Much work has been done to repair tracks around Auckland, though before you head out, check Akl Paths to see whether the track you want to walk is open.

The Arataki Visitor Centre opens on 2 December and you can already walk the Arataki Nature Trail. Enter this 40-minute walk through a tunnel that goes under the road.

Half an hour north of Helensville, Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park, South Head is situated along the eastern coast of Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula. Start from Omokoiti Bay, to see a series of carefully crafted ponds that were used as fresh-water prawn farms in the 1980s. You can also see oystercatchers, herons and godwits along the shoreline at the right time of year.

The walking tracks are open in Hunua Ranges Regional Park. Try Massey Loop or Wairoa Loop, or create your own walk linking the extensive networks of tracks.

Whakakaiwhara Peninsula in Duder Regional Park has four walks, some with almost-360-degree views, including the 30-minute coastal walk to Umupuia Beach which can only be done at low tide.

Mahurangi West offers sheltered bays, native bush, open pastures and historic sites. Further north is Tāwharanui Regional Park. For the full beach, bush, wetland and farmland experience, go on the two-hour Ecology Trail.

More here.

Image: Auckland Council