Arataki Visitor Centre

16/01/2025

It was awesome having Ngā Rangatahi Toa at Arataki Visitor Centre this week! 💚🌞

10/01/2025

Hey everyone! Here's another cool opportunity for the school holidays. This one's not an Arataki kaupapa, though... we're sharing this on behalf of our friends at the Te Atatū Peninsula Community Centre! Rangatahi, grab your friends and put together a team for this three-on-three basketball comp. Links to register or email for more info on the poster!

31/12/2024

Happy new year, everyone! Here's another reason to visit Arataki Visitor Centre this summer: we're holding a colouring competition! We're collaborating with New Zealand Mountain Safety Council to promote Gillian Candler's new picture book 'Mia & Leo Go Wild'. Simply swing by the Visitor Centre, grab a copy of the competition and your markers... and go wild! Competition ends 31 January 2025. 5 kids spot prize packs to be won!

27/12/2024

Ngā mihi atawhai o te tau hou, e te whānau - seasons greetings! Here's another cool summer kaupapa: a concert on the decks starring local musicians John Goudge and Matt Reece. Read on for a description, and click here for tickets: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8NmWCyojK2hlr5kKuZfkIxg7VO?domain=events.humanitix.com
Relax on the deck enjoying views over the beautiful Waitākere forest while listening to the sonic landscapes of musicians Matt Reece and John Goudge. An exclusive event limited to 50 tickets. $20.
Having grown up in or around the West Auckland bush, Matt and John find inspiration in the trees, beaches, and rugged hills. They often include native bird song and the sounds of nature in their musical compositions, along with traditional Māori instruments. Their one-hour journey through air, earth, water, fire, and ether encompasses a mixture of original ambient world music, song, and chill-out beats.

Musical Sound Journey at Arataki Visitor Centre

22/12/2024

A very Meri Kirihimete and a Happy New Year from Arataki Visitor Centre!

Thank you to all our visitors and community for your wonderful support this year 💚

We're open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day and look forward to welcoming you this holiday season! 🎄

20/12/2024

🔔It’s our last instalment of Waitakere Wonders for 2024,and you won’t want to miss this one!

This week: Maukatia Gannet Track

Time: 25mins
Distance: 1.3km
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Dogs: No dogs allowed near the Gannets
Starting point: Waitea Road or Māori Bay Carparks

One of the Waitākere Ranges most popular tourist attractions is reopening in time for Christmas and the summer bird nesting season, allowing visitors once again to view a majestic seabird colony of gannets as they gather at Auckland’s west coast.

Following an extended closure due to significant storm damage in early 2023, the Maukatia Gannet Track and access to the Takapu Refuge / Gannet Colony at Ōtakamiro Point in Muriwai has now been restored.

Access to viewing points in the Muriwai Regional Park, positioned above the gannets nesting site, is set to reopen from today, 20 December 2024! 💚

Please note that once the gannets leave in March or April, the Maukatia Gannet Track is likely to temporarily close for more repair work.

18/12/2024

**UPDATE 20/12/2024** The road is now already open as of this morning!

Amazing news just in time for Christmas! Auckland Transport are on track to complete the road repairs on Scenic Drive between Woodlands Park Road and Titirangi roundabout this weekend!

Expect the road to re-open on Saturday 21 December, which means that once more you'll be able to access us directly from Titirangi Village - yay! 💚

14/12/2024

Check out these stunning photos from the Bush and Beach whānau! 💚

09/12/2024

Planning a day trip? 🚗 Why not head out west for an adventure? 🌿
Here are some must-visit spots to make your roadie unforgettable:
📍 Arataki Visitor Centre – stunning views and nature walks
📍 Lopdell Precinct – art, culture, and local vibes
📍 Cornwallis Beach – golden sand and coastal views

26/11/2024

A huge thank you to our whānau at BirdCare Aotearoa for securing funding for five new bat detectors and a night vision device to share with you, our nature-loving community! 🦇

Watch this space for upcoming bat events in the new year! 💚

Exciting news everyone!

Thanks to the generosity of the we have five new bat detectors and a night vision device to share with you, our nature-loving community! 🦇 These tools are part of an ongoing collaboration with our adventurous friends at Arataki Visitor Centre centre who many of you may remember from the Ruru Night Owls. 🌠

For those still outraged that the Pekapeka tou roa (long-tailed bat) won 2021 Bird of the Year, did you know that the threats to our feathered friends overlap with threats to many other taonga 🦜🦉🐛🦇🐌🐝🌳?

The idea is for these tools to encourage us all to think about kaitiakitanga, even in our own backyards. The night vision device in particular will give us an appreciation of the critical predator free work going on across Aotearoa. Thank you to all community groups, and rangers involved!

Stay tuned for invites to upcoming adventure with where you too can experience these amazing new tools. Thanks again

💚 💚 💚

24/11/2024

We're delighted to say we've been awarded with a coveted Green Flag Award for another year! 💚🌳🌿
Read more here! https://bit.ly/greenflagarataki

Two green spaces in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area have come out on top internationally.