Parnell Markets and Urban Bush Walk in Auckland

3.92 km • 60 Minutes • Easy with steps • Another beautiful day and todays walk in Auckland Central is one of contrasts – from the quietness of secluded reserves to the noisy Parnell farmers markets.

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This Auckland urban bush walk is great to do all year round. There are two markets:

Parnell Farmers Market – behind the Foundation for the Blind off Parnell Road. It is open open, rain or shine, every Saturday from 8am to 12 noon.

Today there was quite a variety of stalls from cheese to bread, to unusual pumpkins. The stall holders are very friendly and enjoyed giving us a taste of their products.

Quick facts about this walk

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The second market is called The Parnell Markets at Buono Parnell off St Georges Bay Road. This is a bigger market with more variety.

There is a wide range of delicious looking and smelling foods for humans plus an interesting looking stall of dog food.

These markets are open Saturdays 8am to 1.00pm. The cafe was busy with people catching up for coffee with friends and staying on for lunch. Again, everyone is friendly and happy to share a taste of their tasty produce. It is all locally produced so you know that it is fresh and in many cases organic.

We walked from the busy bustling markets to the peacefulness of reserves with birdlife, nikau palms and New Zealand native ferns, past quaint cottages and the massive Holy Trinity Cathedral and the more modest St John the Baptist Church.

Parnell Village is a popular shopping strip with many cafes and restaurants to choose from. To make this a full day outing, you may wish to stay and explore Parnell Village and learn about its history.

This is a great walk if you wish to take in both markets on a Saturday or you can exclude them if you prefer a quieter walk. Dog walk friendly with off-leash areas.

Suggested Café: Buono, 69 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell.

Photos from my walk along the Parnell Markets and Urban Bush Walk in Auckland

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.