Maungauika & North Head Historic Reserve Review: For Battery Guns and Best Views of Auckland City!

Maungauika or North Head is a historic reserve site where guns used to deployed due to fears of a Russian invasion. Today, it is not only a well-preserved historic reserve, North Head is also one of the best venues to take in the views of the Auckland City Sky Line…

Views of Auckland from Maungauika / North Head Historic Reserve Devonport

About Maungauika and North Head Historic Reserve

About Maungauika and North Head Battery Defences

The battery and fort at Maungauika / North Head was built in 1885. The photo about tells us a little more about the manning of the forts at North Head (Maungauika)…

“This is what you may have seen in 1900, a group of garrison gunners having a break waiting for the next drill.

From around 1870 to 1996 Fort Cautley at Maungauika / North Head was a base for Aotearoa / New Zealand defence forces.

Fortunately, the artillery was never needed in action.

Still, the guns were here just in case, and the men were ready to use them.”

About the North Battery

“The first guns were placed here in 1970 to defend the harbour entrance. In 1885 construction of the tunnels at Maungauika / North Head began in response to fears of a war with Russia. There have been three types of guns at the North Battery:
– 7-inch Muzzle Loader (1870-1888)
– 8-inch disappearing gun (1888-1920)
– A pair of 4-inch guns (during WW2 1939-1941)

These rooms here were originally guards’ quarters, later used as stables for horses. After WW2, the tunnels were used as a mushroom farm for a while.”

Guard House and Stables at Maungauika / North Head

About North Tunnel at Maungauika / North Head New Zealand

“North Head formed part of a chain of forts defending the Hauraki Gulf. North Battery was one of three batteries in the colonial fortification of North Head, named originally Fort Cautley.

These tunnel entrances served the North Battery. Inside are storage rooms for ammunition for the big guns guarding Rangitoto Channel. These coastal defences were begun in 1885, when Russia’s expanding empire worried New Zealand. The guns and searchlights on North Head were updated many times, especially in WW1 and 2, but no enemy has ever been fired on in these waters.”

Stairs to climb at Maungauika / North Head New Zealand

Coastal defence overlooking the channels at Maungauika / North Head New Zealand

During our visit to Maungauika / North Head, it was a beautiful day out with bright sunshine that litted up the green pastures. The sun also provided beautiful shots of the guns and the city of Auckland in the background…

2bearbear at North Head Historic Reserve / Maungauika

2bearbear at North Head Historic Reserve / Maungauika with Auckland in the background

South Battery “Disappearing Guns” at Maungauika / North Head Historic Reserve

Not only does Maungauika / North Head Historic Reserve provide panoramic views of the Devonport area all the way to Auckland City, there is also an interesting gun that we noticed – known as the “Disappearing Gun“…

Disappearing Gun South Battery Maungauika / North Head Historic Reserve

Hide and Shoot

“It (The guns at South Battery Maungauika / North Head) was called a disappearing gun because it vanished underground after each shot. This state-of-the-art design was installed here in 1887”

Kaboom-Gone

“When the gun fired, the recoil pushed it back into the gun pit, where it could be re-loaded under cover.”

For a limited time…

“The disappearing guns were built when attacking forces would be within visual range – so it helped defenders to hide. A major disadvantage of the disappearing guns was their slow rate of fire. The guns were used for only a short time. All three of the disappearing guns on Maungauika / North Head were sold for scrap in the 1920s but only one was completely removed. Rapid-fire long-range artillery developed during WW1 and refined in WW2 changed warfare. The way to beat attackers now was to have accurate, faster-firing, more powerful weapons than them.”

Disappearing Gun at South Battery of North Head Historic Reserve

Disappearing Gun at South Battery of North Head Historic Reserve / Maungauika

2bearbear with Disappearing Gun at South Battery of North Head Historic Reserve / Maungauika

When we first saw the disappearing guns, we thought that it was a really clever idea. Especially in those days, both attackers and defenders had to have visual detection of the target before firing. Hiding would therefore not give away your position easily.

Of course, the rate of fire would be a concern because the more you fire, the more you know where you rounds are landing and be able to “zero” on the target. So there’s some cons as well. Nonetheless, to put the idea into an actual recoil (i.e. whole gun recoiling into the gun pit) must have been borne by an ingenious engineer of that time. Wow!

Views of Auckland City from the volcano top at North Head Historic Reserve / Maungauika New Zealand

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Taking a seat to enjoy the views from North Head Historic Reserve / Maungauika Devonport New Zealand

All in all, it was a beautiful day to be out at Maungauika / North Head Historic Reserve. We’ve got beautiful shots with the “disappearing guns” and Auckland City Sky Line in the background. We’ve even learnt a little history about how the North and South batteries of North Head / Maungauika came to be. A very well-thought out attraction in Devonport New Zealand. Be sure to visit Maungauika and North Head Historic site if you’re visiting Auckland and the Northern Island of New Zealand!

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