The Estate and Winery is home to the Soljans Café which, in normal times, is the perfect place to enjoy a bite to eat and sample some of their stunning wines. Soljans Café has been named as one of Auckland’s Top 40 Restaurants, by The New Zealand Herald, and one of the world’s Top 20 Winery Restaurants in the World
Their Sauvignon Blanc is one of the few that is grown in Auckland so if you are a fan of New Zealand Sav, give that a try if you make it out to Kerr Farm and see how it compares to other regions. Under normal circumstances, the winery opens every weekend from 11 am to 5 pm for wine tasting events and this is an opportunity to sit down with the winemaker to discuss the process, the vines and the wines.
The Riverhead is New Zealand’s oldest riverside tavern and has been a “house of refreshment and conviviality” for around 160 years. There are three separate spaces at The Riverhead: The Landing Restaurant, The Portage Bar and The Boat House, all catering to different needs. Nestled on the shores of the upper Waitemata, The Riverhead is steeped in local history and played a part in the development of early New Zealand, with thousands using the wharf and hotel as the gateway to lands in the north prior to the completion of roads and railway. If you don’t fancy the drive out there, there is a charter boat that runs from downtown Auckland so grab a group of friends and do something different this summer.
If you have never been out to the black sand beaches on Auckland’s west coast, then we recommend tagging a trip to one of these amazing beaches to your Kumeu trip. Muriwai beach is just 15 minutes from Kumeu and there is plenty to do when you get out there. Muriwai is an impressive coastline with cliff-top trails to a huge gannet colony, with easy access and viewing platforms that let you get up close. In the summer months, the black sand beach will be packed with Aucklanders enjoying the sunshine the 60 kms of near uninterrupted beach is perfect for a range of activities including blokarts, horse riding and walking.
If you are into tramping, then the Te Henga Walkway is one of the most spectacular over on Auckland’s west coast. The trail will take you from Bethells Beach to Muriwai or vice versa and is a spectacular walk that offers up some of the most stunning views of the wild west coast. The walk is 10.3 km one way and you should allow around 6-7 hours if you plan to go there and back. The track is steep in parts, however, those who take on the challenge are rewarded with spectacular views of lagoons, dunes and hopefully some wildlife as seals and dolphins have been spotted regularly from the trail.
Located just a short 18-minute drive from Kumeu you will find the spectacular Mokoroa Falls. Set in a small basin and surrounded by native bush, the Mokoroa Falls are actually part of two falls in the same area along with the Houheria Stream Falls. They are at their most spectacular during the rainy season and they can dry up a little during the summer months, however, the tramp to get there is a good one for those looking for something a little less taxing than the Te Henga Walkway. The 1.5 km track will take around 40 minutes one way and you will be rewarded with views of the 11m high falls from a viewing platform.
If you are looking for something family-friendly, then we highly recommend a trip out to Woodhill Forest. Whilst it is a destination that is popular with mountain bikers thanks to the range of trails that run through the forest, one of the biggest attractions out at Woodhill is Tree Adventures – a tree-top challenge course offering an impressive range of suspended obstacles and ziplines. There are five tree-top courses at Tree Adventures suitable for people of all ages and experience levels. The Tree Huggin’ course is ideal for those aged 5+ and with a minimum height of 1.1m. This course is suspended 2-3 metres above the ground so it’s the perfect introduction. The toughest course is Tarzan’s Test – a course recommended for those aged 14+ and at least 1.5m tall. The course reaches dizzying heights of up to 14 metres and presents a challenge to even the most experienced climbers.
Everyone knows that West Auckland is home to the best real fruit ice cream in the region. They’re fruity, creamy and easy to convince yourself that they’re healthy because of the fruit!