Murrays Bay is one of the East Coast Bays on Auckland's North Shore, a sheltered crescent of sand between rocky headlands, with a wharf, a sailing club and big pōhutukawa trees leaning over the beach. In December these trees burst into crimson flower, which is why New Zealanders call the pōhutukawa their Christmas tree. Out across the Hauraki Gulf, the symmetrical cone of Rangitoto Island, Auckland's youngest volcano, sits on the horizon, and on a calm morning the water is glassy and pale.
As a place to begin and end rides, Murrays Bay is easy and pleasant. It is a quiet, residential suburb, but the shopping strips at nearby Mairangi Bay and Browns Bay have fuel stations, cafés and bakeries, and you can get a flat white and something sweet before setting off. Coming back at the end of a long day, a walk along the beach or out onto the wharf is a fine way to unwind.
The rides from here head in two directions. North, the motorway and then the coast roads lead towards Ōrewa, Warkworth and eventually Northland and the Bay of Islands; part of the new motorway north of Ōrewa is tolled, though you can take the older coastal route through Waiwera and Puhoi instead. West, the routes cross the upper harbour and head to the Waitākere Ranges and Piha, with their forested hills and wild black-sand beaches. Both directions involve some urban riding at the start, and Auckland's traffic can be heavy, especially on weekday mornings and Sunday evenings.
The local streets are steep in places, with tight bends and parked cars, and the coast road between the bays can be busy with cyclists and runners. Wind off the gulf can be strong, especially on the exposed headlands and on the Harbour Bridge, if you cross it. The weather in Auckland is changeable, with showers coming and going, so a light rain layer is never a bad idea.