The Landing, previously known as the Manukau Hotel, is a familiar building to anyone driving to and from the Auckland airport, hugging the edge of the Manukau harbour at Onehunga. Sitting right above Onehunga Wharf, the pub today is marooned from Onehunga itself by the motorway, and is the only surviving pub from the heyday of Onehunga as an important port. Built in 1865 as the Manukau Hotel, fire destroyed the old building in 1879, but it was rebuilt immediately. The tram terminus from Auckland city was originally located opposite the hotel nearer the wharf, creating a centre of commercial activity, all of which has vanished.
As Onehunga declined and the area became more industrial, the Manukau Hotel followed the fortunes of the town. But luck held, and unlike all its rivals that have since disappeared, the Manukau was rescued and totally renovated in 2000. The old double fireplaces were uncovered and restored, the fabulous kauri floors now glow and shine and kauri timber from old outbuildings was used for the bar and tables.
Now renamed the Landing, the old pub had two public bars, a private bar, upstairs accommodation and a dining room, while today there is just a single bar and a dining room. Both are decorated in an appropriate nautical theme that works well with the Victorian style of the old hotel, and in the bar are several detailed historic photos of old Onehunga, including other local hotels long gone. Two ghosts, one a woman and the other a man, both dressed in Victorian clothing, haunt the first floor, but never venture downstairs.
While it is not the easiest place to get to from Onehunga, it is a little gem of old Auckland that is well worth the effort seeking out.