Auckland's West Coast
The rainforest of the Waitakere Ranges is the ecological treasure at Auckland's western fringe. Situated only 24 kilometres west of Auckland, the area covers more than 18,000 hectares of rainforest and beaches, and features more than 240km of walking trails through beautiful strands of native trees, streams and stunning coastline. It was first made into a regional park in 1894.
The Waitakere Ranges were formed from a series of volcanic eruptions over the past 22 million years. Huge amounts of volcanic sand have mixed over time with magnetic iron oxide ash in order to form the distinctive black sand beaches of the coast. These were made famous in the film 'The Piano' and television series 'Xena: Warrior Princess' and 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.'
The region offers great diversity of flora and fauna. This is accentuated with the variety of environments, from lush forest, to coastal wetlands, to broad sandfields.
The best place to begin your Waitakere Rainforest adventure is the Arataki Visitor Centre on Scenic Drive. Visitors can see displays about the rainforest as well as maps and books on the flora, fauna and local history. The centre offers 360 degree views of the area and features carvings created by local iwi (tribe) Te Kawerau a Maki.
The rainforest offers wonderful walking trails and a wealth of natural beauty to help spend a few days re-charging the batteries and warming the soul.
There is a great variety of cosy lodges and B&Bs to stay in overnight, set in the forest or along the coastline. Days can be filled with plenty of interesting places to entertain the family such as farmyard visits, art galleries, wineries to sample and canyoning for the more adventurous.
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