One Tree Hill / Maungakiekie

Overview

Maungakiekie is one of Tāmaki Makaurau's most important volcanic cones, once home to one of the largest pā (fortified Māori villages) in the country, housing thousands of people. The extensive terracing, kumara storage pits and defensive ditches carved into its slopes centuries ago are still clearly visible today.

The summit is marked by an obelisk honouring Sir John Logan Campbell, an early Auckland settler often called the 'Father of Auckland', who gifted the surrounding land as Cornwall Park. The hill's English name refers to a lone tree that once stood at the summit — a fraught piece of history, since the original tōtara was a sacred Māori landmark removed by colonial settlers, and a replacement pine was later felled in protest; the summit has been replanted with native trees since.

Things To Do

• Walk or drive to the summit for 360° views across the city, the Manukau and Waitematā harbours, and the volcanic field.
• Explore the pā terracing and kumara (sweet potato) storage pits carved into the hillside.
• Picnic or stroll through the surrounding Cornwall Park, with its historic Acacia Cottage and grazing sheep.
• Visit the nearby Stardome Observatory & Planetarium at the foot of the maunga.
• Look for the native plantings at the summit, part of an ongoing restoration of the original tree cover.

Getting There

Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill is about 15 minutes' drive south of the CBD, with entrances off Manukau Road and Green Lane. Several bus routes stop nearby, and there's free parking within Cornwall Park at the base — it's roughly a 20-minute walk from there to the summit.

Gallery

Nearby Attractions

Cornwall Park

The historic parkland surrounding the maunga, with heritage buildings and grazing sheep.

Stardome Observatory & Planetarium

A public observatory and planetarium at the foot of Maungakiekie.

Auckland Museum

Taonga Māori, natural history and war memorial galleries in the Auckland Domain.

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