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Get a view out across both of Auckland's harbours from the volcanic cone of Mt Eden before taking a drive throught to suburbs to some beautiful old churches and homesteads, the Auckland Zoo, the fascinating Museum of Transport and Technology and historic Ponsonby before heading downtown to Princes Street where you will find some of Aucklands old government buildings.
Colonial Ammunition Company Shot Tower.
1SYMONDS STREET
Take the Symonds Street off ramp on SH1 and head northwest 0.3 km on the offramp to Symonds Street. Turn left and head south 0.5 km on Symonds Street then continue 1.2 km on Mount Eden Road to the entrance to Mount Eden.
From its early beginnings, Auckland city moved up the valley along the line of Queen Street and then spread west along the ridge called Karangahape Road as well as south up along Symonds Street towards Mt Eden. One of the iconic landmarks, visible from most of the roads in the area, is the Colonial Ammunition Company Shot Tower on Normanby Street. Built in 1914 by W. Wilson & Co, the tower was used to make lead shot by dropping molten lead over 30 m from a cauldron up on the top of the steel tower. The lead fell inside an encased tube, forming perfect spheres before hitting the water trough below. This is the only tower of its type in New Zealand. There are numerous historic buildings in the area including the 1920s, neo-classical style, Freemasons Hall and St Benedicts Roman Catholic Church, both in St Benedicts Street which is a short distance west of Symonds Street off Newton Road.
One Tree Hill from Mt Eden.
2MT EDEN
Its 1 km up to the top of Mt Eden on the summit loop road.
The highest landform in Auckland, the 196 m volcanic cone of Mt Eden (Maungawhau) provides visitors with panoramic views across the city and out to both of its harbours. You can drive right up to the summit and look down into the 50 m deep crater. There were initialy three overlapping volcanic scoria cones, but during the last series of eruptions about 15,000 years ago, the volcano became one huge single, scoria mound formed around a central crater. Lava flows up to 60 m thick, extended from the volcano which was later was used as a defensive pa site by the Maori. The surrounding forests were cleared and the timber used for palisades to create a defensive site that could accomodate around 700 people. You can still see the distinctive earth terraces and other features of the pa, as well as the stone walls built using scoria rocks by the early European settlers that followed. The occupation of this pa ended in 1700 A.D when the Waiohua defeated the Tamaki people. Set on the lower slopes, the Eden Gardens are set in an old quarry, featuring the largest collection of camellias in New Zealand. Established in 1964 the gardens on Omana Ave, Epsom, are open to the public.
3ST ANDREWS
Return to 0.5 km to Mt Eden Road and continue southwest 1.8 km to Balmoral Road. Turn left and drive 0.6 km to St Andrews Road. Turn right and drive 0.3 km to the church on the left side of the road.
One of the historic Selwyn churches, featuring a steeply pitched roof, board and batten walls, square headed windows, a chancel and a porch entrance from one side, St Andrew's Church in Epsom was built in 1867. A notable feature of the church is the tall broach spire over the belfry. The church still stands, but has been greatly enlarged and transformed from its original appearance.
Historic Alberton.
4ALBERTON
Continue south on St Andrews Road 1.8 km and turn right onto Mount Albert Road. Drive west 4.2 km on Mount Albert Road and turn right into Kerr Taylor Ave. The entrance to Alberton is on the right.
With its decorative verandahs and towers, this romantic timber mansion was originally built as a farmhouse in 1863. Allan Kerr Taylor bought the estate in 1849 at the age of 16, later becoming a prominent landowner, investor as well as a provincial and local body politician. He later enlarged the farmhouse to 18 rooms to provide for his growing family and to entertain guests. With its expansive grounds, covering over 220 ha of pastures, orchards and gardens, Alberton was famous in the 19th Century, hosting rides held by the Pakuranga hunt, numerous balls and garden parties. Today the grounds around Alberton feature some fine old trees and one of the original fountains, while inside the building there is a wealth of original family furniture and other possessions. Many of the rooms still retain their 19th century wallpapers.
Auckland Zoo.
5AUCKLAND ZOO
Return to Mount Albert Road and continue northwest 1.0 km. Continue 1.6 km on Carrington Road and turn right at Great North Road. Drive east 0.9 km and turn left onto Motions Road. The zoo is 0.3 km on the right and another 0.3 km on the left is the entry to the Sir Keith Park Memorial Reserve, where the restored aircraft from Motat are kept in hangars.
Home to 119 different species and over 1300 animals, the Auckland Zoo has the largest collection of animals in the country and with its environmentally sympathetic enclosures, is recognised as one of the more progressive zoos in the world. Giraffe, zebra, white rhino and springbok can be seen grazing in the Pridelands area which is modeled on the African Plains. Hippopotamus, serval, chacma and hamadyas baboons, cheetahs and flamingos can be seen in an African wetland setting at Hippo River. An elevated boardwalk through the Rainforest features golden lions and cottontop tamarins, spider monkeys, siamang gibbons and bonnet macaques. As well as lions, there are rare Sumatran tigers and Asian elephants. Little blue penguins, fur seals and shore birds are featured in a marine environment and in the nocturnal house you can see kiwi, tuatara and morepork.
Museum of Transport and Technology.
6MOTAT
Return 0.3 km to the Great North Road and drive east 0.9 km past Western Springs to the entry to Motat on the right.
The Tramway at Motat features an extensive collection of operating tramcars from New Zealand and Australia. There is also an impressive collection of buses and trolley buses as well as numerous items of farm machinery from the turn of the century. The Victorian Village features restored and fully furnished buildings from the mid to late 1800's set around a Village Green. There is also a 1920's Street complete with tram lines, a garage, general store, butchery, chemist, drapers shop, a school house and a Victorian villa. Steam trains operate on Live Days and the museum also hosts regular military displays, including rides on military vehicles and firing displays of Second World War weapons. The tram service runs approximately every 30 minutes from Motat to the Auckland Zoo and the Sir Keith Park Memorial Reserve. In the aircraft display hangar, you can view the interior of the only surviving Solent Flying boat left in the world, along with a rare and beautifully restored Second World War Lancaster bomber.
Historic Ponsonby Mansion.
7PONSONBY
Return to the Great North Road and drive northeast 0.2 km to the Bullock Track. Turn left and drive 0.3 km up the hill. Turn right onto Surrey Crescent and drive 0.3 km to Richmond Road. Turn left and continue 2.6 km on Richmond Road to Ponsonby Road.
With views across the harbour from a ridgeline above Freeman’s Bay, Ponsonby Road was originally developed for wealthy Aucklanders. By the 1860s smaller streets were being developed off the main road with smaller lot sizes, bringing an influx of working people and their families. Today most of the historic buildings in the area, including the shops and churches, date back to the late 19th century, when Ponsonby Road was a hustling and bustling main thoroughfare, complete with its own tramline. The area has seen dramatic changes over the years as the old villas and workers cottages were brought up and restored to make Ponsonby and the adjoining areas of Grey Lynn and Freeman’s Bay into fashionable inner city suburbs with numerous upmarket cafes and boutiques. From Richmond Road turn left and take a stroll north along Ponsonby Road. On the eastern side of the road you can see the Terrace Houses from no. 203 to 209 Ponsonby Road. Built around 1900, these brick houses with a stucco cement finish, are a combination of styles used to create town houses in London and contemporary wooden villas in New Zealand. A bit further on is St Johns Church at no. 229, a beautiful gothic style wooden church built in the 1880s, featuring carved detailing by Anton Teutonberg. If you take a short detour down Renall Street you will find a number of 19th century workingmen's cottages along with the historic St Mary's Bay bishop's residence. Bishop Pompallier bought land in the area in 1853, also building convents and a school in the area around New Street, which was to become the main Catholic centre in Auckland. St Mary’s Bay Road continues towards the harbour from the northern end of Ponsonby Road. The old Post Office building on the corner dates back to 1911 and is a fine example of Edwardian Baroque Style architecture, designed by the government architect, John Campbell. Its only a short walk down St Mary’s Bay Road to the old Ponsonby Fire Station at no. 15 and opposite at no. 20, the Leys Institute, gifted by William & Thompson Leys in 1905. Heading back south on Ponsonby Road towards Karangahape Road you will find the old 1889 Fire Station and Council Chambers building west a short distance down Williamson Avenue. An imposing examples of a Victorian Mansion, Allandale House at no. 50 Ponsonby Road, was built for wealthy saddler George Allan in the 1890s. Diagonally across the road you can see the Unitarian Church, built in 1901 based on the design of a church in Johannesburg, South Africa. The old Newton Police Barracks are another design by John Campbell in the Queen Anne Style, built in 1905. On the western side at no. 8 Ponsonby Road you can see the old ASB Bank complete with its original gas street lamp. The building was designed by Edward Bartley and built in 1884 with a second storey added in 1886.
8AUCKLAND ART GALLERY
Turn right from Richmond Road into Ponsonby Road and drive southeast 0.6 km to Karangahape Road. Turn left and drive 0.8 km along Karangahape Road then turn left onto Queen Street. Head down Queen Street 0.8 km and turn right onto Wellesley Street East. The art gallery is 0.1 km up the hill on the left on the corner of Kitchener Street.
Housing the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand, the Auckland Art Gallery frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions. The early French Renaissance style three-storey building with its steep pitched roofs and distinctive six storey clock tower, was completed in 1884. Opened in 1888, this was the first permanent gallery in the country, established with a donation of rare books, manuscripts and paintings from former governor Sir George Grey. Now with over 12,500 works, representing many New Zealand and Pacific artists, the gallery features paintings by Gretchen Albrecht, Marti Friedlander, C.F. Goldie, Alfred Henry O'Keeffe, Frances Hodgkins, Gottfried Lindauer and Colin McCahon. Set on the side of the hill below Albert Park, you will find one of the old entrances to the Albert Park Tunnels just behind the gallery. Built during the Second World War, over 3.5 km of tunnels were built as air-raid shelters designed to house up to 20,000 people. The tunnels were sealed after the war.
Synagog, Princess Street.
9HISTORIC PRINCES STREET
Continue east on Wellesley Street East 0.2 km and turn left onto Princes Street. There is diagonal parking up on the hill above the city almost all the way along Princes Street 0.5 km to the Waterloo Quadrant.
You can take stroll along and around Princes Street and see a number of Auckland’s classical style historic buildings. The first on the right hand side as you head north is Alfred Nathan House, which dates back to 1882, followed by the gothic style, Old Arts Building with its distinctive clock tower. Across the road is Albert Park and a row of elegant Victorian merchant houses built in the 1880s. You can wander through the Auckland University grounds where a number of old oaks and Norfolk pines date back to colonial times, as well as the old stone barracks wall, built in 1847. Over a thousand British troops were stationed here until 1870. The Old Government House set in the University grounds, was the first mansion of its kind built in New Zealand, featuring a timber façade cut to resemble stone. Completed in 1856, it was used as a government building until 1856 when the capital moved to Wellington. Down at the end of the road on the corner of Princes Street and Bowen Avenue, is the old Jewish Synagogue, built in 1885, featuring carefully restored Arabic arches, Romanesque decorative motifs, ornate plaster-work and a stained glass vault. Across the road is a distinctive ivy covered building known as the Northern Club that was once used for meetings and as a club for the officers from the barracks in the 1860s. Tucked away in behind the club, is Bankside Cottage, that dates back to the 1840s and is probably the oldest residence in the centre of the city still on its original site. Back up the hill on the Waterloo Quadrant you will find the old administrative centre of Auckland, along with a number of mansions built by merchants in the early days of the city. Bella Vista, built in 1864 for the Nathan Family was built in stone imported from Bath in England. The Supreme High Court building was originally designed by Edward Rumsey in Gothic revival style and was built in 1867 complete with carved gargoyles that were added by a young Prussian immigrant. Diagonally opposite the High Court in Symonds Street you can see the first Presbyterian Church of St Andrew's. Originally built in 1847 from blue stone, quarried from nearby Newmarket. The classical portico and tower were added in 1882, featuring Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns.