Hello, West Auckland!
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster with the weather lately—from scorching sun to those sudden wintery snaps. We hope you’ve been keeping dry and staying prepared for whatever the sky decides to throw at us next!
In today’s edition:
Big Wins for West When CRL Opens Later This Year
Homes of the Week
Catherine Plaza at West City Mall Reopens After Renovation
Shade Sails To Be Installed at Parrs Park Playground
Auckland’s Growth Plans Get a Shake-up
50+ Events this weekend & Live Music!
— Adrian Domingo
Holidays
No holidays this week or the next!
News
Big Wins for West When CRL Opens Later This Year
Faster commutes: Travel from Henderson to downtown will drop to just 35 minutes—shaving a massive 24 minutes off the current trip.
Less driving stress: You’ll be able to hit city concerts or the NZICC without worrying about parking or Auckland's notorious traffic.
Big events, easy access: During the 2029 Lions tour and major world cups, fans can zip between the stadium and bars in just 13 minutes.
Late-night vibes: Weekend trains'll run until 1–2am, making it way easier to enjoy city nightlife and still get back to the West safely.
A local boost: Quicker transport means more tourists visiting Henderson and Massey, pumping more life (and money) into our local shops and cafes.
Click Here: To learn more about the CRL's impact once open
New homes this week
Home 1: Under $650k
Price: $535,000
Address: 49 Rakich Place, Henderson
Details: 97sqm / 3 Bed / 1 Bath + Extra Toilet
Built in: 2000s
Parking Type: 1 Garage + 1 Off-Street Park
Click here: To view the full house & plan your showing!
Home 2: $650k - $850K
Price: $659,000
Address: 3 Elwarth Way, Ranui
Details: 116sqm / 3 Bed / 1 Bath + Extra Toilet
Built in: 2000s
Parking Type: Internal Access Garage + 2 Off-Street Parks
Click here: To view the full house & plan your showing!
Home 3: Over $850k
Price: $1,149,000
Address: 2/26 Fairlands Avenue, Waterview
Details: 128sqm / 3 Bed / 1 Bath + Guest Toilet
Built in: 1990s (approx)
Parking Type: Internal Access Garage + 2 Off-Street Parks
Click here: To view the full house & plan your showing!
Community Digest
Catherine Plaza at West City Mall Reopens After Renovation
Henderson’s new hub: Catherine Plaza’s officially reopened after a major facelift, designed to bring some fresh life back into the heart of Henderson.
Westie vibes: The space features a new boardwalk, native plants, and a design inspired by the Waitākere Ranges—complete with outdoor dining and play areas.
Safe and bright: New CCTV and festoon lighting have been installed to keep the area feeling safe and welcoming for the community after dark.
Boosting local business: This project is a key part of the "Unlock Henderson" plan to get more foot traffic through local shops and cafes.
Click Here: To read the full local board update
Shade Sails to be Installed at Parrs Park Playground
Beating the heat: Parrs Park’s finally getting shade sails over the playground to keep the equipment cool and protect the kids from the Westie sun.
Temporary closure: The playground’ll be fenced off from Monday, Feb 23, to Thursday, Feb 26, so you’ll need to find another spot for a few days.
Ready for the weekend: It’s a quick turnaround, and everything should be good to go for a cooler, safer play session by Friday.
Click Here: To read the Local Board update
City Updates
Auckland’s Growth Plans Get a Shake-up
Targets are dropping: The Government’s officially lowered the minimum housing capacity Auckland needs to plan for from 2 million homes down to 1.6 million.
More flexibility: This change means the Council doesn't have to push "blanket intensification" across every single suburb.
Smart growth: Development's now gonna be focused in the city centre and around major transport hubs like train stations and the City Rail Link.
Resilience first: Mayor Wayne Brown's happy that growth’ll be steered away from flood plains and high-risk areas.
Local voice: The Mayor believes this puts the power back in the hands of Aucklanders to decide how their own city looks.
What's next: The Council's now working out which parts of the plan to pull back or change.
Submissions matter: Over 10,000 public submissions have already been made, and they'll still be used to shape the final rules.
Click Here: Read the full update here
Exciting Events: Feb 25th - Mar 3rd
Events marked with ($) require a ticket in advance. Please search them up before going.
Sports🏀
Waitākere Table Tennis Association Friday Club Nights | 5:45PM–8:30PM, Fridays (Jan 16 – Dec 18)
Location: Glen Eden Recreation Centre
Description: Open to beginners through to experienced players. Bats and balls provided. Wear non-marking shoes and comfortable clothing.
Community Fun🎆
Jam Night | 7PM–9PM, Tuesdays (Jan 27 – Mar 31)
Location: Paul’s Garage, Whenuapai
Description: Casual covers and jam session. Guitar-focused but all instruments welcome. Songbook provided—join in and have fun.
Digital Seniors Hobsonville Hub | 12PM–2PM, Tuesdays (Feb 3 – Dec 15)
Location: Hobsonville Bowling Club
Description: Free one-on-one help for seniors with phones, laptops and tablets. Friendly volunteers on hand.
Sea Week Films at Lopdell | 10AM–6PM, Sat 28 Feb
Location: The Seminar Room – Lopdell House, Titirangi
Description: Two-hour programme of short films celebrating our oceans and Sea Week.
Art of Foraging | 10AM–3PM, Sundays (Sep 21 – May 3)
Location: Velskov, Laingholm
Description: Guided foraging experience for beginners. Learn to identify edible native plants through sight, touch, taste and smell.
Playcentre Messy Play Week – Auckland Region | 9:30AM–11:30AM, Mar 2–6
Location: Playcentre Aotearoa, Henderson
Description: Free messy play sessions for children aged 0–6. Focused on sensory learning and early development.
Messy Play Week | 9AM–12PM, Mar 2–5
Location: Massey Playcentre
Description: Free messy play activities for young children. Sensory-based early childhood development sessions.
Markets🎡
Blockhouse Bay Community Market | 8AM–12:30PM, Saturdays (Feb 14 – Dec 12)
Location: Green Bay Community House
Description: Friendly local market with second-hand bargains and community stalls.
Swanson Station Market | 7AM–12PM, First Sunday monthly (Feb 1 – Dec 6)
Location: Swanson Railway Station
Description: Volunteer-run community market with a mix of local stalls.
The Sleep Store Epic Warehouse Sale | 9AM–1PM, Feb 28 – Mar 1
Location: The Sleep Store, Henderson
Description: Parenting and baby warehouse sale with major discounts.
Performances🎭
Abilitopia + White Noise by Touch Compass | 7:30PM–9:30PM, Feb 26–28
Location: Te Pou Theatre, Henderson
Description: Disability-led double bill of bold, creative dance-theatre challenging how we see bodies and performance.
Comedy❗
Stand Up Comedy, Te Pai Park, Henderson | 6:30PM–8PM (Nov 17 – Mar 3)
Location: Te Pai Park, Henderson
Description: 90 minutes of live outdoor stand-up featuring a rotating lineup of Auckland comedians.
Special Events🥂
Bites in the Vines… For Good | 6PM–8PM, Wednesdays (Feb 4 – Feb 25)
Location: Soljans Estate Winery & Café, Kumeū
Description: Relaxed midweek evening of food, wine and live music among the vines.
Quiz Night | 6:30PM–8:30PM, Wednesdays (Jan 21 – Dec 23)
Location: Little Creatures Brewing, Hobsonville
Description: Five rounds of big-screen trivia. Balanced difficulty and weekly prizes.
Pride Bingo with Miss Trinity Ice | 7PM, Thurs 26 Feb
Location: The Hangar Bar, Henderson
Description: High-energy drag bingo night with bold looks, big laughs and Pride vibes.
Magic: The Gathering Commander Night | 6PM–10PM, Thursdays (Jan 22 – Jun 11)
Location: Card Merchant WestCity
Description: Casual in-store Commander games. Open play for testing decks and social matches.
Pokémon Card Trading | 1PM–3PM, Saturdays (Jan 24 – Jun 20)
Location: Card Merchant WestCity
Description: Free card trading alongside weekly Pokémon Hobby League. Genuine cards only.
Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League | 12PM–3PM, Sundays (Jan 25 – Jun 7)
Location: Card Merchant WestCity
Description: Weekly D&D sessions. First week free. Adventure-driven tabletop roleplaying.
Music 🎵
Hoedown | 7:30PM, Sat 28 Feb ($)
Location: Shed16, Kaukapakapa
Description: Country-themed night with food, drinks, music and line dancing.
Rock’in with Elvis by Mike Cole | 7:30PM–10:30PM, Sat 28 Feb ($)
Location: Te Atatū RSA
Description: Elvis tribute show hosted by the Memories of Elvis Fan Club.
In The Pocket – Live in Henderson | From 7PM, Saturdays (Feb 28 – Apr 18) ($)
Location: The Hangar Bar, Henderson
Description: Local band bringing high-energy live music to round out summer.
Thanks for reading the West Auckland Digest! See you next week!
