- By David Mallowes
East Auckland has an awesome pushchair-, dog-, and cycle-friendly walkway with 3km of side paths that reaches from Meadowland Reserve to Lloyd Elsmore Park to Bunnings on Ti Rakau Drive.
It includes the 5.7km Cascades Walkway to Lloyd Elsmore Park and on to William Green Domain, the 1.5km Pakuranga Creek Path, 1.9km Golflands Loop Path, and the 3.5km Burswood Walkway.
Where to start?
- 2.5km, from the Homestead Cafe in Lloyd Elsmore Park, an easy loop for not-so-keen children follows an old scoria slab road, a wide but uneven very interesting path to the Hattaway Bridge and back via Aviemore Drive to the three playgrounds.
- 3.5km, loop around Lloyd Elsmore Park and the duck ponds.
- 5km, from Homestead Cafe continue to Elim Christian College on Botany Road, up through the scenic path to the Gosford Drive playground and back along Lewisham Street maybe to the Lloyd Elsmore pools waterpark or to the skatepark.
- 12-plus km for adults who really want to stretch their legs. Start from Meadowlands, loop around Burswood and perhaps stop for lunch on the way back at Lloyd Elsmore.
Walkers need to be watchful on the Burswood Walkway for cyclists without bells, and cyclists please be very mindful of runners and off-leash dogs.
We’re so fortunate to have many excellent all-weather walkways, so enjoy!
Cafes: Lloyd Elsmore Park, Meadowlands.
Restroom: Meadowlands, Millhouse Park, Lloyd Elsmore Park.
Playgrounds: Lloyd Elsmore Park (three), Gosford Drive, Mirrabooka.
For a printable map annotated with many waypoints, visit www.facebook.com/walksouteastauckland, or use the QR code to an online route map.
See earlier columns or WalksOutEast for Golflands/Burswood information.
QR code: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/cascade-walkway-and-side-paths-e9f586f
Like to walk with others? Visit the meetup.com website, search for walking or hiking in the Auckland area.
An easy group to first walk with is Feet First, popular with visitors and migrants, and there are many others.
