Arataki Visitor Centre

01/05/2025

Check out this awesome video made by Te Muri of the Musical Sound Journey (John Goudge and Matt Reece) gig at Arataki Visitor Centre in February! 🎶

We're always keen to bring more live music to our whare, if you're a musician keen to have a gig here, get in touch! 💚

On 15 February 2025 Musical Sound Journey performed at Arataki Visitor Centre, the gateway to Auckland's Waitakere Regional Park. Musicians Matt Reece and Jo...

30/04/2025

At our Create a Book Together workshop, something magical happened...

Nicky shared her skills with the tamariki, showing them how to make natural paints from the whenua itself—mixing earth, clay, and creativity into vibrant colours. A moment of connecting to place, to practice, and to the living materials that surround us.

You can help us bring our collective creation into the world by supporting our Boosted campaign—every koha helps us print the book and honour all the creativity that made it possible.

👉 Support here: https://www.thearts.co.nz/boosted/projects/seeking-will-picture-book

Thank you for being part of this journey and Arataki for hosting us. 🌱

29/04/2025

🌱✨ BIG NEWS! Our plants are almost ready... and so are we! Tools are packed, boots are laced — it’s nearly GO TIME!

Get ready for a season bursting with FREE planting events across Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland! 🌿🌼
Whether you're digging in on planting days or helping us set the stage on layout days — there’s a way for everyone to jump in and make a difference!

💥 Important to know:
✅ All our events are real-life, in actual parks — not online! If by chance, someone offers a live stream link, its spam and we do our best to remove these as soon as we can.
✅ Completely FREE — no bank details ever needed, if someone is offering a ticket for sale or transfer, its spam.
📝 Heads up! For some of our sites, we’ll ask you to register beforehand (registration is FREE) — this just helps our rangers plan and manage the day better!
✅ No experience needed — just bring your energy and a smile!
✅ All ages welcome — bring the whānau!
✅ Got a crew of 10 or more keen to join? Awesome! Drop us a message with:
Your Auckland area, group name and expected numbers
We’ll let you know what days are available! Please note our parks team pre-schedule the dates & locations as sites need to be prepped and plants grown.

(P.S. Layout days happen on weekdays — it’s when we get plants set out, ready for the big day!)

🌍 Let’s have fun, and give back to Papatūānuku together.
Event details dropping soon — watch this space!

🌿

24/04/2025

Huge mihi to Alexis Bowater (11yo) of Glen Eden Intermediate School, who not only went for a 4-day hike through Te Wao Nui ā Tiriwa during her summer holiday, but who also came back and wrote a whole story about her adventure! Alexis, you've inspired us to create a new display at the Arataki Visitor Centre... you're our first 'Wildling'! Rangatahi mā, if you want to share photos and/or stories of your exploits in Waitākere, we'd love to include them in our Wildlings display! 💚🥾😎 And whānau mā, haere mai ki Arataki to read Alexis' story. ☺️

24/04/2025

🔔 Oh we are so back with another Waitākere Wonders🕺

On the menu today we have the Anawhata Beach Track!

Time: 30 minutes (one-way)
Distance: 700m (one-way)
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs: Prohibited
Starting Point: The (beach) end of Anawhata Road

Key Features:
⛰️Amazing viewpoint of one of our great West Auckland
black sand beaches.
🌲A pretty cool tree!
🏝️Access to Ananwhata Beach, which is seldom busy (lucky us!)

23/04/2025

Hey fams! If you're an advocate for, kaitiaki of, or interested in the Manukau Harbour, we wanted to draw your attention to this cool event. The Manukau Harbour Symposium is taking place in Green Bay High School's auditorium on Saturday 31 May. Click here for the deets: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2025/05/manukau-harbour-symposium/

22/04/2025

The awesome Friends of Arataki Society are back this Sunday 27 April from 11am for their monthly fundraising BBQ! 🌭

Come along and grab a sausage or some homemade baking for a good cause! CASH ONLY

Find them over by the Education Centre 💚

Send a message to learn more

20/04/2025

Check out Visit Auckland's list of fun free things to do in Tāmaki Makaurau! 💚

17/04/2025

Tēnā koutou, e ngā kaiako!
Hey, teachers - how's the non-contact time going? We figure by this stage you're probably missing all those sweet, sweet PD sessions😆
Not to fear: Arataki Visitor Centre is hosting a workshop for teachers to demonstrate a range of games and activities to bring your curriculum outside of the classroom and help you and the tamariki celebrate your rohe as you engage with Place-Based Learning!
Come along Thursday 24th April 10:00am-12:00pm to check it out, totally free... your principals said that this can count as your PD for the rest of the year, too! 💚
(NB: that last part may not be entirely true - better check with your tumuaki😉)

17/04/2025

We're so excited to be at Titirangi Community Library next Tuesday 22 April from 10am - 1pm!

Walk among the forest giants in the library with VR technology and learn about Kauri die-back and the ecological and cultural significance of kauri in this beautiful and fun VR experience 💚🌿

Send a message to learn more

14/04/2025

Nau mai, haere mai! School holidays have arrived and Arataki Visitor Centre is open for you every day, 9am - 5pm! 🐰

Come and check out our displays, colour in an egg, have a go at leaf rubbing or have a crack at our Easter bingo game! 🪺

Our carpark gate has also switched over into winter hours and now is open every day from 6am -7pm 💚

10/04/2025

Apparently Hochstetter’s Frogs like tv too 🐸🥺

This little guy was found down in our AV room, Te Hoe Hiwa, hanging out by the big screen.

How amazing that we get these incredible little creatures visiting us at the centre!

03/04/2025

Bringing Seeking Will to Life—Together!

🌟 The Final Workshop – Create a Book Together! 🌟
These workshops have been an essential part of Seeking Will—crafting words, painting backgrounds, and shaping the story with the community. This final session is extra special, held at the wonderful Arataki Visitor Centre, whose team has been incredible supporters of this journey. Set in the stunning Waitākere ngahere, we’ll create surrounded by the very nature that inspires the story.

When: School Holidays - Tuesday 15th April
Where: Arataki Visitor Centre, Waitākere
Register here: 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/create-a-book-together-workshop

💫 Your support makes this possible! Whether creating together in workshops or giving through our Boosted campaign, every contribution is part of bringing Seeking Will into the world.

Donate here:
👉 https://www.thearts.co.nz/boosted/projects/seeking-will-picture-book

Let’s weave this story together—through creativity, connection, and aroha. 🌿📚✨