Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland, Auckland

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A canyoning trip is a really exciting way to try adventure travel. We booked a trip with AWOL Adventures. We did the Piha Canyon full day trip. The canyon is located in the Waitakere Park Ranges. It's a 40 minute drive from downtown Auckland. The trip consists of abseiling under waterfalls, jumping, sliding and going through caves to explore the canyon.

AWOL picks you up for the trip and provides the gear- wetsuits, harnesses and helmets.

The experience was incredible. It is both exciting and scarey when you step off the cliff and lean back to start abseiling to the bottom. I've never tried anything close to this before.

Lunch and a snack was provided. Nothing fancy but it does the job.

The trip also includes a stop at Piha Beach where you can check out the black sand beach.

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On our canyoning tour we stopped at Piha Beach to check out the black sand which was pretty cool. I think this is a famous surf beach. The water is very rough and if you are not careful you will get dragged out to sea.

This isn't worth making a special trip to see but if you go canyoning with AWOL the stop is included.

we spent my last day driving through here. sat outside for lunch, and ended up back in Auckland in time to take in the top of Mt. Victoria and its views...

this photo is just of the fern fronds, all curled up, which is a New Zealand symbol!

This Place you have to see when you are in Auckland, easy to reach, just about 1 1/2 hours from Auckland city in the west.

So big big beaches with nearly no people, really great.

And also the forrest there, very impressive.

Regional park was formed in 1940 and is 180 km3. Part of the ranges have been selectively logged. These area are regenerating naturally over the last 70 years.