Located close to NZ’s bustling metropolis of Auckland is the Ambury Regional Park, a welcoming green space that is ideal for nature lovers, bird enthusiasts and families looking to escape the bustle of the city. When seeking quality accommodation, you won’t go wrong with a quality central Auckland hotel such as the Copthorne Hotel Auckland City. Situated near world-class dining, entertainment and shopping, this stylish Auckland city hotel is the perfect base from which to soak in the city’s sights. When it all gets a little much and you crave some communion with the natural world, New Zealand is a nature lover’s paradise. Of particular interest is the Ambury Regional Park, which offers the perfect location for some hiking, jogging, camping and picnicking with family and friends. Featuring a verdant, open-pasture setting, you will get the chance to mingle with the farm animals who call the place home, and the area is a prime site for shorebirds as well as some stunning examples of basaltic lava flow.
The park is situated on an ash field from a lava flow of an eruption that occurred around 18,000 years ago of the nearby Mangere Mountain. During the park’s pre-European era, it was used as a site for Maori gardening, and you will get to witness some examples of ancient horticulture firsthand by touring the Maori mounds used for such a purpose. Ambury and the Otautaua stone fields constitute the country’s only examples of Maori stone structures remaining on public land. The site also features BBQ facilities as well as campground facilities so grab your gear and friends and family for a fun day outing in this iconic site.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and intends to visit them all someday.