Enjoy amazing views and hear about the history of the Waitakere Ranges at the first stop on this tour. The visitors centre is also home to some traditional Māori carvings and your guide will talk about them and explain their significance for the area.
Enjoy a easy walk through the rainforest of the Waitakere Ranges (The walk is currently located at the Arataki Visitor Centre).
Walk along the black sand beach of Piha Beach (30 minutes) & time for afternoon tea refreshments
Enjoy a half day tour with Bush and Beach - During the afternoon we also include a New Zealand style afternoon tea including biscuits (cookies), manuka honey and tea and coffee or juice. As well as keeping you entertained and informed our guides make sure you have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and make sure there are lots of photo opportunities. We have been running tours in this area for over 40 years so you will be being looked after by the local experts. (Please note this information is limited due to the locations not being available to be added on this platform)
We had so much fun, Noel and Andy were both extremely knowledgeable, and kind. The weather made my trip memorable, raining in the rainforest. My husband and I made this mistake of leaving out raincoats, Noel came to the rescue!! We had a lot of fun laughing and enjoying the views! Thank you again
Such a unique place and so much to see. Guides were so informative and took the time to answer all questions and slow down for pictures. Afternoon tea was fun. Just wish there was more time but this was a short 1/2 day tour. Highly recommend.
Wonderful a touch of wild New Zealand the forest and the beach our guides very friendly and cheerful Nice introduction just outside of Aukland
It was beautiful and very informative with lots of personal touches. Leon, a native of the west side, was excellent and very knowledgeable about the area, including flora and fauna.
This was an excellent excursion and just the right amount of time! Mary was our guide and she was informative and attentive. She provided a wealth of information and pointed out many points of interest! This was an exceptional tour and would highly recommend!
Would give 10 stars if I could. My day with Andy the driver and Leon the guide was a truly fantastic adventure. Picked up and dropped off on time. Transportation was very clean minibus. Andy did an amazing driving job through the windy roads. Our stop at the pie shop for lunch, was yummy. Leon’s knowledge on Auckland and surrounding areas added to the enjoyment of the tour. His knowledge on flora and fauna and native wildlife of area was interesting. Piha black beach did not disappoint, was beautiful and fun, got to walk a little in the waves. Finished day with a lovely cup of tea and biscuits that Andy brought. Thanks Andy and Leon for a truly amazing day.
Amazing tour! The guides were so fun and knowlegable! I landed at 6am and got the time confused and they still found me a few streets away so I didn’t miss out! I learned so much about nature, trees, birds, all of the things! It was so interesting I didn’t even feel tired after 24 hours of travel and was able to stay awake all day to reset my sleep schedule for the rest of the trip!
Inya and Jason were fantastic guides, and we really enjoyed their vast knowledge on our rainforest walk. Piha beach was beautiful and the hot drinks and cookies were a nice touch. Highly recommend!
An excellent walk (not strenuous) through a rain forest that was guided by a very knowledgeable and interesting woman. We learned so much about New Zealand, its fauna and the management of its parks and wildlife. We also visited a black sand beach at Piha, known for its surf, to admire the dramatic coastline.
I loved the tour. It was very comprehensive. The scenery was incredible. I recommend it 100%. The guides made it amazing; I saw wonderful things, and they really pampered us.
Piha Beach is an interesting place to visit, and the rainforest tour was very informative. Our guide, Erin, shared lots of interesting facts about the local environment and wildlife. Thanks to Erin for making the tour both educational and enjoyable!
Leon and Annie were wonderful and very knowledgeable guides. Absolutely beautiful sites that I highly recommend.
A worthy afternoon trip down the west coast.Iren was so knowledgeable ,I learned a lot and she is very friendly and welcoming too
Guide took us to some pretty places and gave us lots of information about the bush and the beach. She was a careful driver on the windy roads to Piha Beach
A day not to be missed! Piha Beach was breathtaking, the rainforest was interesting, and our guide (Mairi) was exceptional.
Leon and Alexander were excellent. Very knowledgeable and facilitated a really impressive tour. This was the highlight of our trip to Auckland. Must do.
Informative well paced tour. Great to see the forest and black sand beach. Steve was knowledgeable. Was cold and breezy down the beach but we soon warmed. Up with a hot drink.
Very good, and a pleasant guide , who told us a lot about the specific region, gave enough time in the various places to enjoy. I enjoyed in particular the bush walk
Friendly, well paced, customer oriented, very knowledgeable.
Guides were fabulous, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, views are spectacular, rain forest/birds... amazing
Of all the activities we joined in New Zealand, the day with Erin was our favorite. We enjoyed the black sand at Piha beach , yet the hikes were unforgettable! Erin taught us about the plants, birds , history and geography at every location. During the following days we could recognize various birds and plants on our own. We highly recommend this tour and suggest squeezing it in upon arrival to the Auckland area .
Staff was awesome, a lot of great information from Mairie, gave me great context on my second day in Auckland. Also it may be tour dependent, but we stopped at a place near the start of the tour where we could buy a grab and go lunch (with our own money)- I had just ate because I didn’t think we’d be eating, but just an FYI if you’re planning on going. Highly recommend the tour!
A day well spent! We learned a lot about the rainforest and efforts to save the natural habitat. Our guides were fun and experienced.
If you’re looking for a fun and insightful excursion that allowed for a cool afternoon exploring more of Auckland, I highly recommend this tour. Noel was our tour guide and didn’t miss a thing - information/insights, humor and wonderful thoughtful hospitality throughout the tour - thank you!!
Full day dress accordingly. Proper footwear, you will be at the beach! Trails and uneven surfaces will be present.
A great afternoon. Both guides were excellent and a good mix of rainforest and the black sands of Piha beach.
Knowledgeable guides, great walk in the rainforest, and a lovely time on the beach. It was an unforgettable experience!
Tour Guide Chris was very engaging ,knowledgable, and amusing Beautiful scenery and allowed us to witness the black sand and rainforest
Erin was my tour guide and she knew everything there was to know about New Zealand. This tour was the very last thing I did on my trip to New Zealand and Erin's knowledge about the country gave me an even deeper appreciation for my trip and the experiences I had. I learned so much and saw so many beautiful sites at the same time. Would definitely recommend this tour! Also, I did this tour during a 10 hour layover in Auckland and it was perfect.
Our tour was truly wonderful and exceeded our expectations. Destination was well planned, and the entire trip was smooth, enjoyable, and memorable. A special thank you to our tour guide for being knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and always ready to help.
This was an excellent experience- highly recommend! Good for solo travelers and would also thoroughly enjoy as a couple. Our guide (Marri) was exceptional and knew loads of details at each stop.
Great tour. Erin was a fantastic guide. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Nice stops along the way to soak up the all the beauty of New Zealand. Really love the rainforest tour and Piha Beach. Lots of interesting things and views to learn and see. Highly recommended if it's your first time visiting.
Good atmosphere, Erin is our tour guide and she’s very nice and responsible. It’s a good experience!
The tour was great. The guild was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The views was amazing and the transport was clean and very comfortable.
Beautiful tour! We had the best time and Ayla was an excellent guide. She gave us plenty of opportunities for pictures, she explained everything in great detail, and she was just super nice to boot! I highly recommend the tour. Also, the company notified me that they found my inhaler in their van (I hadn’t even noticed it was missing) and dropped it off at my hotel. What a great company!
Great tour with a very knowledge and insightful guide, especially with wild-life and native history, accompanied with some welcomed humor. The tour started with a brief snack stop before arriving at a welcome center for the Waitakere range. Here our guide gave us a brief tour and knowledge of the area before giving us brief free time for photos and exploration. Afterwards, we split into 2 groups for a hiking tour, where our guide gave very detailed information on every plant spotted, as well as wildlife including multiple Kereru sightings. We then met up together and drove to Piha beach, where we got an opportunity to take a "side entrance" to the end of the beach and walk towards Lion's Rock. Great photo opportunities and "free time" to enjoy the beach while walking back. Afterwards, treats and drinks were provided before the drive back. When we first arrived the beautiful viewpoint unfortunately had no parking, but our guide and driver gave us the 2nd opportunity on the way back to stop and get probably the best experience/views of the tour. Overall, a very worthwhile half-day trip outside of Auckland.
Highly recommend this tour for bush and beach life. Our guide Ayla was fantastic at explaining views, trees, plants and the beautiful biodiversity. There were spectacular views and walks through the bush and on the beach. Snacks and tea are also provided. Don’t hesitate to take this tour - it’s a special day.
Lovely experience! Great tour guides! I enjoyed the walk through the tropical forest and the beach..
Incredible experience with very experienced and knowledgeable guides (Kevin and Ian). My whole family thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
Immensely enjoyed walk through rain forest and stops along coast especially piha beach saw a number of amazing birds as well as amazing coastlines. Guide was very knowledgeable .Look forward to going back.
It was fabulous! We had no idea what to expect and have not done many guided tours but both the tour guides were fantastic. It was a perfect tour we stopped for meat pies which were great and enjoyed the beach, rain forest walk and all the views. The guides are knowledgeable without boring too with too much information. 10/10!
Great afternoon trip. Beautiful scenery, easy walking. Extra fun was seeing the large eels under the bridge after our rain forest hike!
This is a good way to spend an afternoon. Beautiful forest walk and a grand finale at the black sands of Piha Beach. Don't miss this. Great tour guide provided a couple of bonus stops.
Definitely bring decent walking/hiking shoes and a good camera. Mary was amazing! So nice, informative and very sweet. The tour guide makes the biggest impact on the tourist(s).
Traveled from auckland walked through rainforest guide was very knowledgeable in explaining different birds in rainforest. Traveled along coast ending at piha beach an absolutely stunning coastline where we enjoyed tea with honey highly recommend guide was excellent.
What a great day! Learned so much! Had no idea about kiwis not being reared by their parents once hatched!
It is a great trip with a friendly and knowledgeable guide in a comfortable Mercedes mini bus called Bush and Beach.
Absolutely the best tour ever! The scenery was spectacular. Erin and Leon were a wealth of information. 5 hours well spent. Worth every cent.
We did the afternoon tour, pickup at hotel, meet the main bus and off we go. Stop in a small village to pick up food if you needed any, and off to Arataki visitor center. Great views and time to look around. Then off to the rainforest hike which was great. Then Piha black sand beach. Amazing. Guides were knowledgeable and it was a great afternoon
It gives you a great overview of New Zealand including a little bit about the Maori and early settlers and their fervor for environmental preservation. Bush and Beach does not skimp on the experience with new, nice buses and both a driver and guide who were both native New Zealanders. The driver was even an environmental science teacher who helped with the rain forest walk.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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