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UPPER NIHOTUPU RESERVOIR WALK

Category: Easy              Duration: 80mins           Rating:  10/10This is a lovely bush walk where there are waterfalls, reservoir lake, striking dam face and views.  We did this walk last September when the Kowhai flowers were in full bloom so there were vibrant yellow flowers everywhere. The Tuis were out in full force too so it was truly a memorable walk. It only takes 30 minutes to walk down to the dam and then ano...

THE ZIG ZAG TRACK

Category: Easy              Duration: 40 minutes           Rating:  8/10 If you are wanting an easy bush walk to do then the Zig Zag Track is perfect for you. It starts on Park Road in Titirangi and heads down the valley to Titirangi Beach. It has a lot of board walks and steps making it an easy walk for the whole family. The bush is lush and full of native trees so incredibly beautiful.  To make it a longer outing you co...

WHY WE LOVE RENOVATION SHOWS

Anyone who has undertaken a home renovation, even a small one, will tell you that while the end result can be hugely rewarding – the journey can be super stressful.  From living in a temporary disaster zone, to budget blowouts, we can often be left wondering why we ever started!  So why, then, are renovation reality TV shows so popular?! Shows like The Block NZ, Mitre 10 Dream Home and Changing Rooms have a huge following as we suffer along with our favourite teams or celebrate their...

WHITE'S BEACH WALK

Category: Easy /Medium   Duration: 70 minutes   Rating:  9/10Head to Piha and stop at the Piha Store for some delicious picnic food. I love their Affogato coffee with vanilla ice cream and their quiches. Drive to the far north end of Piha. Head north on the beach and near the end head for the trees and look for a sign for the Laird Thomson Track. Follow this track to the top of the hill and go to the lookout point where you will have spectacular views of Wh...

WINTER... A GREAT TIME FOR PEAS!

Winter gardening guide: vegetables and herbs that love the cold! The right plant in the right place is a joy to every gardener. Add to that the right time (winter!), and you can get bountiful harvests of edibles with minimal pest and disease problems, and some even taste better after frosty treatment. Here's what you can sow and grow in New Zealand in winter. Broad beans are good for both gardener and garden. This useful cover crop sends nitrogen into your soil, provides food for your family (an...

SUBURB SPOTLIGHT: TITIRANGI

Titirangi is a lovely trendy suburb and an easy 17 kilometre drive from the CBD. It kisses the end of the southern Waitākere Ranges making it a recreational slice of heaven for those who love the outdoors. Titirangi is bordered to the south by the Manukau Harbour, and the native bush has plenty of birds, geckos and rare frogs.Scenic walks are plentiful so you can get a bit of exercise before heading to work or maybe on the weekends as you wind through the bush experiencing breathtaking views. T...

MOKOROA FALLS TRACK

Category: Easy     Duration:  50 minutes     Rating:  8/10The Mokoroa waterfall walk reopened earlier this year and is a short easy walk to the viewing platform to see the waterfall. If you want a longer walk you can do the Goldie Bush walkway. Just head towards Bethell's beach and put Horsman Road in on your google maps. It only took me 20 minutes to get to the viewing platform so I walked down the 127 steps to the bottom of the waterfall. Afte...

HISTORICAL LAINGHOLM

Historically Laingholm was farmed by the Laing family, whose home was situated at the southern end of Laingholm Beach.  “Roseneath” was the Laing homestead until the 1920s.  Laing, a Scottish surname, and Holm from the Scottish spelling of Old Norse meaning “water meadow” gave the area its name.  Prior to the 1920s the area was known as Roseneath. In the late 1800s, the surrounding districts of Titirangi and Big Muddy Creek developed with the improved access to New Lynn an...

LION ROCK & TAITOMO ISLAND

Difficulty: Hard (if going to the top)     Time: 1 hour             Rating: 9/10I have lived in West Auckland for many years but this is the first time I have been up Lion Rock. It is quite steep going up and about two thirds of the way up there is a fence and sign saying danger...The day I went there were lots of people going past this sign so I joined them. It is quite precarious so be very careful and I wouldn't be taking children past this po...

GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY

We’re proud to be a part of your community!From providing vital medical equipment, to sponsoring local events and getting behind sports teams like the Auckland Blues and the Northern Mystics, Barfoot & Thompson love being a part of what makes Auckland so unique. That’s why you’ll often see us out and about supporting or helping out at clubs, schools and charity events or donning a ‘house suit’ at the Santa Parade. We hope that through our sponsorships, we can make our local communities...

ANAWHATA BEACH WALK

Category: Medium  Duration: 60mins  Rating:  8/10 Many tourists and locals alike whip past the Anawhata turn off, on their way to Piha or Karekare, without a second thought.  Not many turn off here to explore one of the West Coasts’ best kept secrets, Anawhata Beach. That’s their loss! Drive towards Piha and look for the Anawhata sign. Drive approximately 10 kilometres, past the very occasional house, until you reach the end of the road and the beach carpark – with a sp...

GETTING READY FOR AUTUMN!

The weather is changing, daylight savings finishes on 7 April, and now is a good time to pay attention to home maintenance to get you through the winter!  Here's our top  tips to help you keep on top of things. 1. Clean out gutters and replace any broken sections.  Clogged gutters can cause interior flooding and external damage.  If you have someone do your gutters for you, have them check the roof for potential leaks too. 2. Check for drafts.  Heat loss through windows ...

Got To Love "HOME HACKS"

“Home Hacks”… got to love ‘em!  Here are some favourite “must try” hacks. Peeling sweet corn to avoid the hairy bits!!  ...

Dream Team Behind the Scenes.

You’ve most likely seen their brightly branded cars, and numerous For Sale signs throughout Titirangi, Laingholm and beyond  - after all for more than 10 years and for over 290 sales, Sacha Collins and Brigid O’Connor have been the go-to for house sellers and buyers in the area.  They have been the number 1 sales team for Barfoot & Thompson Titirangi since 2016 for good reason! So let’s get to know the Dream Team a little better... What did you do before real estate? Sacha: ...

Kitekite Falls Walk

Difficulty: Easy       Length: 1 hour           Rating 10/10 The Kitekite Falls track is right up there with the top 10 things to do in the Waitakere Ranges.  We are fortunate that the walk has been recently reopened (it was closed as part of the fight against Kauri die-back), so that we still have plenty of summer time in which to fully appreciate it. The walk is accessed from the carpark at the end of Glen Esk Rd, and is a pretty easy, mos...

Laird Thomson Track Walk

Category: Easy   Duration: 40mins      Rating:  8 / 10 Drive to North Piha and walk towards the end of the beach. The track entrance is relatively hidden so you will need to look for it. I did this track on a very cold blustery winter's day but there is nothing like a wild walk on the west coast to blow the cobwebs away.  Now that the weather is improving, this spot will be even more stunning.The track gradually goes up for about 15 min...

The Bush Markers - Titirangi Icon or Eyesore?

For better or for worse the sculpture on the Titirangi Village roundabout has become an enduring local icon – taking pride of place as a motif for many local businesses.In the early 1990s the then Waitakere City Council, along with Unitec, promoted a competition for young aspiring artists to come up with a public artwork.  The Titirangi sculpture was the work of Unitec student, Lisa Higgens, inspired by the microscopic lichens of the Waitakere Ranges.  Over the years, the sculpture h...

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

If you base your property decisions on what’s happening in the media, you’d be forgiven for being totally bewildered. The property market’s up…down…sideways or doing the loop-the-loop, with every day a different story. So is there really a ‘best time’ to sell?Well, the answer is YES - and no.  Is autumn/winter a great time to sell? The weather might be grim, but if your home is a warm, cosy nest  - then absolutely it’s a great time.  There are less proper...

Spring Is In The Air!

Have you noticed a slight warmth in the air, a little more light in the evenings, a bud of blossom on the trees..?   Without tempting the fate of the weather gods – yes, Spring is definitely in the air.  And with less than a month to its official start, it is time to start thinking about the great outdoors – your great outdoors. Here’s a few garden and outdoor maintenance tips we’ve put together to get you out into the fresh air, and breathing new life into your home and g...

Whatipu Beach Walk

Category: Easy         Rating:  10 / 10 Duration: 30mins - 1 hour    I chose this walk as I needed a relatively easy walk for my 79 year old mother in law. From Titirangi it takes about half an hour to drive to Whatipu, with part of the road still gravel. From the car park to the beach it only takes 10 minutes but walking along the beach and over the sand dunes is where the magic lies. My initially grumpy 13 year old loved jumping, climbing and running thr...

The Future of Property Marketing

How do you get your property to stand out in an increasingly cluttered internet environment?  And once they get to your property online, how do you keep buyer interest? It’s safe to say that the internet has revolutionised how consumers search and purchase, and this is no more evident than in real estate marketing.  Home buyers these days will research their next home on their computer or mobile device, looking at the presentation of the home and what the location offers, even before...

Titirangi Village Market

If you find yourself in the Titirangi Village on the last Sunday of each month - the local  Market is definitely well worth a visit.Held rain or shine at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall and carpark off South Titirangi Road from 10am - 2pm, the brightly coloured stalls showcase the best in local art, produce and crafts. The market began in 1991 as a class fundraising initiative for the local Rudolf Steiner School, and has been run by the school Trust ever since.   Growing in popularity ...

Kakamatua Inlet Walk

Kakamatua is doggie heaven. Drive past Cornwallis Beach and drive to the bottom of the hill and park here. Walk through the bush track for 6 minutes with your dog on the lead and then once you come out of the bush area let them run freely. Follow the stream to the beach and walk to the far end of the beach. Your dog will absolutely love it here. Afterwards head to the Huia Foodstore for coffee and a delicious muffin. CATEGORY: EasyLENGTH: 45 minutesRATING: 7/10 for humans 10/10 for dogs ...