Stokes Point Reserve | Auckland

This small historic headland is dwarfed by the Auckland Harbour bridge. Kids will love the cars rumbling just metres above them.

This vantage spot was occupied for many centuries and remnants of the pā site can still be seen today. The boardwalk from the car park crosses the village’s defensive ditch and leads to a waka-shaped pou whenua that acknowledges the gods, future leaders and community.

Māori who lived here enjoyed a rich diet including shellfish, berries, kūmara and fish – especially shark. In the mid-1800s the site and surrounding area was purchased by the Government and subdivided. The Auckland Harbour Bridge was built in the late 1950s and has overshadowed this historic site. The headland has shrunk in size due to erosion from water sluicing off the bridge while it was being cleaned.

Te Ōnewa was the name given to the wider area while the point itself was referred to as Tōtara-tahi/One tōtara tree in 1908. Subsequently, the point has been called Point Rough, Stokes Point and Northcote Point

EXTENDED ADVENTURE
Take the small footpath down to the mothballed Northcote Point wharf for an alternative view of the bridge. Includes steps.

Accessibility: Well graded short boardwalk to lookout. Allow 15 minutes to soak up the views.
How to get there: Plenty of parking at the end of Princes Street on Northcote Point.