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Takapuna & Milford Must-Do's
IMAGE ABOVE: Takapuna playground © Takapuna Business
Seaside Good Vibes - Everyone loves Takapuna, the gentrified seaside town with a lovely swimming beach, myriad of topnotch eateries, a pristine high street, playgrounds and deep sense of community spirit.
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Takapuna Beach - The locals frequent this long, golden stretch of sand morning, noon and night; come winter and summer, rain or shine. With top notch Rangitoto views, it’s a heavenly place for beach walks, socialising and swimming. There’s an excellent playground and Takapuna Beach Café is mere metres from the sand.
The Strand - Sitting opposite Takapuna Beach, a series of seafronting restaurants spill out onto terraces, affording spectacular beach views and beyond to ships on their way to and from Auckland, and Rangitoto Island.
Takapuna-Milford Heritage Walk - The shore-hugging Takapuna-Milford Heritage Walk (also known as the lava trail) requires a reasonably steady foot to navigate 2km of volcanic ledge, small bays and rocky outcrops.
Lake Pupuke - A fantastic place to picnic in summer, or enjoy a brisk, crisp walk in winter. This is a large lake, just 1km from central Takapuna, popular with dog walkers, windsurfers, kayakers and water-loving birdlife.
Takapuna Beach Sunday Market - Open every Sunday 6am- 12pm. Pick up your fruit, veges and baked goods, then top up on your bric-a-brac, handmade oils, crafts and soap.
Shopping - It’s a pleasure to languidly browse the shops and boutique stores along Hurstmere Road in this relaxed, beachy town, then to pop into Shore City Shopping Centre for high street brands, fashion and homeware.
The PumpHouse Theatre - This former water pumping station is now a thriving theatre venue. The calendar is packed with adult drama, musicals and children’s plays.
Smales Farm - Bringing together Auckland’s finest food and drink artisans, this is a modern melting pot of global flavours and culinary talent. Housed in a contemporary precinct, it’s part of a co-op of businesses and shared workspaces.