Cornwall Park

Location

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Another of our parent's favourites and an Auckland treasure Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill form the largest area of parkland in Auckland with heaps to see and do - it's no wonder kids love it.

"There's so much space that it never feels crowded", is a typical comment we have from parents. Bikes, ballgames, visiting the cattle and sheep and wandering hens, enjoying a picnic or the playground - it's all here.The playground has a popular circular train in the centre that preschool kids just love, swings, tunnel slide and lots of climbing - it's a good area for older kids too with a flying fox and extra swings. A perfect place to blow away the cobwebs and enjoy the fresh air.

One Tree Hill
The last tree on top of One Tree Hill was a pine tree - Pinus radiata - the most common tree grown for timber in New Zealand. Another Maori name for the hill is Te Totara i Ahua which refers to a sacred totara tree (Podocarpus totara) and can be translated as "the totara that stands alone".
The name One Tree Hill was applied to the hill by early European settlers because of the single tree growing there. The tree was the totara, sacred because of its association with the cutting of a baby's umbilical cord, an important ceremony in Maori society. The event commemorated by the planting, the birth of a boy called Koroki. That tree was cut down in 1852 by a party of workmen, reportedly angry at the non-arrival of some rations. Attempts over the years to re-establish a totara on the summit have all failed. In October 2000 Auckland City Council deemed the tree unsafe due to its dwindling health after a number of attacks in recent years. The icon was removed on the 26 October 2000. The Council are planning to replant a series of smaller trees over the next planting season (May - August).

Hours:

Open daily 10am-4pm