A short loop through nīkau palms and tree ferns to a 40-metre waterfall falling in three tiers into a swimming hole, then down to Piha's black sand, wild surf and the lion-shaped rock in the middle of the beach.
Piha is 40 minutes from the city over the Waitākere Ranges, a surf town on a black-sand beach. Behind it, the bush is thick with nīkau, ponga ferns and regenerating kauri.
From the Glen Esk Road car park, the loop follows the stream through nīkau palms and tree ferns and reaches the three-tiered, 40-metre Kitekite Falls in about 45 minutes. There's a swimming pool at the base, and another at the top for confident swimmers. Kauri dieback, a soil-borne disease, has closed some Waitākere tracks and added boot-cleaning stations on the rest: scrub and spray every time.
Follow the walk with a swim at Piha, between the flags, and a climb up Lion Rock at sunset. The Mercer Bay loop on the cliffs between Piha and Karekare is the other short walk of the coast.
An easy afternoon on Auckland's wild west coast.
Scrub and spray at the cleaning station, then follow the stream into the bush.
A lookout across the valley shows all three tiers pouring down the cliff.
Descend to the pool below the falls; strong swimmers can climb to the upper pool.
Return along the other bank of the stream through nīkau groves to the car park.
Drive or walk to the beach, swim between the flags, and climb the steps on Lion Rock as the sun drops into the Tasman.
There's no regular public transport to Piha: drive, join a tour, or take a shuttle in summer.
Check Auckland Council's track status before you go, stay on open tracks, and clean boots at every station.
The short Mercer Bay loop off Te Ahuahu Road gives huge clifftop views south to Karekare.
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Clifftops north to Muriwai's gannets.
Lava fields and caves on a young volcano.
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Harbour to harbour over two cones.
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Devonport's volcanoes and tunnels.
Hot springs, dark skies, empty beaches.
Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence.
