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Accessibility: WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
North Shore's highest
WHAT'S HERE?
Mushrooms above water reservoir on summit of Mt Victoria.
High scoria cone with panoramic views over harbour, Rangitoto and back to the isthmus.
LEARN ABOUT IT
Mt Victoria scoria cone from north. Photo Bruce Hayward, 2009.
About 35,000 years ago Mt Victoria scoria cone was built by fire-fountaining of frothy lava. Molten lava rising inside the vent found a way out to the surface through the base of the scoria cone on the southern side. Lava flows poured out and flowed down the slopes of the Waitemata Valley (sea level was much lower then). These solidified flows form the dark foreshore rocks today from Torpedo Bay almost to Devonport wharf. The flows carried away the scoria cone on the south side, some of this was still visible on top of the flows forming Duders Hill in the 19th century, but this has been quarried away.
The breached horseshoe-shaped crater occurs on the south side of the cone and contains the old tennis courts - the roadway to the top swings around inside the slopes of the breached crater.
The summit of Mt Victoria cone has been modified by humans. Terraces down the side are from pre-European use of the cone as a pa. The red mushrooms on top indicate the location of Devonport's first water reservoir buried here as early as 1894. A muzzle-loader gun fort was constructed on the summit in 1885. The cone continued to be used for military purposes until after the second world war.
The breached horseshoe-shaped crater occurs on the south side of the cone and contains the old tennis courts - the roadway to the top swings around inside the slopes of the breached crater.
The summit of Mt Victoria cone has been modified by humans. Terraces down the side are from pre-European use of the cone as a pa. The red mushrooms on top indicate the location of Devonport's first water reservoir buried here as early as 1894. A muzzle-loader gun fort was constructed on the summit in 1885. The cone continued to be used for military purposes until after the second world war.
HAVE A LOOK!
View across Torpedo Bay to (left to right) Duders Hill, Mt Victoria and Mt Cambria in 1925 and 2009.
How many of Auckland's volcanoes can you see from the summit? Can you name them? Which is the largest and youngest?
Can you see any other volcanoes in the Hauraki Gulf? Little Barrier?
Can you recognise where the breached crater is?
What created the breach and where can you see evidence of this?
What are the red mushrooms on the summit doing there?
Can you see any other volcanoes in the Hauraki Gulf? Little Barrier?
Can you recognise where the breached crater is?
What created the breach and where can you see evidence of this?
What are the red mushrooms on the summit doing there?
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Directions/Advisory
Vehicle access up roadway to carpark on top. Vehicle gate off Kerr St at top of Devonport's main shopping street.
Walking access additionally from between 43 and 45 Church St.
Catch the Devonport Ferry from the foot of Queen St and at Devonport walk up the main street and up to the summit of the scoria cone.
Steep grassed slopes can be slippery, especially when wet. Be careful of cars in both directions when walking up the sealed road to the top. Also be careful in the carpark.
Google Directions
Accessibility:
WHEELCHAIR
Carpark at top provides near flat access for views from top. Walking access is easiest up the roadway but there are steep grassed alternatives.
Features
Volcanic
Landform
Geological Age
Erupted about 35,000 yrs ago. Late Pleistocene.
Links