Hands up anyone who has been to the Helensville cemetery recently - and I mean just for pleasure. I consider it to be one of Helensville's "hidden" gems.

On a lovely day (like today) you get the most astonishing views - way better than from the mostly overgrown Wishart Rd lookout. You can see the whole Helensville township spread out below, along with Parakai in the distance. The oxbow curves of the Kaipara River really look something from up here, and you get a great view across to the Kaipara Harbour.

But the cemetery itself is great.

Perched on top of a ridge, with gnarled old trees everywhere, there are some wonderful old headstones. Much of it is pretty rundown, at least in the older section up at the top, with headstones leaning at all angles and old wrought iron fences falling down - but that just adds to the atmosphere. Keen photographers can have a field-day up here.

The newer sections lower down aren't nearly as interesting, of course - well kept and no view, but that's to be expected.

I recommend a jaunt up here on a fine day for any visitor to the town - it'll give you a good birds-eye view of the pay of the land, plus you can spend some time with many of the old identities of the town.