Waitakere Ranges

The Waitakere Ranges ( Māori Te Wao nui a Tiriwa ) are a chain of hills, which extends about 25 km west of Auckland in New Zealand over a distance of 25 km in the north-south direction. They are more than 474 meters high.

The west coast west of Auckland is made up of more than 300 meters high cliffs, which are occasionally interrupted by beaches. The cliffs formed by erosion of ancient volcanic conglomerate and lava flows that were deposited in front of 12 to 25 million years ago. The hills are of "Bush" ( in this case, sub-tropical forest ) covered, the regenerated after logging and agriculture in the second half of the 18th and early 19th century.

1894, a group led by Sir Algernon Thomas, the first professor of geology and botany at the University of Auckland, Auckland City Council to convince to accept 14 km ² in area Nihotupu area of the Waitakere Ranges as a protected area. 1895 classified the New Zealand government this area and several other, smaller parts of the Waitakere Ranges as " reserves for the conservation of native flora and fauna " one. The Reserve at The Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland today covers an area of approximately 160 km ².

Within the ranges, there are five dams that were built to supply water to the Auckland region. There is one years rainfall of about 2000 mm, while Auckland receives less than half of that. Since the weather systems coming from the Tasman Sea, their way from the Waitakere Ranges is blocked, the amount sufficient to bring the clouds to raining.

Through the mountains the only access leads to the resorts Piha and Karekare.

In the Ranges to find cowries and so-called Glowworms ( Arachnocampa luminosa, not to be confused with the German fireflies ), wetas and New Zealand bats. Velvet worms of the genus Peripatus, of which egg-laying species with 14 pairs of legs and oviovivipare specimens occur with 15 or 16 pairs of legs that belong to none of the five scientifically described New Zealand species, occur in the field.

At the northern end is located at Otakamiro Point one of the few breeding colonies of gannets on mainland New Zealand.

The coast in front of the ridge has four popular for surfing beaches, Muriwai Beach, Te Henga, Piha and Karekare. The rank also offer an extensive network of hiking and riding trails and beautiful views of the East and West Coast and Auckland. A Scenic Drive -called road runs from Titirangi after Swanson through a large part of the rank. The city council of Auckland operates an information center near Titirangi.

The beaches are as many beaches on the west coast north of Taranaki of black volcanic sand. They are dangerous because of surf backflow and strong swell for swimmers.