
As the sun melts slowly into the West, the best place to marvel at the true beauty of the Auckland isthmus is from the top of the City of Sails' highest volcano - Mangawhau. Make the most of that extra hour by taking a romantic ramble around this very famous cone and drinking in the views of New Zealand's largest metropolis. One of my favourite (and wonderfully classic Kiwi) date nights is to buy an excellent feed of fish and chips from The Ancient Mariner - http://www.localist.co.nz/l/nsidts - on Mt Eden Rd and then sit on the hill until the sun sets so you can watch the lights of the city come alive. This is where I went for my first date with my husband and 14 years later, we still come up here to reminisce about that day at the top of Mt Eden.
Went up here for an afternoon walk but you should know Mount Eden offers stunning views over the greater Auckland region. On a clear day you can see the Sky Tower, Harbour Bridge, Museum, Port, right down towards Manukau and of course Rangitoto.. We walked up the front of the Mountain from Almorah avenue up the million steps to a few nice park benches for a view of the city. Do not miss going up Mount Eden if you come to Auckland. Gates are open until late so an evening viewing is a good opportunity to see Auckland too. Can be cold up here and windy so bring a jacket!