Waiatarua

Waiatarua is a small settlement near the top of the Waitakere Ranges, which border New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, close to the junction of Scenic Drive, West Coast Road and Piha Road to Piha and runs east until the junction of Scenic Drive and Mountain Road. Surrounded by native bush in the Centennial Memorial Park and the water catchment area, Waiatarua is over 300 metres above sea level and some houses are over 400m above sea level (higher than the Auckland Sky Tower^[1]).

Radio and Television Mast

A large radio and television transmission mast is located in the area. The mast has a high-power TV transmitter broadcasting the main TV channels (including TV ONE, TV2, TV3, C4 and Prime) to most areas in Auckland. Radio broadcasts used to be broadcast from this mast, but has since transferred to the Auckland Sky Tower.

History

Rose Hellaby House is a historic building transformed into a museum.

Tourism

The nearby Arataki Information Centre^[2] proves information about the local flora, fauna and geology, and is the starting point for a number of well-maintained walking trails.

Tramping

Many other tramping tracks are in the area. The nearest centres to Waiatarua are Titirangi village, Swanson, and the Henderson Valley.

Education

The local state primary schools are Oratia School and Henderson Valley School. The local state secondary schools are Kelston Boys High School and Kelston Girls High School. Catholic students usually attend St Dominics College in Henderson (girls) or commute by train from Henderson to Marist College (girls) or St Peter's College (boys).