About the path
A popular journey along Auckland's iconic Tamaki Drive, passing the spectacular white sand beaches of St Heliers, Kohimarama and Mission Bay. Pack your swimming gear on a nice day - there are plenty of scenic spots to take a dip.
The shared path is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists, and is also suitable for prams and scooters. The route is especially busy in summer and weekends - so expect to share the path and be considerate of other users.
Start in St Heliers, a charming seaside village with great local cafes and a beachfront children's playground. Public toilets and the beautiful public library building are an easy walk from the beach.
Continue along Tamaki Drive to Kohimarama, a quieter swimming beach with a handful of great cafes.
Admire unobstructed views to Rangitoto, the most recent and the largest of Auckland's volcanoes. Rangitoto Island emerged from the sea just 600 to 700 years ago in a series of fiery explosions.
Continue along the waterfront to Mission Bay, where you can enjoy the vibrant beach, cafe and restaurant scene.
Kids will love sliding, climbing, spinning and rocking at the beachfront children's playground in Mission Bay. The separate junior play area is perfect for toddlers and features two slides, safe rocking seesaws and diggers, and a sandpit area. There’s plenty of seating underneath the shady trees around the playground. You'll also find outdoor exercise equipment at the eastern end of Selwyn Reserve.
Grab an ice cream and check out the famous Mission Bay art deco fountain, Melanesian Mission House and Millennium Bridge, a public art feature called Aramaramara (Virginia King; Chris Thombuilt) to celebrate the new millennium in 2000.
