DISCOVER
West Auckland
Attractions
Local Services
Oratia Dairy – 5 Minutes
The closest shop where you can pick up the bare essentials.
Oratia Garage – 5 Minutes
The last fuel stop before Piha as there aren’t more further West.
GLEN EDEN – 10 Minutes
Closest township with all the essential shops and services.
HENDERSON – 15 Minutes
The place to go for the big chains, mall, supermarkets,etc.
Motorway – 20 Minutes
Use Henderson, Te Atatu or Point Chevalier SH16 junctions.
NEW LYNN – 15 MINUTES
The place to go for the big chains, mall, supermarkets,etc.
Supermarkets – 15 Minutes
Henderson has more choice and bigger supermarket chains.
TRAINS – 10 Minutes
Sunnyvale & Glen Eden stations will take you into Auckland City.
Local Attractions
No matter how long you stay we’ve listed some of the local attractions that are right on your step.
Arataki Visitors Centre
Learn about the history of the Waitakere Ranges, its walking tracks and enjoy breath taking views across the Manukau Harbour.
Avondale Sunday Market
New Zealand’s biggest one day market and the oldest running market every Sunday. With food from all over the pacific and Asian continents and car boot items.
Crystal Mountain
Set on 40 achers it houses New Zealand’s largest crystal collection, an animal park, museum, rides, cafe and would you believe it, a dinosaur or two.
Just Plane Interesting
Operating for over 30 years it’s the best little curiosity shop in West Auckland as you never know what you might find and take home.
Oratia Farmers Market
Open every Saturday 8:30am to 12pm and located at 99 Parrs Cross Road, Oratia you can pick up a range of local fresh food and produce.
Oratia Folk Museum
Whilst it’s closed most of the time if you see it open when you pass its worth popping in to see how the early pioneers live in the 1800’s.
Titirangi Market
Every last Sunday from 8am to 1pm you have the popular Titirangi Village Market with a wide of stalls selling art, clothes, food, etc.
Tree Adventures
With 5 courses to chose from, challenge your balance, skills, build confidence and reach for new heights while enjoying the beauty of the Woodhill Forest.
West Lynn Garden
Within the beautiful 1.5-hectare public garden, from December to April, the Butterfly House comes to life with hundreds of Monarch butterflies.
West Coast Beaches
West Auckland has some absolutely stunning beaches to visit on the far side of the Waitakere Ranges. Whilst there’s a little corner shop in Huia and Piha for provisions, just remember to fill up the car with petrol before you head off as there isn’t any petrol stations beyond Oratia or Titirangi. If you want to catch breath taking sunsets from these beaches I’m afraid you’re going to stuck for choice.
The Road To Bethells Beach
Crystal Mountain
Set on 40 acres it houses NZ’s largest crystal collection, museum, theme park and a cafe. More details can be found on their website.
Cascade Walkway
On the far side of Waitakere Golf Clob is the Cascade carpark with several loop tracks to explore aling rivers and waterfalls,
Bethells Beach
Visitors usually hit the huge sand dunes or the beach at Bethells and during the summer they have live music and food by the beach.
The Road To Muriwia Beach
Kumeu Valley Wine Country
Known for its rolling vineyards, award-winning chardonnay, and family-owned estates, Kumeu blends rural charm with rich winemaking tradition.
Tree Adventures
With 5 courses to chose from, challenge your balance, skills, build confidence and reach for new heights while enjoying the beauty of the Woodhill Forest.
Muriwia Gannet Colony
Despite Muriwia being the furthest west coast beach to travel to, its the local Gannet colony that draws most people to this location.
The Road To Piha Beach
Karakare Falls
Before Piha is Karakara beach with a beautiful walk to the beach, Mercer Bay cliffs to the north and Karakara Falls close to the carpark.
Mercer Bay Loop Track
Between KareKare and Piha beaches are New Zealand’s highest coastal cliffs with breath taking views up and down the coast.
Piha Beach & Lions Rock
Auckland’s most famous beach is 30 minutes away and has stunning views, walks and waterfalls not to be missed.
The Road To Whatipu
Cornwallis Beach
A popular destination for fishermen and boaties the beach looks over the Manukau Harbour. Just check for hide tide times to walk the beach.
Donald Mclean Lookout
The climb from the carpark up to the lookout doesn’t take long and the stunning views up and down the coast are worth the effort.
Whatipu Beach
After passing through quaint Little Huia its a metal road up into the Waitakere’s all the way to Whatipu with caves & beaches to explore.
Walking Tracks
Walking Tracks
The Waitakere Ranges has many stunning bush walks and coastal tracks for all ages, fitness geared around the length of time and what you would like to see and do. The Arataki Visitors Centre on Scenic Drive is your best source for all this information and worth the visit as you’ll also learn about the history of the Waitakere’s whilst enjoying the stunning views high up across the Manakau Harbour. Whilst its a 10 minutes drive from it’s also a short 10 minute bush walk using the Arataki Nature Trail at the top of Parker Road. Alternatively you can use All Trails website to find out more about these tracks and our top picks below.