| Suburb: | Takapuna |
| City: | North Shore |
| Island: | North Island |
| Surrounded by - to the north - to the north-east - to the south-east - to the south - to the south-west - to the west - to the north-west | Lake Pupuke Hauraki Gulf, Milford (2.5 km) Hauraki (2.0 km) Bayswater (3.5 km) Northcote Central (2.2 km) Hillcrest (1.9 km) Forrest Hill (2.7 km) |
Takapuna is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour. It is the seat of the North Shore City council and contains substantial shopping and entertainment areas.
Geography
Takapuna is located on the isthmus of a peninsula which extends south into the northern waters of the Waitemata at the harbour's eastern end. As such, the suburb has a coastline on Shoal Bay, an arm of the Waitemata to the southwest, as well as having a coast on the Hauraki Gulf to the northeast. The northern end of the suburb is dominated by the large volcanic crater of Lake Pupuke. Some points in Takapuna are less than 500 metres from all three of these bodies of water. The Hauraki coastline includes a kilometer long crescent shaped beach (Takapuna Beach) which is a popular recreation area for the local area.
To the southeast of Takapuna lies the six-kilometre-long peninsula which contains the suburbs of Belmont and Devonport. To the west lie the suburbs of Hillcrest and Northcote. The suburb of Milford lies to the north, on the far shore of Lake Pupuke.
History
The earliest subdivisions of farmland for suburban development were the "Hurstmere" estate in 1886 and the "Pupuke" Estate in 1889. The Takapuna and Milford Beach areas, as well as the land surrounding Lake Pupuke soon became popular spots for wealthy businessmen building sommer homes to entertain in a rural surrounding, and eventually, many moved here permanently, commuting to work in Auckland via ferry.
The Lake Hotel at Takapuna was built on the shores of Lake Pupuke in 1887 to the design of R.J. Roberts. It was an elegant two storied structure with many verandahs and an octagonal turret. Although its owner, Edwin Harrow, envisaged it as a family hotel and marine pension, it also possessed a licence to sell liquor. Following the destruction by fire in the early years of the 20th century, this licence was transferred to a boarding house in nearby Takapuna Beach, the Mon Desir. This establishment was one of Auckland's most popular and notorious places of resort during the 20th century until it was recently redeveloped as apartments.
A local history archive is maintained by the New Zealand Collection of Takapuna Public Library. It includes an index of the local newspapers, archives, photographs, oral histories, and historical material relating to Takapuna.
Culture
Takapuna is the nightlife hub of the North Shore, having more than 60 bars, restaurants, and cafes. The most recent addition to the cultural life of Takapuna is the "Bruce Mason Centre" a performing arts complex named in memory of a local writer. Bruce Mason's most famous play "The End of the Golden Weather" is set in Takapuna. Shania Twain's 2003 music video for "When You Kiss Me" was also shot in Takapuna.
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