Devonport self-guided audio tour: Māori heritage & history

Walk a volcanic cone layered with 800 years of Māori and military history

This is a 90-minute self-guided audio walking tour through Devonport, Auckland, starting at the Tainui Landing Memorial Marae and climbing Maungauika/North Head Historic Reserve. You navigate using GPS on your phone, listen to audio in English, and move at your own pace through Māori pā fortifications, hand-carved tunnels, disappearing gun emplacements, and down to Cheltenham Beach, finishing at the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. The tour includes lifetime access to the audio, offline maps and directions, and works on Android and iOS. Entry to the Navy Museum is not included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore North Head and Devonport

• Start at Tainui Landing Memorial Marae
• Walk past scenic cricket grounds
• Climb volcanic mountain Maungauika/North Head
• Pass historic gun emplacements
• Enjoy Auckland harbour views
• Stroll along Cheltenham Beach
• Pass historic tearoom and bathing facility
• Walk along street with settler architecture
• End at Torpedo Bay Navy Museum

The experience

Start at the Tainui Landing Memorial Marae and climb the ancient volcanic cone that erupted between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago. The walk passes through Devonport Domain, where you'll see one of New Zealand's oldest cricket grounds, then ascends into the reserve itself. The audio guide walks you through the layers: Māori legends tied to the pā fortifications that once crowned the summit, then the colonial military infrastructure. Hand-carved tunnels, disappearing gun emplacements, and hydro-pneumatic gun carriages built between 1885 and 1892 as part of the "Russian Scare" defences. At the top, you get 360-degree views of Auckland Harbour.

The descent takes you through Devonport Domain and down the "smuggler stairs" to Cheltenham Beach, a long golden stretch of sand at the base of North Head. Along the way, you'll walk past settler-era architecture (sash windows, ornate fretwork, corrugated iron roofs) that line the streets. The tour ends at the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum, though entry there is separate. Because it's self-guided, you stop when you want, linger at views or tunnels, and skip ahead if a section doesn't hold you. The audio and offline maps stay on your phone forever, so you can revisit the route anytime you're back in Auckland.

You'll need a smartphone with the app installed and headphones or speakers to hear the audio. The walk suits moderate fitness levels. The total time of 90 minutes to 2 hours includes the walking pace and time spent at each stop. Directions to the starting point are included, so you know exactly where to begin.

What’s included

• Lifetime access to the audio tour in English.
• offline maps, directions, and GPS navigation on your phone.
• the app for Android and iOS.
• the flexibility to start, pause, and revisit the route whenever you want.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours

Is this one for you?Because this is self-guided, you move at your own pace and stop as long as you want at views, tunnels, or beaches: ideal if you prefer to linger over details or take photos without waiting for a group. If you'd rather have someone explain the history as you walk and keep the group moving together, a led tour would suit you better.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What is the Tainui Landing Memorial Marae and why does the tour start there?

Tainui Landing marks the arrival of a great voyaging canoe in Devonport's history. The tour begins here to ground you in the Māori heritage that shaped the place before military fortifications arrived.

Can I do this tour on my own schedule, or is there a set departure time?

This is entirely self-guided, so you start whenever you want and move at your own pace. There's no group, no fixed time, and no guide waiting for you. You control the rhythm of the walk.

What are the hand-carved tunnels and gun emplacements I'll see on North Head?

The tunnels were carved into the volcanic rock as part of Cold War-era military infrastructure. The disappearing gun emplacements and hydro-pneumatic gun carriages were built in the 1880s–1890s to defend Auckland from naval attack. They could fire armour-piercing shells strong enough to disable a warship.

Do I need to buy a ticket to enter the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum at the end?

The Navy Museum is the final stop on the route, but entry is not included in this tour. You can walk past it, look around the exterior, and decide whether to pay for entry separately.

What do I need to bring to do this tour?

You'll need a smartphone with the tour app installed (available for Android and iOS) and headphones or a speaker to hear the audio. The app works offline, so you don't need mobile data once it's downloaded.

How long does the walk actually take, and is it steep?

The tour runs 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on your pace and how long you spend at each stop. The walk climbs a volcanic cone and requires moderate fitness. The ascent is the most demanding part, but the descent is gentler.