The conclusion - I still love driving the waterfront and intend to come back soon.

Devonport Tiki Tour

I did a tiki tour to Devonport the other day.

My original plan of heading in to Auckland central changed due to bad weather and a king tide blocking the harbour bridge.  Being stuck in traffic is not my idea of a great way to spend my time, so a Plan B was sought and implemented.

Devonport is where I like to go for a red wine while looking out to sea.  It's also where one can catch the ferry when the bridge ain't working.  It used to have the best fish and chip shop in Auckland...I have to find another one now.

Devonport Wharf

The town clock

View of naval ships 

The local

The day may have been a little grey and windy but I enjoyed my wonder around.  My Plan B tiki tour reminded how nice Devonport is and how long I've been away.

Across the Harbour Bridge to Beach Haven




Take a tiki tour one day, across Auckland's Harbour Bridge (a landmark in the City of Sails) to Beach Haven on the North Shore.

Beach Haven is not a destination for the masses.  Most travellers traversing the bridge northwards completely bypass the turnoff that takes you, via Onewa Road, to Birkenhead and on to Beach Haven, fondly referred to by our family as 'The Haven'.

You can drive straight up Onewa Road to Birkenhead or if you fancy a tiki tour on your way to the The Haven there are a number of little bays you can visit that offer views of the Harbour Bridge and Auckland City from slightly different angles and they aren't far off the main drag. 

To tiki tour, turn left into Queen St off Onewa Road and take a leisurely drive toward Northcote Point.  If you're thirsty stop off at the Northcote Pub.  At the end of the road is what used to be the Fishermens Wharf restaurant.  You get some awesome photo's of the bridge off the wharf.  If you fancy seeing what the underside of the  Harbour Bridge is like, there's a short footpath to take you there. 

Harbour Bridge from Northcote Point

Heading back along Queen St you'll find Rodney Road on your left.  Follow it down the Council Terrace hill to Little Shoal Bay.  Plenty of room here for the kids to run around and there's a playground to keep them entertained as well.  You can swim if you're in the mood, or just dip your toes in the water with the bridge in the background.

Little Shoal Bay on the Beach Haven Tiki Tour

Once you've taken all happy snaps you want, jump back in the car and head up the hill on the other side of the bay, or if you fancy a bit of exercise you can walk up the hill.  I only mention this because I drove passed a lady doing it....I kept driving. 

If you turn left at the top and follow Hinemoa St to the end, you'll come to the Birkenhead Wharf.  There's a nice park and if you've timed it right you can watch one of Fullers Ferry's docking.  The Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club is housed here, so you migght spot a few learner sailors and the odd veteran heading out into the waters. 


Birkenhead Wharf Park

Drive back up Hinemoa St and you'll pass through Highbury with its little collection of boutique type shops.  I spied a coffee shop and it has been filed in the 'coffee shops to try' part of my brain.

A little further on you'll come to Birkenhead, the main shopping center for the area.  There are plenty of places here to eat and have coffee.  My nieces and I tried the Word of Mouth coffee shop.  They gave the iced chocolate a thumbs up.



Nice stop for a quick bite

If you want to get a closer look at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery (why?... I dunno!) you can find this down Colonial Drive at the other end of Mokoia Road.  There's lovely park-like lawns so you can get a picture of you and your car with the pink factory backdrop, if you're that way inclined. 

Getting back on the track to Beach Haven from Birkenhead shopping center is easy - go left at the lights.  When you reach the round about at Verrans Corner, stay left.  This takes you onto Rangatira Road which historically separated the 'good' side of The Haven from the 'bad'. 

Here's a bit history...Beach Haven is a seaside suburb and the side nearest the sea was for the more well off.  Houses on the other side of the road were largely state homes and a few of the occupants were fairly well known to the local constabulary.  I have no idea if the criminal element is still holed up on 'that' side of the road these days, I've been away for thirteen years, but I do know the coastal homes are still pricey.

The drive takes you past Island Bay Road which offers a swimming and picnic spot tucked away at the bottom with a wharf hidden behind a little hill where you'll often find people fishing.  The place is quite popular with local boaties as a launching point and is great for safe swimming. 

Continue along Rangatira Road and you will eventually wind up at the Beach Haven shops and a T-intersection with a roundabout.  Turning left will lead you to Beach Haven wharf.  We used to buy fish 'n chips at the local takeway and head down to the wharf to eat while the kids ran around at the beach. 

A local man, Frank Larkin, spent years building this beach.  I'm glad to report that it's still a nice spot.  In fact the council has done a bit of work there developing Hilders Park.  There are sufficient picnic tables and viewing points to look out over the water towards Whenuapai and the wharf still has that aged rickety feel, just like old wharves should - though it's perfectly safe and kids were still jumping off the end.

Beach Haven Wharf

There is no playground for young ones at Beach Haven wharf, so if you're after that it might be best to head to Shepherds Park, which is right turn at the round about and keep an eye out for the sign.  There's walking tracks and plenty of room to kick a ball, as well as a playground - but no beach.  I stopped in for a quick look.  If I'd had the kids I would've stayed for a muck around, but lone mature woman on the swings is kind've sad, so I left.


Entrance to Shepherds Park, Beach Haven

The journey to Beach Haven was not without purpose.  My father lives at a residential care facility there, and my sister and her family live nearby.  Plus, visiting Beach Haven is a trip down memory lane - it's where we brought our kids up - not on the coastal side of Rangatira Road either.

If you choose to take a detour off the motorway after coming across the Harbour Bridge and head to Beach Haven, you may not be wandering down memory lane, but you will find lots of quiet beach, picnic, fishing and boat spots with the most wonderful views that the locals have at their door step and that most other people never see.

Across the Harbour Bridge to Beach Haven....Was I there?  Yes I was :)