West Auckland accommodation from NZ$145

If you're a nature lover, you'll adore the Waitakere Ranges. There’s 250km of walking tracks and two waterfalls to explore. Woodhill Forest is another great place to visit. The bike park in the forest offers 100km of tracks and bike jumps, and you can also go bush walking, do a high ropes course, go horse riding, or even go quad biking through the forest. Don't miss Piha Beach, the most popular surf beach in New Zealand made unique by its black volcanic sand. At one end of the beach, you'll find the iconic Lion Rock with its Maori carvings. At the other end of the beach is a similar rock formation, Taitomo, which has a keyhole tunnel running through the middle. Kids and adults will enjoy exploring both rocks, plus Green Rock, which you can see at the southern end of Piha Beach, at low tide. It's a huge rock, covered in green algae, with a hollow cave inside. Within walking distance of Piha Beach are the Kitekite Falls, with six beautiful drops. Another must-see beach in the area is Muriwai Beach, with its famous cliff-top colony of gannet birds.

Shopaholics take note: Auckland's western suburbs are a market lover's haven. There's the Titirangi Farmers' Market, held on the third Sunday of the month; the French Market, at French Bay, on the last Sunday of the month; the Hobsonville Point Farmers' Market, on every Sunday; and the Waitakere Hospital Market, on the first Thursday morning of the month. You can also pick up some fantastic pieces of local artwork at the galleries in Kumeu, which is the oldest wine region in Auckland. While you're in town, make sure that you take a wine tour and visit some of the wineries that have been running since the 1940s. Kumeu is also home to a brewery, award-winning restaurants and a honey centre. Don't forget to take a jar of honey home with you!

Getting around Auckland's western suburbs by bus is pretty easy. There are also a couple of train lines, which will take you between some areas, but you'll probably find that you only take the train to travel to and from the Auckland CBD, which is about 40km away. The airport is also only about 30km from most of the towns in West Auckland. So, for a beachside holiday just a hop, skip and jump away from the city, check out our cheap flights to Auckland and book your Auckland West accommodation today.