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Waitakere, West AucklandWaitakere ... naturally the West ! Framed by the bush-clad Waitakere Ranges and bordered by the wild Tasman Sea, Waitakere City in West Auckland has a character quite distinct from any other part of Auckland. Here the concept of an eco-city, linking both business and environmental excellence has produced a city that is productive as well as clean and green. 
The suburbs reach up into the Waitakeres, where the houses cling tenaciously
to the hillsides surrounded by gardens of native bush, their high perch
giving them widespread views out over Auckland Central and the North Shore.
Centennial Memorial Park is the jewel in Waitakere's crown. Covering an
area of over 10,000 hectares, it includes a sizeable chunk of the Waitakere
Ranges, plus some of the West Coast beaches. Within the park are 200km of
walking and hiking tracks, suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Beautiful native bush, cascading waterfalls and pretty bush streams are
among the attractions of the Park.
Tour the North Island
Kerikeri, Russell, Bay of Islands, Waitangi, Paihia, Coromandel Peninsula, Auckland, Waitakere, Whakatane, Rotorua, Taupo, New Plymouth, Napier, Hawkes Bay, Hastings, Havelock North, Wellington
Tour the South Island
Nelson, Picton, Westport, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Mount Cook, Akaroa, Tekapo, Twizel, Milford Sound, Wanaka, Queenstown, Doubtful Sound, Moeraki, Fiordland, Te Anau, Manapouri, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Stewart Island
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 The Music Studio - Apartment. Surrounded by wild flowers and forest views, The Music Studio is a cottage located in Waitakere. Te Henga Beach is 15...  AWOL Canyoning - Canyoning - Auckland. Challenge your senses with one of these back-to-nature adrenalin rushes, these trips have it all!
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Other visitors can hit the Waitakere wine trail. West Auckland wines are
consistent award winners, which testifies to the excellent growing
conditions and viticultural methods of this area. Boutique wineries and
major producers are both in existence with many in picturesque countryside
settings. Visitors are welcome at the vineyards where tasting of the wine
is always enjoyable as are the vineyard prices.
Waitakere City has a rich Maori heritage. The coastal belt to the
west of the Waitakere Ranges was favoured by the Maori of the Kawerau
iwi (tribe) and about 50 pa were built here to protect the coastal
zone. Signs of early Maori habitation are still evident in Centennial
Memorial Park, especially on islands and headlands which formed
natural defence areas. The Kawerau were force to retreat from Muriwai
into the Waitakere Ranges following the invasion by the Ngati Whatua.
Today Maori make up about 11% of Waitakere City's population, and
Maori language and culture are undergoing a rennaissance. Many of the
City's Maori preschoolers being educated in Maori at kohunga reo
(language nests) and the Hoani Waititi Marae is a national centre for
Maori culture, education and the performing arts.