Discover Auckland’s hinterland with Kiwi Direct Car Rentals...

Auckland has all the buzz, bustle, shopping and nightlife of a big city, but there’s always a time when we want to get away from it all - but not too far away.

Auckland’s hinterland is where you do that - Matakana and Warkworth, Piha and the west coast beaches, there’s the 16,000+ hectares of the Waitakere Ranges in the west with 250 kilometres of walking tracks, or the Hunua Ranges in the city’s south.

You can get to all of them in your Kiwi Direct rental car.

Head north from the city and you can ease away the aches at the Waiwera hot pools before heading to Warkworth, taking a short detour to the German-settled Puhoi on the way.

Warkworth is the gateway to a gem of an area with Matakana and its market and vineyards, Omaha beach, and Leigh with its ferry to historic, beautiful Kawau Island.

Or, if it’s a bit of the wild side you’re after, go west from Auckland to the rugged black-sand beaches of Piha, Muriwai, Karekare and Bethells. If you want to get a little closer to nature, stop in Titirangi and spend time in the beautiful bush-clad Waitakere Ranges.

An hour’s drive to the south, there’s the 250-square kilometre Hunua Ranges with its tracks, vistas and picturesque waterfall picnic area. This is what New Zealand used to look like, and you need your Kiwi Direct rental car to get there.

And then there’s the islands.

Waiheke Island is a pearl on Auckland city’s doorstep - and you can take your car there on the ferry if you want to. It has vineyards, food, coastal walks, and incredible views of the city, and it’s just a 35-minute ride from downtown.

For something different, take a ferry to Rangitoto, which dominates the Auckland harbour skyline, and walk to the summit for some spectacular views of the city and gulf. It’s one of Auckland’s newest volcanoes, last erupting just 600 years ago.

There’s Motuihe, Tiritiri Matangi, Rakino - the islands of the gulf are a treasure trove … just like the rest of the region.

And that’s just scratching the surface…