📍Whatipū Caves, Waitakere, Auckland. FREE!
An absolutely must do!! For kids & big kids, this is such a cool area to explore and even better, it's the same carpark to the infamous 'Omanawauni Track' (see our reel for this epic adventure).

The first cave is only 15 minutes walk from the carpark, with caves every few minutes walk apart. Check out our video of when we visited.

Tips:

• Bring a decent torch as some of these caves go for quite a long way!! Our phone torches weren't great but luckily we linked up with people who were well prepped!

• Visit the gorgeous Karamatura Falls on your way past Huia!

• Check out the beautiful whatipu beach (side track) as well as the Omanawauni Track.

• To know you're at the last cave, look for the green Porta-loo.

• To get to the main carpark, it's a 1 way in gravel road that gets quite busy on a sunny weekend day. Early bird catches the worm! Or better yet, go on a week day, and you'll most likely have the whole area to yourself!

• The track can get muddy in Winter

Reviews:

'An easy and enjoyable walk, perfect for families. There's the thrill of exploring the various-sized caves, some hidden and requiring a bit of crawling. The scenery is a mix of bush, dunes, and the dramatic coastline. Be prepared for a potentially rough and narrow gravel road leading to the carpark and remember to bring a torch for exploring the caves' depths.' - Binky, Google

'This was amazing. There are about 10 caves all up. You have to keep your eyes peeled for secret ones hidden behind trees, and down the bank etc. Very wet in colder months. Don't go without waterproof shoes (gumboots) in winter, unless you want wet feet the whole time. My 6year old was fascinated though, and so was I. The hidden kauri dance floor in one of the caves was my favourite place to visit.' Ashleigh, Google