Cornwall Park & One Tree Hill

About

Cornwall Park was gifted to the people of New Zealand by Sir John Logan Campbell in 1901, and it remains a working farm inside a city, with sheep and cattle in the paddocks through much of the year. Maungakiekie, One Tree Hill, rises out of the middle of it, topped by the obelisk Campbell commissioned and with terracing from its time as a substantial pā still visible on the slopes. The lone tree was removed in 2000, and young tōtara and pōhutukawa were planted at the summit in 2016 for one to remain in time. It's a big park and it absorbs people well, so it rarely feels crowded even on a fine Sunday. There's a cafe, a visitor centre, and plenty of shade for a picnic. Free, and the walk to the summit takes about twenty-five minutes from the lower car parks.