Secret Cove
Why go
Secret Cove is one of those Devonport spots that has been quietly loved for decades — and it very nearly wasn't public at all. The narrow accessway was bought by a group of locals back in the 1930s to keep the beach open to everyone; a caveat later blocked it, and it took Auckland Council a decade-long legal fight (and $270,000 in 2017) to buy the strip back and reopen it. Follow the signposted gravel path between two boundary fences off Stanley Point Road and you'll find steep wooden steps down to an old jetty tucked into the shoreline, with the view straight up the harbour to the Auckland Harbour Bridge — genuinely one of the better ground-level harbour outlooks on the North Shore.
What to expect
A short path, a set of steep wooden stairs, and a small jetty framed by pōhutukawa. At high tide, locals keep a rope swing rigged from an overhanging tree for jumping off the jetty — one of those simple pleasures that never gets old. A couple of private jetties sit along either side. It's a spot for a picnic, a swim on a full tide, or just sitting with the view. Sunset is the pick, with the bridge silhouetted across the water. It's no longer a true secret — it's now sign posted and has had its share of TikTok and press — but it's rarely crowded and still feels like a find.
