Lake Wainamu and its Dunes, a genuinely  amazing and diverse half day trip, I can whole heatedly recommend to all if visiting Auckland!  

Catching my breath, I reach the top. It’s high! – but dunes just being a pile of sand, I find it hard to gauge the height. My work colleagues are small dots though. Running across the crest of the dune, I gradually work my way back down to the river and the others. Wading through…

Down the valley, a river following the dunes, they rise above you like a giant wave of sand. I climb up the side of the dune, having to dig my hands into the sides as well as feet, the soft sand and steep gradient giving one the feeling they could tumble back at any stage.

We hit the lake side, and then make a gradual climb up the hill beside it. Some of this land is still in private ownership, and the track access gifted to the local council for the use of the people (and visitors) of Auckland. As we hit a gate at the top of the climb,…