Titirangi

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 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, a great place to explore New Zealand art. Many short walks or tramps in the Waitakeres start from Titirangi, and maps and advice can be found at the nearby Arataki Visitor Centre

Titirangi (hill)

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. The mountain, called Titirangi Maunga in reo Maori is sacred to the Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti iwi.

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Titirangi (New Zealand electorate)

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.

Population centres

The 1987 electoral redistribution took the continued population growth in the North Island into account, and two additional general electorates were created, bringing the total number of electorates to 97. In the South Island, the shift of population to Christchurch had continued. Overall, three electorates were newly created (including Titirangi), three electorates were recreated, and four electorates were abolished. All of those electorates were in the North Island. Changes in the South Island were restricted to boundary changes. These changes came into effect with the 1987 election.

The electorate was in the western suburbs of Auckland, and initially included the population centres of Titirangi and Laingholm. Most of the electorate's area had come from the Waitakere electorate, but some areas came from Te Atatu and New Lynn. Later, the Titirangi electorate moved further east and took in the suburb of New Lynn.