Home to Auckland Airport, Mangere is a sprawling suburb on the northeastern shore of Manukau Harbour. It’s named after one of Auckland’s largest volcanic cones, Mangere Mountain, and is renowned for its multicultural population. It’s home to several marae meeting houses and farms selling fresh produce, as well as waterfront recreational trails designed for hikers and mountain bikers.
Things to do in Mangere
If you’re visiting during the summer months, don’t miss a visit to the Strawberry Farm where you can enjoy fresh punnets of strawberries and strawberry-flavoured desserts. Also nearby is the Ambury Farm, a working establishment that offers interactive encounters with a variety of resident animals such as dairy cows, pigs and lambs.
Travelling with kids? They’ll love the Manukau Live Steamers, a miniature railway attraction that features steam, diesel and electric locomotives. Enjoy a ride on the 850-metre-long Hill Track, which includes a viaduct and curving tunnel, or experience the tree-framed stadium of Mangere Centre Park along the 1.2-kilometre-long Park Track.
Travellers looking to stretch their legs on a stopover at Auckland Airport can head to the Esplanade, a circular landscaped walking trail that links the airport to Abbeville Estate. Also nearby is the Sculpture Park where large-scale works by New Zealand artists are exhibited. Auckland Airport is also home to the Runway Mountain Park, which boasts around five kilometres of trails for both beginner and intermediate mountain bikers.
Getting around Mangere
Mangere is a 20-minute drive from the centre of Auckland and just five minutes from the terminal buildings of Auckland Airport. Several bus routes connect Mangere with Auckland’s CBD and the surrounding suburbs while passenger trains on the Southern and Eastern lines stop at nearby Middlemore railway station.