The Duder Regional Park is our destination for the day. Duder is on the Pohutukawa Coast where the red flowers of the Pohutukawa tree light up the beaches in early summer.

What is amazing about this tour, is that in a matter of minutes, we'll be all of a sudden out of the noise and bustle of Auckland city and transported to a place of peace, lush rural landscapes and magnificent marine views as a backdrop.

Pine Harbour Marina is our first stop for the day with beautiful views of Rangitoto Island through the masts. Then we go to the small town of Beachlands and check life at the wharf.

Next stop is Omana Beach. We'll leave the vehicle for a while, and take a walk to Maraetai beach. It's a beautiful short coastal walk that follows the sea with fantastic sea views past the small harbour and boat ramp. The Jetty at Maraetai Beach is always bustling and provides good photo opportunities.

Photo Opportunities: The Pohutukawa Coast Pine Harbour Marina The Omana Beach Walk Maraetai Beach and Jetty The Duder Park shore and beaches The Duder Park Rolling Hills Expansive views from Whakakawhara Point Seascapes from the trail Bird Life Sheep and other farm animals

After a short drive on a road that hugs the Pohutukawa lined coastline we reach the Duder Regional Park.

The Duder trail takes about 3 hours to complete. Its not an arduous walk and requires a moderate level of fitness. There are shorter trails, however, the photo opportunities and visual rewards of completing the full loop of the trail are well worth the effort.

If the tide is low, we'll start our walk by the beach that follows the peninsula shoreline. It's a rewarding leisurely walk with splendid sea views and bird life encounters with pied shag (kāruhiruhi), white-faced heron, South Island pied oystercatcher (tōrea), pied stilt (poaka), godwit (kuaka) and gulls (tarapunga).

Closer to the tip, we make a steep ascent all the way to the ridge and follow it to the Whakakaiwhara Point. The 360 degree views from the tip of the point are truly exhilarating.

We stay a while taking it all in, enjoying the moment and photographing as it is really difficult to leave this magic place,,,,

Later on. we continue on the trail that follows the rolling hills and peninsula outline with some of the best coastal views in the Auckland region, and close encounters with sheep and Pukekos. At the end of the trail we stop to learn about the Duder sustainable farming methods.

As all good things come to an end, we leave for our trip back to Auckland.

Depending on season, weather and your personal preferences our itinerary may change.

Pohutukawa Coast

Named after the Pohutukawa trees which grow along the cliff tops, the trees provide a stunning backdrop to the area, particularly at Christmas time when spectacular red flowers bloom, heralding the start of the festive season.

Omana

Omana is the shorthand version of O-Manawatere ("the dwelling place of Manawatere") Tradition records that the ancestor Ngai Tai traveled from the Pacific homeland not by canoe, but by gliding over the waves on a Taniwha.

Taniwha

Supernatural creatures – some terrifying, others protective – are legendary in Maori tradition. They lurked in watery dens, or in caves, and were often depicted as dragons or serpents, with fiery eyes and lashing tails.

Maraetai

Maraetai means "A meeting place by the sea". The Ngai Tai tribe that descended from the people of the Tainui canoe, settled in Maraetai.

Whaka-kai-whara

This was the first place in the Waitemata Harbour to be visited by Tainui canoe. Its crew went ashore and harvested forest foods, which led to the peninsula's name - Whaka-kai-whara meaning ' to eat the bracts of the kiekie vine'.

Duder

The Duder Regional Park takes its name from the Duder family that farmed this land since 1866.

Thomas Duder, a survivor of the HMS Buffalo wreck (1840), bought the 243-hectare property from NgaiTai. His descendants farmed the property until it was sold to the Auckland Regional Council and became a regional park in 1995.