After exploring most of the highlights of Auckland’s downtown area and suburbs, I decided to take a ferry over to Mount Victoria. My hotel was located a few blocks away from the harbor, so getting to the ferry was pretty easy. I bought my roundtrip ticket at the kiosk and queued up for the outbound Devonport ferry.
Once you disembark, stay on Victoria Road which will take you past a number of shops, cafes, a visitor’s center, as well as to the base of Mount Victoria. The visitor’s center has maps for some of the self-guided walking tours available on Devonport.
Mount Victoria, like the Domain, is another elevation that was shaped by volcanic activity. It boasts some amazing panoramic views of Auckland from across the bay and other neighboring islands. Prior to being a military lookout—due to its prime vantage point—equipped with concrete bunkers and artillery guns, it was a Maori village and defensive position. Some of the terraces carved into the land for agriculture are still visible. Today, colorful oversized mushrooms decorate a portion of the elevation, which are actually decorative air vent covers for a pump station below.
Next, I headed down to the riverwalk, which runs along King Edward Parade and the harbor, toward Torpedo Bay. It’s an easy walk with historical markers along the way. If you walk to the end of the trail, you will come to the Torpedo Bay Naval Museum.
But before you reach Torpedo Bay, you will come to the Tainui Memorial, a plaque honoring the early inhabitants.
On the trip back down the riverwalk, there are several notable houses and businesses on the opposite side of King Edward Parade. For example, the Elizabeth House, two houses linked together at the front, served as lodging for the Women’s Royal Naval Service.
After grabbing a bite to eat in one of the downtown restaurants, I was able to time my ferry ride back so that I could see the sun setting across the bay as I rode back to Auckland. Admittedly, it was a little blinding at first. But once the sun set behind the harbor’s taller buildings, the colors on the horizon behind the city-scape were magic!
