Western Springs and Meola Reef

7 km • 1 hour 30 mins • Easy • It was great to see so many people, with their children and their dogs, out enjoying walking today at Western Springs and Meola Reef.

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Other things to do here are to visit the Auckland Zoo and MOTAT – Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology. And have a tram ride!

Quick facts about this walk

Walk time:	approx. 90 minutes
Distance:	about 7 kms
Start:	Great North Road (Western Springs gardens) opposite Western Springs
Track Quality:	Mainly level paths plus steps.
Difficulty:	Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness and mobility, designed with flat shoes or running shoes in mind.
Buggies/Wheelchairs:	Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Dog Friendly:	Off Leash area at Meola Reef
Highlights:	Waitemata Harbour views, a natural spring-fed lake with ducks, swans, geese and long-finned eels; stream, trams, planes.
Facilities:	Children's Playground, BBQ Area
FREE Map:	Download your FREE map of this walk

The Hobbiton Movie Set Day Tour - From Auckland

Western Springs Park has a warm spot in my memories. My son loved coming here when he was little. He would ride his tricycle (and bicycle when he got bigger) around this man made lake. He had special places where he would have to stop to participate in the imaginative story he had going on in his head with characters from books we used to read.

Western Springs has a mostly level path suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs and children’s scooters and trikes. There are ducks, geese, swans and eels to feed, so be sure to bring your bread scraps. And there is a fabulous playground with a BBQ area nearby. “Timespanners” view: War, water and birds at Western Springs

Meola Reef is Dog walk friendly with off-leash areas – dogs romp around in a big wide open area. This is a mostly flat walk, apart from one lot of steps in Jaggers Bush.

And when your dog gets tired, there is a seat to rest on…

There are two great places to enjoy your picnic – on the many picnic tables in Western Springs, or out at the point of Meloa Reef.

Unfortunately, there is not a cafe within walking distance. But there is a van that sells coffee in a paper cup and ice cream in a cone just by the entrance to Western Springs from the Zoo carpark and not far from the children’s playgrounds. (Weekends only, not July and August).

To see where one of the sources to Meola Creek begins, head to: Mt Albert and Meola Creek

Photos from my walk along the Western Springs and Meola Reef

See more of my 150+ walks in Auckland

Helen Wenley

This project began in 2011. My friend Grace was the walk creator – with her knowledge of Auckland, she could “see” circular routes, and then it was up to me to map out, photograph, research and document the routes. At first, I relied upon my voice recorder and Google maps but then with the advancement of technology, the smart phone became a best friend and I was able to track our route. The best fun was when we were both pleasantly surprised by what there was to see. Beautiful wetlands, views and bush kept us inspired to explore more.

4 Responses

Barbara says:

24 October 2024 at 1:44 pm

Thanks so much Sandra, really enjoyed the Meola Reef walk today.

Reply
1. FreewalksNZ says:
  
  24 October 2024 at 1:45 pm
  
  Oh, so glad you enjoyed it Barbara.
Geoff says:

15 June 2024 at 4:58 pm

Hi Sandra
Just did this walk – really enjoyed it and the instructions are easy to follow – also – I popped in to Motat Aviation on the way past – fabulous morning

Reply
1. FreewalksNZ says:
  
  15 June 2024 at 4:59 pm
  
  That’s awesome, thanks for the feedback Geoff.