Waitakere Wilderness Wonderland
If you would like to get away
from it all, without driving more the 30 minutes from the Auckland
International Airport, or from the city centre, then this is for
you. The skyline of blue/green hills to the west of Auckland, the Waitakere
Ranges, is a wonderland of rainforest, waterfalls, streams, beaches
and sea.
One of the most unusual and endearing attributes of the biggest city
in New Zealand is this enormous wilderness
park, right on the doorstep, where visitors can enjoy a complete
contrast to city life. Sir Arthur Hill, curator of the famous botanic
gardens at Kew in London, remarked that "no city in New Zealand
has such a wonderful asset so close to it". Nineteen thousand acres
at least is open to the public and is traced with paths,
tracks streams, waterfalls, beaches and bays and the ocean.
The beauty of the ranges can be experienced from a huge track network
of approximately 200kms of walking trails which wind through the lush
vegetation, with streams and waterfalls in various locations through
the parkland. The native bush in the park also provides shelter and
nesting habitat for about 20 species of native and introduced birds
- wood pigeons, fantails, tuis, morporks, and rosellas - a few of
the better knows species which provide the melodic echo of birdsong
throughout the forest. For more information on things to do in the Waitakeres, visit: www.aucklandexplorer.co.nz/waitakereranges/waitakereranges.html
Local History
Since the early 1600's, the Waitakere area was originally inhabited
by 'Kawerau A Maki' people, the maori tribe which arrived in New Zealand
prior to the 'great fleet from Hawaiki, the very old homeland
of the Maori. The area was then known as 'Te Wao a Tiriwa' (the
great forest of Tiriwa) - Tiriwa being an important ancestor of the
Kawerau people. Tribal wars and illnesses passed on by european inhabitants
caused the resident tribespeople to decrease substantially and most
of the land was eventually sold off to the European settlers and the
Government.. However, members of the tribe continue to live in West
Auckland to the present day. Together with those who have settled in
other parts of Auckland, they continue to visit sacred areas, to gather
materials for weaving and to fish. Te Kawerau are actively involved
in the management of the environment of West Auckland and are reestablishing
their role as kaitiaki (guardians) of the area.
The Waitakere Ranges was by the mid 1930's the largest area of publicly
owned regenerating forest in the region.having been heavily milled in
the early 1800s for its kauri, rimu and totora timbers . It is now making
a good recovery with an abundant reappearance of most of the native
trees, ferns and palms.
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