Maungauika/North Head Historic Reserve
In the suburb of Devonport at the tip of the peninsula, there is a large, green reserve called the North Head Historic Reserve or Maungauika that is a perfect place to bring a family. Not only are there incredible views fo the harbour and city and wide open green spaces to run with a dog (on leash technically, but we saw lots of off leash dogs running around) there are a number of underground tunnels that are perfect for kids to explore - and make up stories about what torrid things might have happened in the underground secret rooms.
There is certainly plenty of history at the North Head Historic Reserve to feed some wildly imaginative stories:
Tunnels built by prisoners? √
A Russian scare? √
Retractable guns for secret reloading? √
Possibly haunted? √
Rumours of hidden ammunition and planes? √
A number of signs placed throughout the area give a taste of the history found here.
There are three different paths to explore, though we bounced from one to the other as the kids ran around the old bunkers, climbed up the hills, and enjoyed the grassy open spaces. One of the most exciting activities? Rolling down the grassy hills. We even saw another family unpack sand sleds so they could really get going! After getting over the initial creepiness of the underground tunnels, they loved exploring all of the secret rooms. I was impressed that everything was so well maintained and clean. There was hardly any graffiti and the smell was generally ok.
While we didn’t see any picnic tables, there were wonderful toilets available, and this place is more or less pram friendly. We saw lots of families exploring as well as locals running for exercise. Honestly, if I lived nearby I would take advantage of this view, too!
Maungauika is good for a few hours to explore and enjoy a snack or picnic. It’s a wonderful place to stop if you’re going to be in Devonport, but be mindful of the time you plan on going to and coming from; the traffic on Lake Road can be terrible if you time it incorrectly. Also, the location means there can be a lot of wind, so come prepared with an extra layer if you tend to get cold.
