Just 40 minutes from downtown, you may forget that you are in New Zealand's biggest city. In just a day we take in the rainforests of the Waitakere Ranges - gateway and buffer to the west's wild, surf-pounded black-sand beaches - before enjoying more 'civilised' wine country. We round off the day in the North Shore's historical quarter of Devonport.

Join us on a journey through pristine rainforest, to untamed beaches and among perfectly terraced vines, shaped by Auckland's volcanic beginnings.

The 'city of sails' sprawls across a network of now-extinct volcanic cones. We begin at the crown of one, Maungawhau (Mt Eden), with a brief orientation of Auckland's unique geography. Awe-inspiring panoramas extend through 360º, including two sparkling harbours (Waitemata and Manukau), the Waitakere Ranges to the west and our youngest volcano, Rangitoto, just off the eastern coast.

We travel west through chic Titirangi village to the Arataki Heritage & Environment Centre, the gateway to the Waitakere Ranges. Guarded by an 11m tall traditional Maori Pou (carved guardian), with dramatic views of the Manukau harbour, Arataki is a fascinating introduction to the stories and secrets of the Waitakeres, an ecological treasure cloaked with 16,000 hectares of spectacular rainforest. A short, easy plant identification track provides an initial introduction to the area's captivating flora.

Our next short journey winds through pristine rainforest to a sheltered glade. We follow a freshwater stream on an easy bush walk (around 30 minutes each way) to a cascading 3-tiered waterfall. Along the way your guide will share an extensive knowledge of native fauna and flora, and explain their uses by Maori and early European settlers. Get refreshed and reinvigorated under the clear, clean waters of the falls, or simply settle in the leafy shade against a centuries-old native tree before our return walk.

After lunch, feel the sand between your toes as we walk on one of the west coast's untamed beaches. Made famous in films like The Piano, the iconic iron sand beaches of Karekare, Piha and Te Henga (Bethells) are magnets to surfers, photographers and seekers of nature at its most wild and exciting.

A little way north we stand dwarfed by an ancient kauri tree, the imposing giant of the New Zealand rainforest. Here your guide relates why kauri was almost logged to extinction and some of the measures being taken to restore our native forests. The sea features prominently in the lives of Aucklanders, and it is easy to see why when you survey the uninterrupted views stretching from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean from the Pukematekeo lookout.

We then descend into open farmland and visit west Auckland's more human icon - the winemaker. Dalmatian settlers planted the first vines here, and the Henderson and Kumeu areas are now home to myriad excellent, family-run vineyards. At one of these vineyards you will be able to sample the produce direct from the 'cellar door' and discover from the winemaker their techniques and secrets of wine making and tasting.

We close our journey's circle from a final volcanic cone, one that watches over the pretty Victorian villas of Devonport. Our vantage point atop the long-decommissioned gun batteries of North Head gives us some unsurpassed photo opportunities, as the sun slips behind the Waitakeres and the city lights begin to twinkle.

In Devonport you may prefer to leave the tour in favour of a 'sundowner' at one of the many waterside bars and cafes, and a quick ferry back to town. Otherwise, we will whisk you south across the harbour bridge to central Auckland, where we say goodbye after another great day.