| French Bay / Otitori Bay | |
|---|---|
 French Bay / Otitori Bay at low tide | |
  French Bay / Otitori Bay Location within the Auckland Region | |
| Location | Auckland Region, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°57′00″S174°40′01″E / 36.95°S 174.667°E |
| Ocean/sea sources | Manukau Harbour |
French Bay / Otitori Bay is a bay in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in Titirangi on the Manukau Harbour, between Wood Bay to the north and Paturoa Bay to the south.
The bay was traditionally called Opou by Tāmaki Māori, literally meaning "the place of posts". The bay became known as French Bay in the 1920s, however the reason for this is unknown. [1] In the early 20th century, the bay became a popular destination for Aucklanders, undertaking day trips. [2] Painter Colin McCahon lived close to French Bay from 1953 to 1960, [3] and many of his works depict the bay. [4] McCahon's home later became McCahon House, a museum and gallery space. [3]
The beach has variable water quality, [5] and in 2020 was listed as one of the 10 least safe beaches for swimming in the Auckland Region. [6]
The French Bay Yacht Club is located on the beach. [7] The yacht club facilities were severely damaged during the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods. [8] [9]
Gisborne is a city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne District. It has a population of 38,200. Gisborne District Council has its headquarters in the central city.
Titirangi is a suburb of West Auckland in the Waitākere Ranges local board area of the city of Auckland in northern New Zealand. It is an affluent, residential suburb located 13 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland city centre, at the southern end of the Waitākere Ranges. In the Māori language "Titirangi" means "hill reaching up to the sky".
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some 27,720 hectares of public and private land. The area, traditionally known to Māori as Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa, is of local, regional, and national significance. The Waitākere Ranges includes a chain of hills in the Auckland Region, generally running approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) from north to south, 25 km west of central Auckland. The ranges are part of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.
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Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand and frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions.
Parau is a locality of West Auckland in the Auckland Region. It is under the local governance of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board within the Auckland Council. It is a coastal community close to Titirangi village. Parau is made up of Huia Road, one other looping street called Rauhuia Crescent and two cul de sacs, Staley Road and Shirley Road. It also consists of a safe clean beach called Armour Bay where locals can partake in tennis, and swimming in the Manukau Harbour which laps the beach.
Coxs Bay or Opoututeka is a bay located in the Waitematā Harbour in the Auckland region of New Zealand. It lies between the settlements of Westmere and Herne Bay to the southwest and northeast respectively, and to the southeast is Grey Lynn. The Bay is protected from the west by the end of one of the longest lava flows in the Auckland volcanic field, Te Tokoroa / Meola Reef.
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Lopdell House is situated next to Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery as part of the Lopdell Precinct arts centre in Titirangi, Auckland. It was first opened as Hotel Titirangi in 1930. In 1942 it was bought by the Ministry of Education and became a school for the deaf, and then a teacher's residential centre named Lopdell House. The Waitemata City Council purchased it in 1983 and leased it to the Lopdell House Society, who reopened in 1986 as an arts centre. Adjacent to the house is a statue of Titirangi founder, Henry Atkinson.
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