




Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Explore the Waitakere Ranges rainforest and Auckland’s rugged west coast, including Piha Beach or World famous in New Zealand: Gannet Colony, Muriwai Beach, during an this tour with a guide who is knowledgeable about New Zealand flora and fauna. From the Arataki Centre, admire sweeping views from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Learn about Maori history, stroll the beach and take a nature walk through a lush rainforest while you experience Auckland's largest regional park. Admire the amazing Waitakere Ranges on this tour from Auckland Visit Arataki Center, gateway to the Waitakere Ranges Breathtaking panoramic views of the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Piha Beach
Piha is New Zealand’s most famous surf beach situated on the west coast of the North Island. This black iron-sand beach has a reputation for awesome surfs which rolls in over the Tasman Sea. See this and more on our West Coast Discovery
Muriwai Gannet Colony
New Zealand's west coast is one of the best places in the world to view these large seabirds. Muriwai Gannet Colony is scenic lookout over black sand beaches that stretch into the distance to north and south, where the always dramatic sea roars in as long white breakers, and the view is framed by waving flax and toi toi.
Pickup included
Private transportation
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle
Select a pickup point
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
6 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
need2trvl,Mar 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
I tried many times to get ahold of your operator the day prior. Usually, you'll hear from a tour company a week; two days, and the day prior as a reminder to the tour. I did not realize at the time when I booked it was non-cancelable. I actually reached out to Viator. I said I hadn't heard and they said you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning the day of the tour until the office open to find out what was happening. I was actually on the phone up to 10:00 at night trying to find out what the story was. The day of the tour I found out the operator had COVID. Very unprofessional. I could have made other plans. If I was able to cancel and get my money back I could have booked a different tour. By the time I found out the only person obviously the operator was unavailable to do the tour it was too late to book anything. I would have been sympathetic to them being ill if I had gotten some advance notice. Unprofessional. I was able to get my money back. Also disappointed by Viator representing this organization.
Alex W,Feb 4, 2024
- Review from Viator
A fun and informative tour, our tour guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, and informative, honestly one of the highlights for us in new Zealand.
Janelle M,Jan 27, 2024
- Review from Viator
Great tour! Our guide was very flexible as to how long we stayed at each stop and gave us great recommendations for other things to do while in Auckland.
Cathleen T,Nov 28, 2023
- Review from Viator
You see the word “or” in the description? The driver did not show up to work so the owner had to do the driving. We had booked 3 hour tour to Gannett colony in Muriwai Bay, but he took us to Piha Beach, so then he had to “fulfill” our booking and our tour ended up being 5 hours! Book at your own risk as it is non-refundable.
Lauren H,Nov 27, 2023
- Review from Viator
Tour not experienced as advertised! 1. Was under the impression that this was a private tour but another unknown couple was added to our tour. The vehicle used did not comfortably fit three adults in the back seat!!! Vehicle appeared to be driver’s personal vehicle. 2. Tour guide did not provide any dialogue on the surrounding areas, flora, fauna, or the Māori history. While a nice guy, he said almost nothing. NOT a tour guide but merely a driver. 3. First stop was some random trail entrance where the driver thought he may have been given the wrong address. 4. After stopping at Piha beach the driver but our hotel address in the gps as if the tour was over and then asked if we wanted to go anywhere else. The other couple was really confused at that since they had specifically requested, when booking, to go to Muriwai Beach (in the description of the tour) to see the Gannet Colony. The guide driver didn’t seem to have ever heard of the Gannet Colony and a member from the other couple had to help him find it on the gps. When we finally got to the other beach area we could just make out the colony high up on the opposite climb. From the tour pic I assumed we would get closer. There was another road to a nature refuge near by but the driver didn’t take us there or suggest going there. 5. Never went to the Auckland Visit Arataki Center (listed in the tour description). Never mentioned by the driver either. Later I looked up the location and the website listed it has been closed since January due to a weather event. Tour description was very misleading and this part should be removed if the location isn’t even open. At a minimum we should have been notified before or at least upon pick up that we couldn’t do this part. 5. I doubt random location mention in #3 was the “Explore the Waitakere Ranges rainforest” part of the tour. Very first sentence of the tour description. If it was, the destination is very misleading. 6. We heard from the other couple that our driver wasn’t the real tour guide and was just filling in. If that’s the case then the lack of tour makes sense but it should have been cancelled and our money refunded or at least we should have been notified of the change and given an option to cancel. We had a rental car and could have driven ourselves since we weren’t getting the “tour guide knowledge” we thought we were paying for. 7. We spent more time in the car then actually onsite at any of the stops. Granted we expected driving a certain amount but the proportion was way off.
Kevin L,Jul 29, 2023
- Review from Viator
Tour guide was extremely friendly and flexible, and navigated us around a maze of closed roads and trails to get where we wanted. At the time of writing, other larger tours were not able to take us to Piha, and doing this tour saved hours over trying to drive ourselves.
Operated by Express Tours ANZ