Titirangi

Suburb:	Titirangi
City:	Waitakere
Island:	North Island
Surrounded by  - to the north  - to the east  - to the south  - to the west	Waiatarua, Kaurilands, Titirangi North Green Bay Wood Bay, French Bay Waima, Konini

Titirangi is a suburb of Waitakere, one of the four cities of the Auckland urban area in northern New Zealand. It is a residential suburb located 13 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland city centre, at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges.

It is characterised by houses built within the native bush of the Waitakere Ranges. Many are of unusual design or are raised on poles to avoid the damp. The Waitakere Ranges lie on the west coast in the path of the prevailing winds from the Tasman and consequently attract a high rainfall. The native bush is home to many native birds, such as the Fantail, Tui, Kererū or "Wood Pigeon", Morepork or Ruru and White-eye. The landscape of Titirangi ranges from Titirangi Beach on the Manukau Harbour to 400 metre high parts of the Waitakere Ranges.

Until the 1980s it was well known for the high proportion of bohemians living in the area. A number of well known New Zealand musicians, artists, writers and potters currently live or have lived in the area, including singer/songwriter Alastair Riddell (of Space Waltz), singer/songwriter Tim Finn (who wrote the song "I Hope I Never" there), musical duo Tabby Central, actress Alma Evans-Freake, author Maurice Shadbolt, painter Colin McCahon (whose house is preserved as a museum), photographer Brian Brake, poet John Caselberg and potter Len Castle. An active local theatre, art gallery and radio station (GOfm) are based in historic Lopdell House (the only public building over two stories in height). Many short walks or tramps in the Waitakeres start from around Titirangi.

Titirangi has a doctors' surgery, primary school, kindergarten, play centre, petrol station, library, kindergarten, play centre, a small supermarket, (which was involved in an important employment law case), fire station, filter station, war memorial, two banks, two theatres, two halls, three restaurants, three cafes, three takeaways and countless arts and crafts shops and galleries. There is no police station, no movie theatre and no secondary school.

Titirangi is bordered to the south by Manukau Harbour, to the north west by the rest of the Waitakere Ranges' native bush clad hills consisting of the large Centennial Memorial Park and water catchment areas which supply much of Auckland's water. The main road into the Waitakeres, the Scenic Drive, begins in Titirangi. To the west are a number of more urban suburbs. For many New Zealanders, the name "Titirangi" is associated with Auckland's best-known golf course, the Titirangi Golf Course. The course is actually located on the border of the nearby suburbs of New Lynn and Green Bay. Less than scrupulous real estate agents tend to call New Lynn, Green Bay and Blockhouse Bay by the relatively more prestigious name of Titirangi. Other suburbs surrounding Titirangi include Waima, Konini, Glen Eden, Woodlands Park, Laingholm and Waiatarua.

Titirangi is often referred to as 'The Beverly Hills of the West' because of its beautiful vistas and expensive properties.

External links

• Titirangi Online [1]

• Village web site [2]

• Drama group [3]

• Returned Services Association [4]

• Titirangi Golf Club [5]

• Art gallery [6]

• Potters [7]

• Colin McCahon's house [8]

• Lopdell House [9]

• GOfm [10]

• Titirangi Baptist Church [11]