Wilderness Tour

February 25, 2025

I was scheduled to do the Wilderness Tour with Bush & Beach tours (I'm not affiliated with them) back in 2023, but the terrible flood and then Cyclone Gabriel, caused massive devastating damage to the Piha area, including cutting off the road. Many people lost homes from flooding or due to landslides. It was absolutely catastrophic. I just want to acknowledge the pain and loss of those that lost everything. 

Now for my experience on the Wilderness Tour, the first stop of the afternoon was to The Mill Bakehouse in Titirangi, about 30 minutes from central Auckland. We were encouraged to try their meat pies. Meat pies are a big thing in New Zealand. You're supposed to eat them like a hamburger. Whatever we ordered we were supposed to take it and eat it on the bus. I got a mince pie. They only gave us one napkin and it wasn't enough. They were good but quite messy.

Our next stop was about 10 minutes further at the Waitakere Rainforest. Upon entering, we were immediately bombarded by the intense chorus of cicadas. 

After walking through the ferns, manuka, and kauri trees we headed into the Arataki Visitor Center.

This post carved by tribal elders is one of the larges in New Zealand. It's 36ft/11m kauri pou (post) depicts the ancestors of iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki. It affirms their mana and guardianship of the ‘Great Forest of Tiriwā' (Waitākere Ranges). 

There's a wealth of information inside and small gift shop. It also has a great view out back.

Last, but not least, was Piha Beah, on the Tasman Sea. This was the highlight for me. It's a massive black sand beach made from volcanic rock. The sand is magnetic due to its rich iron content. It gets super hot in the sun and is very sparkly.

We were blessed with a sunny day and low tide - this made visiting the Keyhole and Blue Pool accessible - which were awesome!

Generally, this is a beach for surfing, it's actually a renowned surf spot. So, that means that it is usually pretty dangerous to swim here. 

Piha from the lookout above.

Piha Keyhole Tunnel, looks like a portal in this pic!

Piha Blue Pool

Before getting back on the bus we were treated to cold drinks, cookies, and mānuka honey. Mānuka is unique to New Zealand is revered for its healing, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties.