Waitakere Ranges

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The Waitakere Ranges are a chain of hills generally running approximately 25 km (15.5 mi) from north to south generally 25 km west of central Auckland, New Zealand. The maximum elevation within the range is 474 m (1555 ft).

The Waitakere Ranges and surrounding areas were traditionally known to Māori as Te Wao nui a Tiriwa.

Forest in the Waitakere Ranges

The western coastline of the ranges consists of cliffs exceeding 300 m (984 ft), interspersed infrequently with beaches. The rugged upstanding topography is formed from erosion resistant ancient volcanic conglomerate and lava flows laid down in eruptions 12-25 million years ago. The ranges are covered in native bush, most of which is in the process of regeneration since extensive logging and farming in the mid-late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In this case, what New Zealanders refer to as 'bush', is in fact 'sub-tropical forest'.

In 1894 a group lead by Sir Algernon Thomas, (the first professor of natural sciences at Auckland University College, now the University of Auckland), succeeded in persuading the Auckland City Council to preserve 3,500 acres (14 km²) in the Nihotupu area of the Waitakere Ranges as a bush reserve. In 1895 the national Government vested the land, and several other smaller areas of the Waitakere Ranges in the City Council as "reserves for the conservation of native flora and flora". The Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland now contains about 39,500 acres (160 km²).

There are five reservoirs within the ranges that were developed to supply water to the Auckland region. The ranges receive an average of over 2,000 mm (78.75 inches) of rainfall annually while the corresponding rate in the city is less than half that [1]. As weather systems approach across the Tasman Sea, their path is blocked by the ranges causing a small uplift sufficient for the system to dump.

Lion Rock, Piha

The area is now home to kauri snails, glowworms and native long-tailed bats. Long-tailed and short-tailed bats are New Zealand’s only native land based mammals. At its northern end, Otakamiro Point is the site of one of New Zealand’s few mainland gannet breeding colonies. In the bush are many indigenous invertebrates, including kauri snail, weta and oviparous peripatus or Onychophora with 14 pairs of legs, and ovoviviparous species of 15 and 16 pairs of legs, none of which are members of any of the five scientifically described New Zealand species.

Some of the ranges' main attractions are: the four popular surf beaches, Muriwai, Te Henga (Bethells Beach), Piha and Karekare; an extensive network of bush walks and tracks; panoramic views of the east and west coasts; and to the east, the city. A road, aptly named Scenic Drive, runs a good portion of the length of the ranges from Titirangi to Swanson. The Auckland Regional Council operates an information centre near the Titirangi end.

The beaches are typical of west coast beaches north of Taranaki in that they are all black sand beaches. They have a reputation of being dangerous for swimmers due to rips and large swells.

Made famous as the backdrop for films such as the Oscar winning 'The Piano', and TV series such as the record breaking Xena and Hercules, Waitakere is a tourist destination frequented for its wildlife, art districts, cafes and restaurants, wineries, adventure sports, farms, and black sand beaches.^[1]