Location: Helensville
Top Things to do in Helensville
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10 Things to Do in Helensville That You Shouldn't Miss
Helensville is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is sited 40 kilometres northwest of Auckland, close to the southern extremity of the Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Waimauku 16 km to the south, and Kaukapakapa about 12 km to the north-east. Parakai is 2 km to the north-west. The Kaipara River runs through the town and into the Kaipara Harbour to the north.
Restaurants in Helensville
1. Tree Adventures
Overall Ratings
5 based on 652 reviews
Reviewed By peta-tweeter
Lots of fun and varying levels of trickiness. Especially good for a group of active kids. Plenty of picnic benches to use. Instructors were helpful and friendly. Highly recommend.
2. Blueskies Skydiving
Overall Ratings
5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Smowki - Auckland, New Zealand
Little bit nervous ... as you would be for your first jump, but Aaron is such a great guy, he's cool, calm and professional. Re-assuring me on the flight up to 12,000ft and pointing out things of interest to keep my mind off whats ahead. Before I knew it the checks were being done, and we were sitting on the edge of the step. Then it was all go. It was a beautiful sunset (last jump of the day) and the view was amazing. I paid extra for the photo's and video which was well worth it. The photograpy was excellent. Would highly recommend Blueskies if your thinking of doing a skydive.
3. Helensville Railway Station
Overall Ratings
4 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By mekydro - Chertsey, United Kingdom
We came across this charming small museum totally by chance when driving along State Highway 16 towards Auckland. The two volunteers manning it on the day of our visit were very friendly, helpful and informative. I have some background in railway signalling and it was great to have a chance to operate a tablet instrument again after a gap of around 40 years!
The museum is easy to get around and offers souvenirs, all of which go to helping restore and acquire artefacts for preservation. The nearby station offers a craft shop and cafe (the former station buffet); sadly no passenger trains pass this way nowadays and so the facility is only accessible by road.
Well worth the time spent.
4. The Hunting Lodge Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By Wade S - Burleigh Heads, Australia
Very pleasantly supprised with the service, wines and Gardens of the Hunting Lodge Winery. Either take a blanket and picnic basket or enjoy the Hunting Lodge restaurant for some fine dining or the Hunting Lodge cafe for a quick bit to eat and wine tasting. They are all great tasting wines but my favorite is the Sauvignon Blanc Homeblock.
5. Muriwai Surf School
Overall Ratings
5 based on 88 reviews
Muriwai Surf School is located only 35mins drive from Aucklands central city. Our surf shed is only a one minute walk from the beach. We are located in a regional park which has fantastic walks with great coastal views. The beach is a black sand beach and 45km long. Aucklands West Coast (Tasman Sea) gets plenty of swell which makes it a perfect place for surfers and non surfers looking to escape the hussle and bussle of the city for a few hours (or in my case life). From the surf shed we offer surf lessons, surf coaching, surfboard & wetsuit hire, adventure hire, blokart hire. We are a Kiwi owned and operated family business who pride ourselves on our old school friendly service.
Reviewed By a f
My son and his friends recently paid for four kids from a low decile school to have surf lessons as an experience.What an absolutely fabulous day they had.We were warmly welcomed ,explained the procedure for signing in and the given wetsuits .Matt the instructor was...MoreIt is our pleasure:) We love Surfing and are happy to pass it on! The kids were lovely and are lucky to have people willing to go the extra mile for them.
6. Soljans Estate Winery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 83 reviews
Soljans Estate Winery and Cafe sits at the gateway to Kumeu Wine Country, Auckland's heritage wine region. An easy 20 minute drive from Auckland CBD with plenty of free parking. A fabulous place to learn about this heritage wine region and sample a range of stunning wines produced on site. Home of New Zealand's most-awarded sparkling wine: Fusion Sparkling Muscat.
Reviewed By jamesmY5381JH - Auckland Central, New Zealand
Came for a tasting on Auckland Anniversary Monday. I was by myself, dressed in running shorts and an activewear tee so not the most presentable, but was treated extremely well. Marina on the cellar door was fantastic, knowledgeable and friendly. The wines did not blow me away but are very good for their prices. I was having such a nice time I stayed for a glass of wine at the cafe and some bread + dips. The Riesling is quite refreshing. And they had gluten free bread on hand! All the wait staff were friendly and attentive. Ashley waited on my table and was a absolute pleasure. My only other criticism was the place looking a little bit worn, my glass was chipped on the rim and the logo decal showed its age. But everything else made up for this by far. The staff here are very friendly and clearly happy in their work environment, which is always good to see. A sign of good management from the top of Soljans’ operation. Pétanque pits available.
7. Parakai Springs
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 109 reviews
Unleash Northwest’s best kept secret for the ultimate day trip. Just over 40 mins from Auckland’s CBD lies one of New Zealand’s natural geothermal wonders - Parakai Springs.Large indoor and outdoor pools and two thrilling hydro-slides have been the main attractions for decades. BBQ and picnic areas are situated throughout the park and options for hiring marquees for groups is also available. If you are not wanting to prepare your own food take advantage of the Springs Café and dining area located next to the indoor pool. Now extensively redeveloped into an active water recreation centre, Parakai Springs offers a range of amenities to make this a full-day's entertainment destination.
Reviewed By Christine T - Auckland, New Zealand
The pools are in need of major maintenance. Tiles are missing,many are cracked,broken or chipped.I have visited these pools before and I still found the standard of the life guards poor. It was to maximum capacity and some of them were really not paying attention to what was happening in the pool.I know parents are responsible for their own children but there were quite a few there who did not and many of the lifeguards stood around looking bored.Perhaps they should also have whistles as I have seen overseas,this works.
8. Woodhill Mountain Bike Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By scoggij - Auckland
We visited in Augustus with our dog and 5 year old. If you are in Auckland and in to mountain biking you should definitely visit as the trails are fantastic. Tree adventures is right next door too which would be great for kids, though it was fully booked when we turned up due to school holidays.
9. Westbrook Winery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 41 reviews
Family owned and operated winery in the beautiful Ararimu Valley. Open 7 days a week for wine tasting featuring a changing selection of our multi award winning wines. We are renowned for our classic Chardonnays and stunning Rieslings. Picnic and BBQ facilities located in our picturesque grounds. Sit and enjoy the ambiance surrounded by native birds. Relax and play petanque or a more challenging game on our giant chess set. For the small team at West Brook wine is a way of life.
Reviewed By Kiwigirl341 - Auckland Central, New Zealand
This has been my favourite winery for years and I was so sad to hear that they were selling. I hope the new owners take note of what made Westbrook so special. We loved the park setting and being able to buy a couple of bottles and picnic by the lake. The owners and staff were so friendly and always happy to offer tastings and chat about wine and winemaking. You were able to bring your own picnic as well as buy generous platters for only $25! They offered water and glasses. We’ve been coming here for special days and Mother’s Day and just randomly when it was a nice afternoon. And being able to bring our dog was also really appreciated. I really hope this summer wasn’t the last of our visits and the new owners will keep it going as it is, because it’s one of the last wineries that I know of that haven’t turned it into a wine bar. For families this has been great place to go to!
10. Muriwai Gannet Colony
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 336 reviews
Reviewed By jaybeeFL - Florida
Incredible coastline, cascading surf, towering cliffs and oh yeah, THE BIRDS! This is nature at its finest. We visited towards the tail end of the gannets' nesting season but there were still plenty of adults with their young including several still on their eggs. Go early as the bus tours show up around 10-11AM and overwhelm the place. Great photo ops!! Limited parking as well especially weekends.
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