About Activity
Discover Auckland’s wild west coast on a private journey through the Waitākere Ranges to Karekare Falls and the dramatic black sands of Piha Beach.
Begin at Arataki Visitor Centre, with sweeping views across native rainforest, reservoirs and the Tasman coast. Explore the viewing decks, capture stunning panoramic photos, and learn about the cultural heritage and biodiversity of the ranges.
Visit Karekare Falls, tucked among native rainforest, with a short bush walk to the waterfall. Enjoy locally sourced kawakawa tea sweetened with native New Zealand honey before continuing to Piha Beach.
Walk the volcanic black sand, take in the Tasman Sea and surrounding cliffs, and hear how Lion Rock and this rugged coastline were formed. With a relaxed pace, there’s time for photos, short walks and additional stops along the way.
Travel in comfort in a Mercedes-Benz V-Class luxury minivan, exclusively for your group, with convenient pickup and drop-off in Auckland CBD or at the cruise terminal.
Includes
- Enjoy a cup of locally sourced kawakawa tea sweetened with native New Zealand honey.
- Bottled water
- Explore Karekare Falls, a beautiful 30-metre waterfall hidden within the lush ancient rainforest.
- Visit Arataki Visitor Centre - A chance to enjoy the panoramic views and explore the visitor centre.
- Time to walk the iconic Piha black sand beach
- Please let us know if you are travelling with children under 7 years of age so we can provide a suitable safety seat. We will need the age, height and weight of each child under 7.
- Travel in comfort with your personal guide in a modern, air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz V-Class minivan
- Scenic photo stops - Panoramic views across the Waitākere Ranges and Piha’s dramatic coastline.
Excludes
- Airport pick ups or drop-offs are not included in this tour.
- Personal expenses — Any purchases made during the tour are not included.
- Gratuities
- Meals, snacks, and beverages are not included unless specifically mentioned.
Departure Point
- Please be ready at your confirmed pickup location and clearly visible to your guide at least 5 minutes before departure.
Hotel pickups:
Wait inside the main hotel lobby, near the entrance, so your guide can easily locate you.
Cruise/Port pickups:
Please wait at the designated passenger pickup zone and keep an eye out for your guide.
What to bring:
Comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a light rain jacket.
Stop At: Arataki Visitor Centre - Waitakere Ranges Stop at Arataki Visitor Centre for some of the best views over the Waitākere Ranges and out towards the Tasman Sea. Take a wander around the viewing decks, have a look at the impressive Māori carvings, and learn a little about the area’s natural and cultural history. It’s also a good spot for a quick bathroom stop before we continue down to the west coast.
Stop At: Karekare Falls Explore Karekare Falls, a beautiful 30-metre waterfall hidden within the lush Waitākere Ranges. Take a short rainforest walk to the falls, then relax with locally sourced kawakawa tea sweetened with Native New Zealand honey — a unique taste of New Zealand surrounded by ancient native forest.
Stop At: Piha Beach At Piha Beach, step onto Auckland’s iconic black-sand coastline and take in the dramatic west coast scenery. Learn how the volcanic sand was formed, explore the shoreline, and enjoy views of Lion Rock and the rugged cliffs. There’s plenty of time for photos, fresh sea air, and soaking up Piha’s wild coastal atmosphere.
Specialized infant seats are available Public transportation options are available nearby Suitable for all physical fitness levels Please let us know if you are travelling with children under 7 years of age so we can provide a suitable safety seat. We will need the age, height and weight of each child under 7. Travellers must be able to safely enter and exit a standard vehicle without assistance. Operated by Your Kiwi Tour For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
Wonderful tour!annkX6311OI
Wonderful tour! We booked this last minute because we didn’t want a full day adventure but still wanted to see some great sights. Our guide, Louise, was amazing! So knowledgeable, friendly and flexible with adjusting the tour to what we wanted. We decided to see Karekare falls though Mount Eden was also an option. The falls were stunning! It truly was spectacular to see and so nice to have Louise guide us instead of navigating ourselves. Highly recommend this tour and guide!
Perfect half day tour. Leanne_B
Our tour with Louise was exactly what we were hoping for. A beautiful drive out to Piha Beach with a stop at the visitor center with gorgeous views. Louise was friendly and knowledgeable. A great driver with a comfortable and very clean SUV. She also arranged a lovely cup of tea on the beach for us. Highly recommend her tour!
Private car tourbrendacX5744TQ
Apr 14, 2026, 10:10:38 PM A wonderful tour west of Auckland. Guide was excellent. Knew area and history. Careful Driver and took up to waterfall with stop for native fruit and tea. Truly a great experience
The Perfect Guide for a Perfect DayEscape26360798200
Apr 13, 2026, 12:05:31 AM We had an absolutely wonderful day with Louise. She tailored the entire day to our wishes and made sure we experienced exactly what we were hoping for. Throughout the tour she shared so many interesting insights about New Zealand, which made everything even more enjoyable and meaningful.
Her knowledge, warmth, and flexibility made the day truly special. It honestly could not have been more perfect.
We would be more than happy to meet her again on our next trip—and we’d love to invite her for a beer then :)
Great half day tourRelax05823155116
Mar 17, 2026, 12:27:45 AM Louise was able to provide a comfortable private tour for my husband and I on our last day of New Zealand. It was nice having such a well informed guide who knew the land so well take us around some places we wanted to see in Auckland. We were able to take a stop at some beaches, stop for tea at a waterfall, and visit the Regional park in the area. It was great having a tour all to ourselves and no microphones needed. She’s such a chill person too. When we come back to NZ hope she’s still touring to do another excursion with us! Would book again.
Awesome professional tour, the highlight of our stay in Auckland!SamGr
Amazing tour, super knowledgable, friendly, and accomodating guide, a true professional. Excellent vehicle. Super highly recommend!
Louise was a wonderful...Jonathan_B
Louise was a wonderful guide, very informative & knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Best Tour GroupF2596WCkimm
Fantastic tour! We had a great morning touring the West Coast with Louise.
She is extremely knowledgeable and provided options to our tour that were beyond what we expected. We highly recommend Your Kiwi Tour.
Perfect tour with Louise. Spent an incredible half day with her where she showed us various sites on the west coast. She ended up taking us to the Muriwai gannett colony which wasn’t something we had planned but ended up being such an incredible highlight! Only with a local like Louise would we have even know about this so it was perfect! We even had time after the west coast tour that she was able to take us to Mt Eden which saved us another tour! Fabulous way to see the west coast of NZ! Would highly recommend to see the west coast.
Perfect Half-day tour!Curiosity62119287644
This was a fabulous tour! Louise provided a personalized tour to the west coast which included a stop at the Muriwai Takapu colony, which wasn’t even something we would have been aware of without her extensive knowledge. Seeing this was such a highlight! She provided such great insights. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a half day adventure!
Knowledgeable and FriendlyP6314JLlindaj
We spent a wonderful afternoon touring the West Coast with Louise. She catered to our interest and had a wealth of information. She was a great driver and enthusiastic about her job. I will refer her to anyone going to Auckland!
Absolutely the best!SamGr
What an outstanding and wonderful tour: Louise was so informative, personable, and just the perfect guide! She answered every question about life in New Zealand, and provided insights that made visiting the sites so meaningful. So many "wows"! We saw everything we planned and more, and never felt rushed. I wish we had her for our entire trip! The vehicle was spacious, spotless, and very comfortable. Don't think twice, book with Your Kiwi Tour!!
Coastal Experience Janet_C
This was an incredible tour of the areas surrounding Auckland. If you live the beauty of nature and animals, this is a great tour. So peaceful watching the gannets fly and best. Our tour guide, Louse, was personable, informative, accommodating, and fun!
Coastal BeautyJ-S131124495
We loved this tour! Seeing the beautiful coastline and watching the gannet birds was an exciting way to spend a half day tour. Our tour guide, Louise, was informative, personable, accommodating, funny, and enthusiastic about the places we visited. We would certainly take this tour again using Louse as our favorite guide.
Wonderful experience at Piha. Janet_N
Our guide, Louise, was amazing! She was very knowledgeable about all things Auckland and New Zealand! On the drive to and from Piha Beach, she gave us a great education on culture, history, peoples, geology, geography, plants, and economy. We gained a real appreciation for New Zealand! We lucked out with a beautiful sunny day at the beach. The black sand is so soft and Lion rock is impressive. It was a very worthwhile afternoon.
Brill day outjuliecV1570FD
An amazing afternoon with the wonderful host Louise who was super friendly and full of interesting facts. Def made my visit to Auckland special.
Thanks Lou
Feb 22, 2026, 12:35:05 AM It was a perfect trip, you can specify what you want to see.
You also showed us many beautiful Panorama views.
The driver was excellent.
