Papakura

[[Image:Papakura_district_map.png|thumb|right|225px|Papakura district (boundary red, urban area orange) in relation to the Auckland metropolitan area (grey]]Papakura District (informally just Papakura, or Kura) is one of the several local authorities in New Zealand's Auckland Region.It constitutes the southernmost part of Auckland metropolitan area, 32 km south of downtown Auckland.

Originally a country town, but now merging into Auckland's urban sprawl, Papakura is flanked by the southern reaches of the Manukau Harbour to the west, and farmland to the south and east.

Geography

Papakura is bounded by Manukau City to the north and east, Franklin District to the south and the Manukau Harbour to the northwest. The seat of the "Papakura District Council" is in Papakura City (Central). The city is divided into four wards; Ardmore, Drury, Red Hill, and Pahurehure.
* Ardmore Ward is northernmost, including routes to Ardmore, The suburbs of Takanini, Keri Hill, and Alfriston
* Pahurehure Ward is north and west, including the small suburbs Pahurehure, Conifer Grove, Longford Park, and Hingaia
* Drury Ward is southernmost, and bounded by Franklin. It includes the suburbs Drury, Opaheke, Rosehill, Park Estate, and motorway links and routes to Karaka
* Finally, Red Hill Ward lies to the east, and includes the suburb Red Hill, and routes to Hunua or Clevedon.

The district has a few minor beaches to the west and east, some of these beaches are unable to be used due to pollution and abnormal features. These beaches are protected and closely watched by regional conservational authorities.

Red Hill is Papakura's most picturesque suburb, with views of approaches to Papakura and Auckland.

List of Suburbs

Below is a list of suburbs in the Papakura City District.

Inner Suburbs

(clockwise starting north of Papakura's central city)

Addison, Papakura, Park Estate, Central Park, Opaheke, Rosehill, Pahurehure Inlet, Pahurehure

Outer Suburbs

(Clockwise starting north of Takanini's central township)

Alfriston Ardmore (some parts run by Manukau City), Hingaia, Conifer Grove, Takanini, Longford Park, Red Hill, Drury, Karaka

Satellite Towns

*Drury (to the south)
*Takanini (to the north)

History

Papakura's name originates from Māori words papa-kura meaning "red earth", reflecting the rich, fertile soil upon which the community was founded. The indigeneous Māori people built a Pa named "Puke Kiwiriki", at the top of Red Hill.

Papakura enjoyed city status during the 1980s, but under the Local Government (Auckland Region) Reorganisation Order 1989 it was reconstituted as a District Council. [1]

Transport

Papakura has been affected by Auckland's major traffic congestion problems, as Auckland's motorways and railway routes run right through Papakura. Bus services provide the bulk of public transport, with commuter trains offering only a limited service. Recent investment has focused on upgrading and refurbishing the transport equipment and suburban railway stations.Most of Papakura's public transport operate from Papakura to the Britomart Transport Centre which opened in 2003.

People

Although a part of Auckland, locals consider themselves an independent city. Papakura has a wide-mixture of nationalities, with a majority of Maori descent. The city council estimates that the Papakura City District's population will quadruple within the next decade due to international immigration.

Populations:
*Papakura (City) - 28010
*Takanini - 10870
* Drury - 3360

When Papakura became apart of the Auckland metropolitan area (in the reorganization of local government), local citizens then became Aucklanders, also known as a Jafa, (an insult for Auckland people used by other New Zealanders).

Notable people

Edmund Hillary in Warsaw, Poland, 17 June 2004

*Sir Edmund Hillary, the mountaineer and explorer, was a one-time beekeeper in Papakura.

Facilities

Papakura has many facilities, such as an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the local Massey Park Aquatic Centre (the sister-centre to Mount Albert's Philips Aquatic Centre), an international-quality athletics track, and several venues for rugby, netball, badminton, tennis, soccer and other sports. While Papakura itself is not noted for its beaches, there are beaches nearby at Maraetai, Orere Point, and Kawakawa Bay on the Hauraki Gulf, and Clarks Beach north of Waiuku on the Manukau Harbour.

The nearby Hunua Ranges (in Franklin District) feature a waterfall and forested walking tracks. Papakura has no major river, but much of Auckland's water is supplied from reservoirs in the Hunua Ranges.

The nearby Ardmore Airport serves recreational aviators and private flights. A small aircraft was stolen from Ardmore on election night in 2005, with the pilot threatening to fly into the Sky Tower. The flyer did not succeed and ended up crashing into water at a beach in Saint Heliers.

Papakura is home to a New Zealand Army base where the NZ SAS special forces are located.

See also

* Jafa
* Edmund Hillary
* NZ Army

External links

* Papakura's District Council
* Wises Street Map City Map
*2001 Census results for Papakura Census
* 2006 Census results (provisional) (Excel format)
* Some histories of Papakura
* Breakwater against the Tide, by Elsdon Craig. This book is the definitive history of Papakura.
*Rosehill College
*Papakura High School