Regional parks

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Remember to be a tidy Kiwi!

All our regional parks are rubbish free. Whether you call it rubbish, trash or garbage, please bag it all up and recycle it or throw it away when you return home.

Important notice

Motorbikes are not allowed 

Motorbikes are not allowed at Ambury regional park.

About
Park facilities
Park activities
Tracks
History

About Ambury

Ambury farm park lies among the southern suburbs fronting the Manukau Harbour. Take in the various farm animals as you wander around the open pasture. Ambury is a significant habitat for shorebirds and the coast has excellent examples of basalt lava flows.

Thinking of holding a children's birthday party at Ambury Regional Park?  Ambury Farm as its affectionately known is one of Auckland’s most loved parks, where you can experience and interact with some of our animals.

Maybe have a themed farm party!   There are four options available for your children's birthday party, click here for detailed information.

Park information

Pedestrian access: Open 24 hours
Summer gate opening hours:
6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (Daylight savings)
Winter gate opening hours:
6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Non daylight savings)
Distance from CBD: 15 km
Park map: Click here to download a park map
Physical address: 43 Ambury Road, Mangere Bridge
Casual group size: 100
Public transport information:

Catch the bus to Ambury

Click here to visit the Auckland Transport website

Dog walking is prohibited

Dog walking prohibited
Dogs are prohibited from the park and adjoining foreshore areas but are allowed under control on a leash on Loop Road linking Ambury Road and Kiwi Esplanade.

Click here for information about which regional parks prohibit dog walking

How to get to Ambury

Take the airport motorway and follow the signs from Mangere Bridge and Coronation Road off ramps to the park.

View larger map

Maps

Download park map
Auckland Council GIS viewer
Get directions with Google Maps

Park facilities

Bookable site
Bookable site Ambury Bookable Site 1
Building
Building Ambury Felt Room
Camping
Camping Ambury Campground
BBQ
BBQ

There are four BBQs - two electric and two wood-burning (bring your own wood). One electric BBQ is a bookable site with a large grass area for activities. Large groups require a permit.

Cellphone coverage
Cellphone coverage
Interpretation
Interpretation
Limited mobility parking
Limited mobility parking

There is one designated car park in the main car park.

Limited mobility toilet
Limited mobility toilet

There is one male and one female wheelchair accessible toilet in the main toilet block.

Mobility access (partial)
Mobility access (partial)

There is access around the farm animal enclosures on gravel and grassy laneways. These may be inaccessible in wet conditions.

Notice board
Notice board
Parking
Parking

There are 20 in the main carpark and overflow, and 40 in the riding for disabled carpark.

Picnic tables
Picnic tables
Potable water
Potable water

Drinking fountain by barn.

Pram access
Pram access

Take your little one for a stroll at Ambury. The most accessible track is the Farm Walk but the Foreshore and Lost Garden's walks are possible too.

Ranger contact phone
Ranger contact phone
Ranger office
Ranger office
Sealed access road
Sealed access road
Security gates
Security gates
Shelter
Shelter
Toilet block
Toilet block

Park activities

Ambury Farm Birthday Parties
Ambury Farm Birthday Parties

You need to book the Ambury Felt Room for your birthday party. 

For detailed information about our Ambury birthday packages click here.

Bird watching
Bird watching
Keen bird watchers have identified more than 86 species of birds at Ambury.
Camping - vehicle based
Camping - vehicle based
Dog walking prohibited
Dog walking prohibited
Dogs are prohibited from the park and adjoining foreshore areas but are allowed under control on a leash on Loop Road linking Ambury Road and Kiwi Esplanade.
Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Click here to obatin rules and guidelines for flying UAVs and drones.  In particular pay attention to the code of conduct.

Education
Education

Ambury Park offers a wide range of education programmes and discovery walks:

  • Pre-school discovery walks phone (09) 636 6118
  • Primary, intermediate and secondary schools Learning Through Experience Programmes phone (09) 890 8646.
  • Tertiary and community groups phone (09) 636 6118
  • For all other enquiries call the Auckland Council (09) 301 0101
Farm animals - viewing
Farm animals - viewing

The farm animals at Ambury are family favourites. You will see sheep, goats, cows, pigs, pet lambs (in season), chickens, turkey, rabbits and our elusive peacock. Grassy lanes between the animal enclosures help you get up close to the animals safely. Alternatively, feel free to go into the paddocks to mingle with the animals (except during lambing which is mid-July and early August).

Between mid July and early December, dairy cows are milked once a day usually around 10:00am. This milk is used to feed the calves and pigs between 8:30am and 4:30pm. Once the calves are old enough they are fed at the same time as cow milking.

Bring your gumboots and warm clothing during winter.

Lamb feeding (seasonal)
Lamb feeding (seasonal)

The Ambury lambs are due in mid–July and can be seen in the paddocks. Please do not enter any paddocks where there are lambs, and definitely do not chase them. Their mothers can get quite protective. Around three weeks after the lambs are born (sometime over July and August) lamb feeding of the orphan lambs take place twice a day at 8.00am and 4:00pm Monday to Friday, and 3 times a day at 8.00am, 12noon and 4.00pm on weekends.  This continues for around 6 weeks until the lambs are able to feed for themselves. Due to high visitor numbers over this period, not all children will be able to hand feed them, and we ask that where possible the children do the feeding. Our park rangers and Ambury volunteers are on site to offer advice during these sessions.

Milking (seasonal)
Milking (seasonal)

The Ambury milking runs from around mid July through to early December, during this time there will be daily milking usually around 10:00am.

Note:  School groups use the milking shed Monday to Fridays around 10:30am as part of the parks education programme, and have preference of use.

Calves are born around July-August and feeding times are 7:45am and 4:35pm for the first month until they are able to feed themselves.

Mountain biking
Mountain biking

Ambury Mountain Bike Route

Picnics
Picnics
There is one large bookable picnic site at Ambury.
Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Volunteering
Volunteering
Ambury has a large group of volunteers helping with looking after the animals, and with pest control when the dotterels are nesting on the forsehore. Please contact (09) 636 6118 if you are interested in volunteering at Ambury.
Walks (less than 1 hour)
Walks (less than 1 hour)

Take a walk at Ambury and check out the farm animals and the foreshore. Click on links below for track information:

Wedding or civil union
Wedding or civil union
Ceremonies are often held on the park in picturesque spots. A permit is required, contact the Senior Ranger Recreation on (09) 261 8001.

Tracks

Ambury Mountain Bike Route Ambury Mountain Bike Route ¼ hour - 2.5 km Mountain biking is allowed on open farmland and designated tracks, excluding the foreshore. Restrictions may apply.
Family Farm Walk Family Farm Walk ¾ hour - 1 km This is a great walk for the whole family. From the carpark head for the woolshed and milking shed. Wander through the grassy lanes between the animal enclosures and take your time getting to know the animals. There is pushchair and wheelchair access.
Foreshore Walk Foreshore Walk ¾ hour - 2 km From the right hand end of the main car park, this easy (but often windswept) track is great for an evening or winter walk to blow away the cobwebs. Follow the yellow markers and discover the local history of the area.
Lost Garden's Walk Lost Garden's Walk ½ hour - 1 km From the woolshed, follow the marker posts; head through the paddocks towards Kiekie Road to the Lost Gardens to see remnants of Mäori stone mounds, once used for gardening. This walk links into WaterCare.

History

Nearby Māngere Mountain was once the site of a large fortified Māori pā and the area now known as Ambury Regional Park was used by Māori for gardening. Māngere Mountain erupted approximately 18,000 years ago and the park sits atop a lava field made fertile by ash from the volcano. The area also provided easy access to seafood (kaimoana) and canoe launching sites for the various iwi (including Wai-o-Hua and Ngāti Whātua) who lived in and around the pā

The park and the Otuataua Stonefields to the south are the only places in Auckland where Māori stone structures remain on public land. Stone mounds at Ambury mark pre-European gardening sites.

The dry stone walls bordering the park entrance date from the mid 1800s when farmers from Cornwall and Scotland built them.

You can also see the remains of a windmill and wells that were part of the Ambury Milk Company.

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