Orewa

Orewa
Shops in Orewa town centre
Orewa Location of Orewa in New Zealand
Basic information
Local authority	Auckland Council
Coordinates	36°34′53.6″S 174°42′23.8″E / 36.581556°S 174.706611°E / -36.581556; 174.706611Coordinates: 36°34′53.6″S 174°42′23.8″E / 36.581556°S 174.706611°E / -36.581556; 174.706611
Population	7,326 (2006)
Surrounds
North	Hatfields Beach
East	(Whangaparaoa Bay)
Southeast	Stanmore Bay
South	Red Beach
Southwest	Silverdale
West	Wainui

Orewa Beach

Orewa, a town in New Zealand's North Island, lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. Orewa's population was 7,326 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 1,692 from 2001.^[1] It is a popular holiday destination. Orewa is also considered one of the fastest growing places in New Zealand and is one of the most expensive areas in which to buy a house.^[2]

The northern motorway, part of State Highway 1, passes just inland of Orewa and extends through the twin Johnston Hill tunnels to near Puhoi. Orewa was administered as part of the Rodney District for two decades, until this was subsumed by the broader Auckland Council in October 2010.

Landmarks and features

Places of note within the town include:

• Orewa Community Centre
• The Youth centre (including a skate park)
• The Orewa Surf Life-Saving Club
• Centrestage Theatre
• The water fountains by the traffic lights on the main road
• The Nautilus apartment complex
• The Statue of Sir Edmund Hillary
• Alice Eaves Scenic Reserve ("Eaves Bush")
• The Orewa Bridge
• The Estuary Arts Centre^[3]
• The mangroves
• The theosophical society
• The former Rodney District Council building on Centreway Road
• The Orewa Arts And Events Centre
• The Orewa River
• Hibiscus Coast Community Centre

Orewa beach is one of the longest (3km) and safest beaches in Auckland. One of the more notable events on the beach is the Orewa Big Dig. This is an annual event organized by the local Lions Club, where children dig in the sand to find prizes. All monies raised go to local community groups.^[4] Orewa Community Centre^[5] is located in Orewa Square. The Hibiscus Community Centre^[6] is located at 214E Hibiscus Coast Highway.

Education

Orewa District High School was founded in 1956. In 1974, the school was split into Orewa Primary School and Orewa College. Orewa North Primary School was founded in 1978, and another primary school opened at Red Beach to the south in 1988.^[7]

Orewa College is a secondary (years 7-13) school with a decile rating of 9 and a roll of 1696.^[8]

Orewa Primary School and Orewa North Primary School are contributing primary (years 1-6) schools, both with decile ratings of 8 and rolls of 214^[9] and 320^[10] respectively.

All three schools are coeducational.

Puriri Park

In 2005 locally famous Puriri Park, at the foot of Eaves Bush, was sold for over $2,000,000. It was being subdivided in a $450 million development to form the community of Kensington Park to provide for the rapidly rising demand for housing in Orewa and the surrounding area. This upset some elderly locals as they regarded the old park as a popular place for people to enjoy their holidays and saw the development as a sign of further development to Orewa. However the developer went into receivership in September 2008 after completing less than 10% of the 750 homes planned.^[11]

References

External links

• Orewa College
• Orewa North Primary School
• Orewa Primary School
• Estuary Arts Centre
• Hibiscus Coast Community House