Tāmaki Loop set to become a popular family destination

The Tāmaki area has always been a bustling hive of activity. Not everyone in Auckland knows that
Te Wai o Taiki/The Tāmaki River was once an important waka highway which wound through the site of one of our largest Māori settlements, but it’s a history people from this area are extremely proud of. A history that will now be celebrated in a permanent and beautiful way with the development of the Tāmaki Loop.

The Tāmaki Loop has been established to honour Tāmaki’s history - and its tūrangawaewae - as well as to get people out and about enjoying the beautiful area they live in. This 10km shared pedestrian and cycle route has a practical purpose in promoting healthy living and exercise and providing a track for community events (such as the Tāmaki fun run and Matariki celebrations) but it’s so much more than that. Through co-design with local board, Iwi, Hāpu and the community, it will be a vehicle for creative expression - as well as a place to bring together the traditions and cultural associations valued by mana whenua in a beautiful communal space. Linking Panmure to Glen Innes, it’s a path locals can be proud to walk, and people from other places can delight in visiting.

So far, the Tāmaki Path forms the first part of the Loop which runs along the estuary from Panmure wharf to Wai O Taiki Nature Reserve. This was completed by the Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board in 2019. The first stage of the Loop will connect Point England Reserve to Glen Innes Town Centre within the next 1-3 years. Once finished it will meander alongside the water as well as connect our communities and neighbourhoods of Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure. Other scenic stops along the way include Glen Innes Town Centre, Point England Reserve, Mount Wellington War Memorial Reserve, Te Inu Wai-o-Tanui, Panmure Town Centre, Maungarei (Mount Wellington) and beautiful Colin Maiden Park. From large green spaces, to sparkling waters, to diverse and interesting town centres, the Tāmaki Loop will weave together and celebrate the cultural, physical and social strengths that is the whakapapa of Tāmaki.

The hope is that by improving walking and cycling links, the Tāmaki Loop will not only connect communities with transport hubs and community facilities, but encourage people to make better use of the stunning outdoor spaces available to them. The sections that are finished are already being well utilised but when fully completed it will be an incredible way to connect people to place, maunga to awa and home to work or school and play.