Devonport’s Village and Volcanic Peaks: An Auckland Walking Tour

Devonport isn’t just a pretty seaside village. It’s one of Auckland’s oldest and most surprising neighbourhoods. On this walking tour, you’ll get to know this charming suburb, where volcanoes, Victorian villas, Māori history, and maritime legends collide.

The tour starts at Devonport Ferry Terminal, Auckland’s oldest transport route since 1860. You’ll make your way to Mount Victoria (Takarunga), an 87-meter volcanic cone that offers spectacular harbor views. From here, you’ll get a sense of Auckland’s volcanic landscape, with whimsical mushroom-shaped vents hiding the remains of an 1890s water reservoir. You’ll continue to Mount Cambria Reserve, once a volcanic peak quarried away for building materials, before winding through Church Street and past Holy Trinity Church.

You’ll experience Devonport’s cultural side too, from the Michael King Writers Centre in the historic Signalman’s House to the Vic, the southern hemisphere’s oldest purpose-built cinema. The tour ends with a picturesque stroll along King Edward Parade and past Devonport Yacht Club to Devonport Beach, where Aucklanders have been swimming since Victorian times.

Along the way, you’ll have the chance to:

• Visit Devonport Library, near the site where New Zealand women became some of the first in the world to cast their votes in 1893
• Appreciate Victoria Road’s heritage buildings and marvel at Old Albert, the massive Moreton Bay Fig tree planted here in 1893
• Take in Māori history at Takarunga, with its ancient terraced gardens and strategic position overlooking the Waitematā Harbour
• Admire the Untidy Soldier war memorial, depicting a New Zealand soldier with unbuttoned tunic and untied bootlaces
• See the historic Devonport Domain, home to North Shore Rugby Football Club, one of New Zealand’s oldest rugby clubs, founded in 1873
• Observe naval artifacts like the 22-yard measuring chain near the Devonport Yacht Club, once used by surveyors, and see the village’s iconic Alison Clock
• Learn how Devonport declared itself a nuclear-free zone in 1981, sparking a national movement

By the end of this 60-75 minute walk through Devonport’s tree-lined streets, you’ll have discovered why locals proudly call it “the fine village.“
Your guide David, a Devonport local for over 20 years, will lead you on a three-kilometer journey through its famous landmarks, hidden stories, and naval history.