Tahi
Tahi is a private day tour from Auckland into the Waitākere Ranges and West Coast — kauri rainforest, native birds, waterfalls, and the black-sand beaches of Karekare and Piha. Your day includes Auckland pickup, a private guide and a gourmet picnic, with the route shaped around your group.
7.5 hours
Typical duration
We’ll pick you up anywhere in Auckland, 9am or as otherwise agreed.
We’ll drop you back at 4.30pm (or as otherwise agreed)
Departure point and timing
Some groups want to hike all day. Others want shorter walks, a swim and time to explore. We’ll choose the combination that suits you.
Hikes
Arataki Visitor Centre
Waterfall / beach swim
Experiences
Gourmet picnic in a forest setting.
Food (included)
Please enquire. Not included in standard tour
Lunch/Dinner at Aryeh, a fine dining restaurant in Piha
Lunch/Dinner at The Olive, a relaxed, Mediterranean inspired restaurant
Sunset hike / sundowner at the Mercer Loop.
Additional Options
Tell us the day you’re after. We’ll build the route for you.
Hiking options
Easy - three or four short walks of 10 to 45 minutes, around 5km in total, on formed tracks with the car never far away. Karekare Waterfall, the Arataki Nature Walk, Te Piringa, Kitekite Falls, Mercer Bay Loop.
Medium - one longer walk with one or two shorter ones. Around 8–10km and 300m of climbing, with time left for a swim and a long lunch. Options are Ōmanawanui or Zion Hill
Adventurous - 15–16km and up to 800m of ascent, walking most of the day. Comans and Mercer Bay Loop, or the Montana Trail.
Most groups land in the middle. No hiking experience is needed for any of it.
Where the land runs out
Late in the day we generally swap the rainforest for the clifftops above Te Unuhanga-a-Rangitoto / Mercer Bay.
The track runs along the clifftop, 2.3km, about an hour and a quarter. Below you the Tasman Sea batters the black-sand beach as it has for thousands of years.
It's a good place to finish, and an even better one at sunset
Experiences
The Arataki Visitor Centre sits in the heart of the Waitākere Ranges and, along with some of the best views of the forest, provides detailed information about the area's history and cultural and ecological landscape. The building itself has an 11m kauri pou (post) which depicts the ancestors of iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki. This reaffirms their mana and guardianship of the ‘Great forest of Tiriwā' (Waitākere Ranges).
Swimming is possible at the base of a waterfall or between the flags (lifeguard- monitored) at Piha beach, weather permitting.
Food
Lunch somewhere worth stopping for. Gourmet New Zealand picnic included.
Restaurant and dining experiences available as an additional option.
Additional options
Here are some additional options which we can include in the itinerary.
gourmet lunch / dinner at Aryeh in Piha, a fine dining Auckland restaurant serving innovative cuisine with an Aotearoa influence.
lunch / dinner at The Olive, relaxed Mediterranean inspired dining, nestled in the Waitākere Ranges.
finish the day with a sunset hike (or drink) on the Mercer loop.
Please enquire before you book so that we can customise your day for you.
Pricing
Standard day
Length
~7.5 hours
Adults (16 or older)
NZ$750
Children (3 - 15 yrs)
NZ$375
Free
Infants (0 -2 yrs)
Minimum two guests.
Included:
Auckland pick up and return
Private tour guided by Paul
Gourmet picnic lunch
Pricing may differ for customised tours. Please enquire directly with us.
Example Itinerary
This is an example, not a fixed itinerary. Your actual day will be agreed around your group.
Auckland pickup
9:00 am
Arataki Visitor Centre
9:30 am
Arataki Nature Trail to see 500-year-old kauri trees
10:00 am
Coffee and walk on Karekare beach
11:00 am
Short walk and then picnic at Karekare Waterfall
12:00 pm
Te Piringa walk through a valley of native trees (including kauri, kahikatea, rimu and tōtara). Spot native birds (kererū, tūī and pīwakawaka)
1:00 pm
Mercer Bay Loop with clifftop views of the Tasman Sea.
2:30 pm
Arrive back in Auckland.
4:30 pm
We take one group per day, so dates are limited. If you have fixed travel dates, book or enquire early.
Tour FAQs
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It’s completely customisable. Tell us about your group (fitness, interests, how long you've got) and we'll shape the day around that.
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The standard day has a published from-price, per person, minimum 2 guests. A longer or custom day is quoted directly once we know what you're after - please contact us to discuss.
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Both beaches have strong currents and are patrolled by lifeguards only at certain times. We'll point out where it's safe on the day and won't permit swimming if the conditions are unsafe.
As another option, we can show you to some waterfalls at which you can swim.
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We shape the day around your group and can make the day as adventurous or as relaxing as you like.
No hiking experience is required.
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We provide a gourmet picnic in a forest setting. Or, if you prefer, see ‘Additional Options’ for restaurants that we can include in the itinerary.
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Auckland weather turns quickly, and the Waitākere Ranges, in particular, get more rain than most of the city — it's part of what keeps the forest the way it is.
If conditions are forecast to be wet on your day, we'll contact you 24 hours before your tour to give you an update so you can choose whether you’d like to go ahead. If you don’t, a full refund is available.
We’ll never run a tour if the weather makes it unsafe to do so, so if we’ll have to cancel you’ll get a full refund.
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Absolutely – our tours are shaped to your group, and we set the pace to the slowest legs in the group. We’re more than happy to stop for ice cream at any point.
Other Tours
Want to see more? Rua — Birdlife. Beaches. Food and wine. Kiwi after dark.
Or contact us and we can prepare a custom itinerary shaped around your group.
