racetrack
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park
Motor racing circuit in north Waikato beside the Waikato Expressway, hosting national series and open track days.
32 km · about 35 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandAuckland
Waiuku
Auckland, New Zealand · Oceania
About Waiuku
Waiuku sits on the route: 20 minutes from Patumahoe, 37km from Karekare Beach.
Waiuku is in Auckland, New Zealand, with about 9,900 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Patumahoe, about 11 km away.
Waiuku is a rural town in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River, which is an estuarial arm of the Manukau Harbour, and lies on the isthmus of the Āwhitu Peninsula, which extends to the northeast. It is 40 kilometres southwest of Auckland city centre, and 12Read more
kilometres north of the mouth of the Waikato River.
Settled in the 13th or 14th centuries, the Waiuku area was an important transportation hub, as the Te Pai o Kaiwaka portage was the preferred route for people travelling between the Waikato River and Manukau Harbour. The area became a centre for Ngāti Kahukōkā, a Waiohua hapū, by the 15th century. Ngāti Te Ata developed as a union between Waiohua and Waikato Tainui peoples, around the 17th century at Waiuku.
Waiuku became a trading port in 1851, facilitating trade between the Waikato River and the port of Onehunga, and Purapura, a Ngāti Te Ata village was established at the navigable head of the Awaroa Creek to the south. After the Invasion of the Waikato in 1863, the port of Waiuku suffered due to the lack of Māori produce being transported. By the end of the 19th century, Waiuku had begun developing into a centre for the dairy industry. In 1922, a railway line branch was constructed to Waiuku, and by 1955 Waiuku had grown enough to become an independent borough. In 1968, the Glenbrook steel mill opened in neighbouring Glenbrook, becoming a major employer in Waiuku.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Waiuku?
Within an hour or so of Waiuku: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (32 km), Karekare Beach (37 km), Piha Beach (40 km), Auckland Zoo (43 km).
Where is Waiuku?
Waiuku is in Auckland, New Zealand, about 11 km from Patumahoe.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 9,860
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Auckland
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -37.2481, 174.7349
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Waiuku
7 notable places within an hour's drive.
beach
Karekare Beach
A vast black-sand beach beneath the Waitakere Ranges, where The Piano was filmed, with a waterfall in the bush behind the car park. Wilder and emptier than neighbouring Piha.
37 km · about 45 min drive
beach
Piha Beach
Auckland's wild west coast surf beach, dominated by the iconic Lion Rock and powerful black-sand breakers.
40 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Auckland Zoo
New Zealand's largest zoo with native wildlife including kiwi alongside exotic species from around the globe.
43 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Sky Tower
328-metre observation and telecommunications tower dominating the Auckland skyline, New Zealand's tallest man-made structure.
45 km · about 50 min drive
bridge
Auckland Harbour Bridge
The eight-lane icon spanning Waitematā Harbour since 1959, carrying SH1 into downtown Auckland with skyline and gulf views: thrill-seekers can climb it or bungy jump off it.
46 km · about 55 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Muriwai Gannet Colony
Around 1,200 pairs of Australasian gannets nest on a cliff shelf and sea stack west of Auckland, with viewing platforms placed metres from the birds. Occupied roughly August to March.
54 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Waiuku
- 46 kmAuckland Harbour BridgeThe eight-lane icon spanning Waitematā Harbour since 1959, carrying SH1 into downtown Auckland with skyline and gulf views: thrill-seekers can climb it or bungy jump off it.
- 54 kmMuriwai Gannet ColonyAround 1,200 pairs of Australasian gannets nest on a cliff shelf and sea stack west of Auckland, with viewing platforms placed metres from the birds. Occupied roughly August to March.
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