A STRAIGHT TALKING NEW ZEALAND LIFESTYLE BLOG

May 15, 2013

Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland

Waitawa Regional Park in Auckland is one of the newest Regional Parks for the city…it’s also quite close to where I grew up so we took advantage of this fact and took daddy’s new car (a Plymouth Fury…if you’re into classic cars) for a drive or two to check out Waitawa Regional Park.

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

I should point out that daddy doesn’t like to take the car out if it’s going to rain…and he’d just had it polished for a princely sum of $200 (Dad jokes that this car is going to eat up our inheritance!)…the weather was playing ball one evening and we headed out for a drive along the coast just before dusk…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…and we took a few photos…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…normal, sensible photos that you’re use to seeing of my family of course…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…nothing crazy!

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

As this was our first visit to Waitawa Regional Park, we didn’t know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised about how beautiful the views were over the coastline from different spots in the Park.  It’s not far away from Duder Regional Park which is located between Clevedon and Maraetai if you fancy checking out a couple of Auckland’s Regional Parks in one day….Hunua Falls is my other favourite spot in the area but a distance from these two parks.

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

We stopped off on the way home at Clevedon for an ice-cream…classic kiwi flavours, Orange Chocolate Chip and Goody Goody Gum Drops…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…you can’t leave New Zealand without trying these flavours…it’s considered a sin and you’ll never be let back into the country.

Of course we washed the ice cream down with a bit of Whittakers chocolate (the best chocolate in the world…Nigella loves it as well…she probably seductively licks the wrapper!)…I was catching up on a lot of Kiwi goodness…and check out the packaging…it matches the seats of the Fury.

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

Dad hooned through the streets…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…he may have dropped a wheelie and was told off by mummy in the back seat who was still crapping bricks as the car is just a tad too big for her…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…she may have gotten over this fear and took it for a drive around a car park recently…only to be stopped by the police for chat as they thought she had stolen the car….my mum, the smiling car stealing criminal who giggles too much.

We decided to head back to Waitawa Regional Park after our South Island road trip to enjoy an Autumn Picnic at the beach…it was swarming with folks (not!)...

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…for some reason I don’t have many photos of our picnic bar one of Lisa reading and mum prepping the buns (sorry Wally!).

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

After our picnic scoff-fest…I had a walk along the coast, checking out the bird life…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…from a distance as I’m afraid of birds…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…and enjoying how mild autumns and winters are in Auckland (they are slightly more golden in Arrowtown in the South Island)…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…I went to find Daddy who was fishing…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…there were quite a few families out fishing as it was Easter Monday…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…the wharf offers great views over Kawakawa Bay and the waters around this area were known as the Waka Highway many moons ago…a Maori Pa used to sit on this piece of land.

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

Waitawa Regional Park was opened to the public a few years ago as it was used to manufacture and store explosives in the 1950’s…weird but true for little old Green New Zealand but there you go…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…it was decommissioned and can now be enjoyed by you and me!

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

Dad and G were not fish whisperers that day…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…we left empty handed fish wise but we took all our rubbish home with us as we’re tidy kiwis!  Make sure you do the same if you’re visiting New Zealand.

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

I think it’s safe to say that the Fury was used a lot during our stay including to take us to the airport due to our copious amounts of luggage…G bought quite a few pieces of clothing…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…Dad took us for a drive out to Maraetai which is just a bit further around the coast from Waitawa Regional Park and offers fabulous views over to Rangitoto Island…

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…an Auckland icon!

We took some photos of the Plymouth Fury in the autumn sunshine….

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

…with the blue sparkling water behind it!

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

New Zealand Travel InspirationAn Autumn Picnic at Waitawa Regional Park, Auckland. Auckland is a fabulous city but you have to find the hidden gems that aren't in the travel guides. #newzealand #beautifuldestinations #auckland #aucklandnewzealand #80pairsofshoes #travel

xx


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