Devonport New Zealand in a day trip

If you would like to spend a few hours in a picturesque seaside village in New Zealand, not too far from the city, then Devonport is the place for you.  Built on the lava flows of a dormant volcano, it is just 12 minutes from Auckland by ferry, yet it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  Popular cafes and boutique shops fill Victorian buildings, while parks and beaches provide beautiful scenery to be enjoyed.  You can climb to the top of the dormant volcano for some magic views out over the water with the Auckland cityscape as a backdrop. 

Recently I visited New Zealand on a work trip.  Taking the opportunity to extend my stay by an extra night allowed me to have a day to explore a new place before I returned home.  After a rather hectic week at work, I opted to visit somewhere relaxed to unwind.  My research suggested that Devonport would fit that description, so I planned my day trip out for the Saturday, anticipating a visit to the picturesque village, and a climb to the top of the volcano for some great views out over Auckland Harbour. 

When I woke up on Saturday, the entire area around Auckland was covered in a thick blanket of fog.  I rolled my eyes and sighed.  The weather and I don’t really get along.  I waited for a little while to see if the sun was going to burn through the fog, but it didn’t look encouraging.  It was my one day to explore, so I decided to head out anyway and see what I could see. 

On the way to Devonport

I drove towards Devonport, stopping at Lake Pupuke in Sylvan Park on the way.  It was completely covered in a blanket of fog, and silent except for the occasional call from the black swans who were effortlessly gliding across the surface of the lake.  Apart from some moody misty photos of the shoreline, there was really nothing that could be seen. 

Continuing along, I stopped at some beaches to see if I could find a nice view, but that fog seemed to be set in. 

Devonport in the fog

I parked at Devonport just past the ferry terminal in Queens Parade.  The parking area is a short walk from the main shopping area of Devonport.  There’s a path that follows the waterfront all the way along from the Naval base to the Yacht Club.  From here you should be able to see across the water to Auckland city, but this morning all you could see was the fog resting on the water.  While I was looking out into the fog, a ferry toting visitors from Auckland appeared out of nowhere, as if by magic –  the sound of its approach being dampened by the fog.  

I found some lime scooters deployed near the ferry terminal, ready and waiting for would-be adventurers to hop on board. I had a lot of fun on lime scooters when I was in Paris, so I was happy to see them here in Devonport too!

Following the path takes you to Windsor Reserve – a popular park which joins on to Devonport beach.  The beach is protected by a small breakwater, also accessible from the path.  The sun had now started to shine through the fog in patches, but you still couldn’t see across the harbour to Auckland city. On the of the park is a massive old Moreton Bay Fig tree which looks like it has been there since the 1800’s.  A library of more recent vintage sits in the shade of this tree within the park.    

Victoria Road is the main road and boasts an interesting collection of shops and cafés that are nestled within stately Victorian-era buildings, some of them over 100 years old.  I wasn’t really there to shop though, and that fog was still hanging around spoiling my chances of a nice view from the top of Mount Victoria. Changing strategy, I decided to visit a café to do a little bit of nothing and enjoy a coffee. 

Wait – is that street art?

By the time I had finished my coffee, I could see the sun was now shining outside!  As I was leaving the café, I noticed some street art on a nearby wall. 

I love finding street art, so I went looking for some more examples on my way up to climb the volcano.  Like a kid playing hide and seek, I combed the village looking for some more Street Art in Devonport.  I ended up finding quite a few pieces and felt extremely pleased with my discoveries.  You can see more pictures of them in my post about Street Art in Devonport NZ.

Climbing a dormant volcano

All smiles now, I headed up to the top of Takarunga/Mount Victoria, which has an elevation of 87 metres.  The fog had finally cleared, revealing an amazing view back over the harbour and Auckland city from the top of the volcano.

Apart from a great view, there are a few interesting things on top of the mountain.  Firstly, a massive old and retired disappearing gun sits in its pit.  The idea being that the gun was hidden from view until such time as it was ready to be fired, and then it would be raised out of the pit to go to work.  Today, you can walk around the gun inside its hidden location. 

Secondly, there is a field of red and white polka dot mushrooms up there on the slope that overlooks Rangitoto Island.  (Someone’s idea for dealing with exhaust ventilation pipes that break through the ground here.) 

The last thing that is on the summit is a couple of 3D metal maps of Devonport and the surrounding area. 

About halfway down the mountain, you will see the old Signalman’s House dating back to 1898 that has been restored.  It is now used as a writer’s residence – The Michael King Writer’s Centre.  Here writers can retreat to the house to work on their projects while receiving a small allowance from a trust account that was set up to support their work. 

Lime around town

Back down in the village again I decided to take a Lime scooter for a run. I thought this would be perfect for doing a bit of zooming around in the suburban streets to see the beautiful old weatherboard houses in the neighbourhood. 

Plus, scooters for adults – so, why not?!? Click To Tweet

Lunch in the Arcade

After all this activity, I was ready to have some of the acclaimed fish and chips on the beach.  I found a nice little shop with pictures of the fish that I could order.  And then I saw the “cash only” sign.  I’d been in New Zealand for a week and I hadn’t needed any cash.  I wasn’t about to get some out now on the last day!  So I just went into “The Arcade” which is in one of the Victorian Buildings on Victoria Road.  I found an interesting antique alcove inside the arcade, which had been decorated as the seating area for a Turkish restaurant.  It looked like the ovens, or kilns of a 100 year old bakery had been preserved when they were designing The Arcade.  These sort of quirky settings attract me like a moth to a flame, so Turkish food it was!

Handmade Chocolates

To finish up my time in Devonport, I visited Devonport Chocolates.  These handcrafted chocolates are extremely tasty, and yes my friends, also gluten-free. (There are only a couple that are not, and they have these listed on the menu)   All the flavours were distinctive and amazing.  My absolute favourite was the Mango Passionfruit!  

Overall, I spent about three hours in Devonport.  If you are a keen shopper, then you might want to take a bit more time.  Next time I’m in Devonport I think I’ll take some cash and get those ‘fish n chips’ to eat on the beach! 

Booking.com

Postscript:

On my way back to the apartment, I stopped in at Lake Pupuke again, since the sun was out now I thought it would be nice to actually see it.  I’m glad I did – what a difference a little sunshine makes to a scene!   There were so many black swans on this lake, more than I have ever seen in one place at the same time.  Walking to the end of the lake I saw that there was a conservation area preserved as a breeding ground for the birds.  People were out on the lake with their windsurfers, catamarans, and stand-up paddleboards.  It was lovely to sit outside in the sunshine for a while and watch all the activity on the lake in the afternoon.  If you take a drive to Devonport, I do recommend stopping in at the lake for a little while.