Oakley Creek, Brook in Waterview, Auckland, New Zealand

Oakley Creek, also known as Te Auaunga, is a waterway stretching 15 kilometers from the Waikōwhai ridgeline through Auckland's urban landscape toward the Waitematā Harbour. A paved walkway spans about 4.5 kilometers with designated dog areas and picnic zones along the way.

Tāmaki Māori used the creek for crayfish, eels and weka, and harvested flax and raupō on its banks. In 1845 Edwin Oakley built a flax mill powered by the water, giving the stream its English name. John Thomas later added a flour mill, sold in 1879 to the Garrett Brothers, who set up a tannery.

The Māori name Te Auaunga means "swirling waters" or "whirlpool", and the creek's wetlands were called Te Wai o Rakataura. Tāmaki Māori caught crayfish, eels and weka here and harvested flax and raupō from the banks for textiles. The Hinaki Bridge, opened in 2015 at Mount Roskill War Memorial Park, is named for the eel trap.

Access the walkway from Great North Road where the path begins along the creek. Bring comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing since conditions change with the seasons.

The restoration transformed hardened concrete channels back into natural stream sections using native plants for flood control. This work demonstrates how urban waterways can be returned to functioning ecosystems.