Dirty Paws

Māori originally cultivated over 8000 ha of volcanic stonefileds around Tāmaki-makau-rau (the Auckland isthmus) However, all that remains today is Otuataua’s 100 ha out at Mangere. It is one of the last volcanic areas in Auckland where you can see how people once lived and farmed the land through the remains of large scale stone and earthworks. This land was bought by the council in 1999 and one of New Zealand’s oldest historical sites became one of our newest reserves in 2001.

Snowy our CTO loves a good walk! Lucky for him Auckland is full of great places where he can get his paws dirty. We know the by-laws can be a bit confusing but we’ve done the hard yards have a great short list of crowd pleasers. Here’s a count down of Snowy’s top 10 off-lead dog walks in Auckland! 10. Madills Farm Kicking off the list in at No. 10 is Madills Farm.

Piha is a classic summer spot for Aucklanders, only about 40 minutes out of the city but feels worlds away. It retains a lot of its natural beauty and provides a huge space for your dog to run around in as well as a great day trip away. Dogs are allowed off-leash in the Piha Domain (the flat grass area) and the adjacent lagoon up to where the beach opens out to the south and north.

The park started life as farmland and was later sold and developed as a golf course in the 1920s. The club was no longer viable after most of its members enlisted for military service during WWII and the space was converted to a park in 1945. Named after Winston Churchill, Churchill park lies in the Auckland suburb of Glendowie. At approximately 40 hectares the park offers an enjoyable walk through urban farmland complete with up to 60 grazing cattle.

Owairaka (Mount Albert) is the dominant volcanic peak within the Mt Albert borough. In the past the mountain was heavily quarried for its high quality scoria. Today less than half of the original land mass remains and the two original volcanic craters have been leveled. One to make way for a playing field and the other to form a water reservoir. Despite its history it is a beautiful reserve with great views.

Nestled along the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour in Paremoremo lies Sanders Reserve. It’s a fantastic 41 acre multi-use recreation area that caters for horse riders, mountain bikers, and dog walkers with a dedicated fenced off-leash area in the south-eastern section. The dedicated off-leash area is of a good size the offers plenty of grassy rolling hills for your pup to run around on and a good gravel path around the perimeter making it very accessible.

Kakamatua Inlet is one of the best dog friendly beaches in Auckland and is perfect for a weekend adventure away from the city for you and your pup. At about 15 mins from Titirangi, or about 45 mins from the CBD it is a bit of a drive but well worth it! It’s best to go at low tide to give your dog maximum enjoyment as a large open sandy space will be exposed - perfect to charge about at top speed or play fetch.

This is a great spot close to the city for your pup to have a good run around and swim. It is part of the Taumanu Reserve which was opened in 2015 as part of the restoration work in the area promised almost 50 years ago when the motorway was built back in 1977. We took Snowy for a walk around the lagoon at Onehunga Bay Reserve which is now known as Te Tauranga, the landing.

The Point was originally covered in Kauri forest and known as ‘Onekiritea’ along with its surrounds by the local iwi, named after the clay soil found in the area. It was renamed to “Port Hobsonville” when it was purchased by the Crown in 1853. The Point also has a rich military and aviation history. Some of the old bunkers that were designed to securely store explosives still dot the landscape around the area and give the area its nickname - Bomb Point.

Coyle Park is located on the tip of the Pt. Chevalier peninsular bounded by mangroves to the east and Pt. Chev beach to the west. The park is a large-ish flat grassy area is divided by a play ground and bounded by tall pines. The tall pines were planted at the beginning of the twentieth century as a wind break so construction could start on a hospital for infectious diseases. The hospital was never fully completed and only pressed into service twice before falling into disuse and eventually dismantled in 1921 after the area was officially designated as a scenic reserve.