In your neighbourhood ... Te Atatu

Te Atatu – which means “the dawn” – is made up of two parts: Te Atatu South and Te Atatu Peninsula. Maori called it Orukuwai and it was later known as Henderson Point, until it was renamed in 1907 by the Reverend Jackson Bennett, who was inspired by the image of the sun rising over the water.

It had been a significant Maori settlement many years prior to the arrival of European settlers as there was plenty of shellfish on and around the rocks and the rich soil was ideal for growing vegetables such as kumara.

Although most Maori had left the area by the mid-19th century, traces of their history can still be found in mounds of pipi shells, the remains of flax baskets and fishing nets.

For many years, Te Atatu could only be accessed by boat and locals would spend an hour getting to the city to buy provisions, followed by another hour’s journey back home.

Significant building only commenced during the early 1900s and the area remained semi-rural for many years until the 1950s, when construction of the North Western Motorway began and opened up better access to and from the western suburbs and separating Te Atatu and Te Atatu Peninsula.

Most of the homes on the peninsula and in Te Atatu South, were constructed during the 1960s, designed for workers and their families. Recently, the peninsula has gained in popularity as a quiet waterside suburb with easy access to the city, and has seen more expensive properties pop up.

Who lives here and what do they do?

OneRoof data shows a mix of occupations; with around 27 percent of Te Atatu Peninsula residents describing themselves as professionals, and 17 percent as managers while in Te Atatu South, the professionals make up 20 percent and the managers 15 percent. Both parts of the suburb have traditionally been popular with young families, although first-home buyers may have to stretch their finances to buy there.

What’s to love?

There’s no doubt that Te Atatu has been riding the wave of the extended motorway and the major growth and enhanced infrastructure that this development has brought to all parts of Auckland’s west.

On Te Atatu Peninsula, residents are enjoying new shops, cafes and restaurants as developers look to take advantage of the area’s young, relatively wealthy and upwardly mobile demographic.

A new $12 million library and community centre, built next to the local park and playground, has proved popular, and a village atmosphere is evident throughout the town.

The area has lots of attractive coastal walks and walkways and you can cycle to work in the city, using the 13km Northwestern cycleway, which is fully lit for cycling home at night. Night markets in summer are well-attended and the monthly craft market at the new library is popular, too.

Rutherford College offers an extensive community education programme teaching everything from making beeswax food wrap, to dog obedience, and database development.

Te Atatu South has its own community centre where regular Foodtruck Fridays and holistic markets are held, and there are several pleasant, leafy local parks plus good sports facilities.

Buying and selling

Te Atatu specialist Mark Boyd from Barfoot & Thompson, grew up here and remembers when South was the place to be, before the North was re-named Peninsula. He says that the suburb has always been about community.

“It’s not a place with through traffic, so it’s only the people who live here,” he says. “Now it’s completely changing, as people come here from the Shore and central suburbs because they can get more bang for their buck. You come from a house with no land to here to get three bedrooms, two bathrooms with a section the kids can run around on.”

Boyd reckons that even in peak traffic, you can be in the city in 25 minutes, 15 minutes in off peak.

“And more and more people are mentioning that they can cycle to work on the Northwestern cycle way, with electric bikes you don’t arrive sweaty.”

He says that there are entry level properties for first home buyers who are realistic about what their $500,000 to $600,000 will get them - a cross lease, perhaps, or something very basic and original.

“And people are looking for 1960s places that can be renovated to something quite spectacular. With the unitary plan, developers maybe looking for a site where they can do up the old house and put a new build on the other half.”

For people who want to build their dream home there are some sections for sale at the under $500,000 mark, says Boyd, but more are in the $600,000 range, and the rare waterfront properties can go for up to $1.7 million.

“Once people get a family home here, they want to stay, they love the area,” says Boyd.

“Now people don’t have to move out, whether they’re upsizing or downsizing.”