Mt. Eden is only a 5 minute drive from Downtown (during non-peak hours), an has an array of cafes and restaurants nearby after you visit after your walk or drive up to mountain. If you're in a car you can access the road to the top through the mt. Eden road entrance, and there are a number of walkway entrances on all sides of the mountain. The vehicle entrance opens at 7am each morning and closes at 11pm.
On the base of the mountain on the North Eastern flank there is a large section of native bush. Some of the trees on this walk include puriri, karaka, titoki, rangiora and whau. These plants and trees grew on what was the area where the lava flowed during the eruption of Mt. Eden. This are was alos once home to maori villages before the Europeans settled in Auckland. The maori in this area, used to cultivate the lower parts on the hill and planted many of their gardens near this native bush.
The city council runs it as of it was a park, so it is free to the public to visit. They lease out lower parts to grazed by a herd of cows (about 15-20), but no fear - they are fenced in most of the time and will not hurt you unless you provoke them. Cows have been a common feature in the lower parts since the 1890's.
At the top not only is the view spectacular on a fine day, but also the 50m deep crater cone that is visible at the summit. Though this is now a dormant volcano, it is still a fascinating site and stop on your tour around Auckland.
If you happen to go past, it would be worth your while to drive up to the top and grab a few pictures. Wherever you are in Auckland, don't forget to bring your camera!
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