Get outdoors and be active over the holidays

Our beautiful Waitakere Ranges might be off limits but there are still plenty of places to enjoy the outdoors in West Auckland.

A rahui has been placed over the Waitakere Ranges by our local iwi, Te Kawerau a Maki. This cultural restriction urges people to stay away from the ranges to allow the forest to heal. Auckland Council supports the principles of the rahui and recommends alternative walking and tramping tracks.

Auckland councillor and Healthy Families Waitakere Strategic Leadership Group member Penny Hulse will be enjoying the outdoors and recommends Te Atatu Park, especially for dogs, and the coastal walk around the Peninsula.

“Healthy Families Waitakere is doing great work to get West Auckland families to be more active and enjoy all what the west has to offer,” she says.

Healthy Families Waitakere are urging West Aucklanders to explore our local community and the wonderful walkways and cycleways that we have at our doorstep.

The Oratia Stream shared path is an award winning Twin Streams walk and features edible gardens where locals are encouraged to grow their own vegetables. The path can be accessed from Henderson town centre and leads into Paars Park where there are places to be active on basketball courts and playgrounds making it suitable for all ages and abilities.

Another award winning Twin Streams walk is the The Opanuku Stream shared path walk featuring conservation initiatives and stretches from Great North Road through to Henderson Valley Road. For a longer walk, the Henderson Creek shared path also connects to this route. Maps for the shared paths can be accessed on the Auckland Transport and Project Twin Streams websites.

For those who enjoy flat walks which are mobility scooter, wheelchair and pram friendly, the Avondale Whau River, Hobsonville Point Circuit and Te Atatu Peninsula walks provide boardwalks over the water and natural habitat with an abundance of wildlife. Maps can be found on the Walks in Auckland website.

Healthy Families NZ is a large-scale initiative that brings community leadership together in a united effort for better health. Healthy Families NZ is focussed on creating many health promoting environments across the community that enable people to make good food choices, be physically active, smoke-free and free from alcohol-related harm. Healthy Families Waitakere is one of ten locations across the country involved in the Healthy Families NZ movement.

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