A trip to Auckland, New Zealand would be incomplete without enjoying a 360 degrees view of Auckland city’s panoramic skyline. To do so, I visited Mount Eden (Maungawhau) in Auckland, one of the region’s 48 volcanic cones.
Standing tall at 196 metres above sea level, Mount Eden is the highest natural point in Auckland – the perfect spot for sightseeing or stargazing! What’s more, it is a free attraction – certainly an activity that is not to be missed! 😀
Getting to Mount Eden by Public Transport (via Regular Metro Bus)
Auckland city, New Zealand has one of the most convenient and affordable public transport services in the world. Getting from one place to another via bus, train or taxi is pretty much stress-free and easy. Britomart Transport Centre connects every destination located within or outside of the city.
The cheapest way to get to Mount Eden, Auckland is by bus. For your info, there are 2 types of bus services that one can take to Mount Eden – the regular bus or express bus. As I was not in a hurry, I chose to travel via the regular bus.
From the bus stop located at Commerce St near Galway St off Britomart Transport Centre, I took the Metro bus number 274 to Mount Eden Village. Metro bus number 277 also travels from Britomart Transport Centre to Mount Eden Village. There is a bus every 15 minutes during weekdays, and every 30 minutes during the weekends. The bus services operate from 7am to 7 pm daily. The fare is $1.80 one way using my AT HOP card. 🙂
An Enjoyable Bus Ride & a Scenic Steep Walk Up Mount Eden
What can I say, I enjoyed the approximately 20 minutes bus ride from Auckland’s city centre to Mount Eden. Once I got off the bus at Mount Eden Village bus stop, I slowly made my way up Mount Eden on foot. It was certainly a scenic walk up the sacred mountain as I passed by lush greenery, pretty blooming blossoms and beautiful cottage houses.
Truth be told, it was not an easy or a difficult walk up Mount Eden – it was moderate. I actually underestimated the difficulty of the walk up the mountain, thinking it would be an easy peasy task. Boy, I was wrong! The mountain is steep in certain places and I found myself struggling to breathe, probably suffering from the effects of the cold and high altitude.
For some reason, gravity seems to be unforgiving in New Zealand! 😛 In fact, scaling Mount Eden gave me a taste of what that is to come and started my epic fitness and endurance saga in New Zealand! Hint: Mount Maunganui, Tongariro Apline Crossing, Pinnacles Peak, Cathedral Cove, and more.
A Spectacular 360° Panoramic View of Auckland City Skyline & Volcanic Cone
For every challenge that we face, we will be able to reap its reward. That said, the summit of Mount Eden offers a spectacular 360° panoramic view of Auckland city skyline and the impressive volcanic cone. Everywhere I look, the view is nothing but impressive especially the one with Auckland’s Sky Tower in the background.
I managed to take several panoramic photos on the summit for memories. There is one thing that every visitor to Mount Eden should know and that is there are strong winds blowing at the summit from time to time depending on the season. I was almost blown away by a gust of strong wind and could barely walk or even take a steady photo when the wind was blowing!
The average time a visitor spends on Mount Eden is about 30 minutes to an hour, sometimes longer if one is a photographer or someone who loves taking photos like me. Several visitors were seen having a picnic by the sides of the crater too. By the way, no vehicles are allowed to the summit of Mount Eden to protect and preserve its unique natural landscape from damages.
In a nutshell, I had a memorable and wonderful time at Mount Eden, Auckland. 😀
Up next: A visit to the iconic Rangitoto volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland