Wikipedia
Titirangi is a suburb in the Waitakere Ward of the city of Auckland in northern New Zealand. It is an affluent, residential suburb located 13 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland city centre, at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges. In Māori language "Titirangi" means "long streaks of cloud in the sky", but this is often given as "fringe of heaven".
The population was 3,330 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 93 from 2001.
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 and white-eye. The landscape of Titirangi ranges from Titirangi Beach on the Manukau Harbour to 400 metre high parts of the Waitakere Ranges.
For a long time the area had a reputation for bohemianism. A number of well known New Zealand musicians, artists, writers and potters currently live or have lived in the area, including singer/songwriter Tim Finn (who wrote the song "I Hope I Never" there), actress Alma Evans-Freake, author Maurice Shadbolt, painter Colin McCahon (whose house is preserved as a museum), photographer Brian Brake, poet John Caselberg, photographer James Stonley and potter Len Castle. An active local theatre, community art gallery and radio station are based in historic Lopdell House. Located next door Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery is West Auckland's Regional Art Gallery. Many short walks or tramps in the Waitakeres start from Titirangi.
Titirangi is bordered to the south by Manukau Harbour, to the west and 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 east and north 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. Other suburbs surrounding Titirangi include Waima, Konini, Glen Eden, Woodlands Park, Laingholm and Waiatarua.
Titirangi is a hill in Gisborne city, New Zealand. It is also known as Kaiti Hill, but this refers to the first ridge overlooking Poverty Bay and Gisborne. The hill is an ancestral site of the Ngati Oneone hapū (sub-tribe) in Gisborne. It is at the base of this hill that Captain James Cook came ashore, after first sighting New Zealand in October 1769.
The 33 ha Titirangi Reserve is a tourist attraction; the hill has a Cook monument, a pohutukawa tree planted by Diana, Princess of Wales, the James Cook Observatory, a fitness course, a park, and four lookouts over Gisborne city and Poverty Bay. Other features include a World War II gun emplacement, a summit track and nature trails. At the base of the hill is the marae Te Poho-o-Rawiri, the home of Ngati Oneone, which was built by Master-carver, Pine Taiapa.
Titirangi is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1987 to 2002, with a break from 1996 to 1999. It was represented by four members of parliament, with three of them from Labour and one from National.
Titirangi can refer to:
- Titirangi, a suburb of Waitakere, Auckland, New Zealand
- Titirangi (hill), Gisborne, New Zealand, also known as Kaiti Hill
- Titirangi (New Zealand electorate), former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate