Last updated November 2026
A lake once filled this hollow in Meadowbank, held back by lava from Maungarei / Mount Wellington. Today Waiatarua Reserve is a 41-hectare Auckland Council park built around what the council calls “New Zealand’s biggest urban wetland restoration project”, where planted wetlands clean stormwater from the surrounding suburbs.
A flat gravel path circles the wetland, with bird viewing areas off it, and the reserve also has off-leash areas for dogs, a playground with a skate ramp and a basketball half court. Car parks are reached from Abbotts Way and Grand Drive, and the council’s path starts at 6 Grand Drive, Remuera.
Practical Information
- Address
- 98 Abbotts Way, Remuera (council plan); path start at 6 Grand Drive, Remuera; pedestrian entry also from Towle Place
- Distance from the city
- In Meadowbank, with a Remuera address
- Size
- 41 hectares: 16 ha of wetland, 16 ha of meadows and paths and 9 ha of planted forest (council enhancement plan, 2019)
- Managed by
- Auckland Council
- Walking
- Flat gravel path around the wetland; can be wet and muddy after rain
- Dogs
- On a leash except in the reserve’s off-leash areas
- Facilities
- Toilets, car parks, playground, skate ramp, basketball half court, picnic tables and seating, bird viewing areas
- Status
- Auckland Council: Waiatarua Reserve park page
About Waiatarua Reserve
The council’s 2019 enhancement plan explains the name Waiatarua as “water of double reflections”. The lake it describes, also known as Lake St John, covered about 22 hectares and was between 1 and 5 metres deep, formed when a lava flow from Maungarei dammed a valley.
Draining it took decades. The plan records drainage efforts from 1870, a Waiatarua Drainage Board formed in 1908 and a drainage tunnel finished in 1918, after which land was handed to Auckland City Council for a reserve.
Permits to drain the lake and build Grand Drive followed in 1925, but the lake never fully drained. Part of the land was leased to the Remuera Golf Club in 1929, and from 1954 the reserve became part of a stormwater retention system.
The wetland you walk around today is the result of a long rebuild. Restoration planting began in 1987, about 76,000 plants went in between 2004 and 2006, and the wetland was rebuilt at a cost of $5.9 million.
The project won Auckland City Council the Arthur Mead Environmental Award in 2006. The plan notes planted forest that is mostly native, eucalyptus plantings along the eastern boundary, a few patches of kānuka and swamp maire, a critically threatened tree.
A Wetland That Cleans Stormwater
Waiatarua is a working piece of city infrastructure as well as a park. According to the council plan, it is the largest urban constructed wetland in New Zealand and its main job is treating stormwater.
Water arrives from a 674-hectare catchment across Greenlane and Ellerslie through large underground pipes and a tunnel under Ladies Mile, and the wetland was designed to remove at least 80% of the sediment that flows in, as a long-term average.
Birds and Dogs
Birdwatchers have plenty to look for. The plan records 36 species seen between 2004 and 2007, nearly 60% of them native, and 52 species logged on eBird between 2001 and 2018, including pūkeko, white heron, grey teal, kingfisher, tūī and silvereye. A council Our Auckland article adds spur-winged plovers, white-faced herons, black shags and pied stilts.
Dog owners are catered for too. The council’s path page says dogs can run free in the off-leash areas, and its park page asks for dogs to be on a leash elsewhere. A dog pond sits on the south-east side of the reserve.
Where to Learn More
Auckland Council: Waiatarua Reserve: entrances, facilities, dog rules and park rules.
Auckland Council: Waiatarua Reserve path: the gravel loop around the wetland, where to start and off-leash dog areas.
Ōrākei Local Board: Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan: the reserve’s history, wetland and birds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Waiatarua Reserve?
In Meadowbank, with a Remuera address. Car parks are reached from Abbotts Way and Grand Drive, and the council’s path starts at 6 Grand Drive, Remuera.
How big is the reserve?
About 41 hectares, according to the council’s 2019 enhancement plan, including 16 hectares of wetland.
Can dogs go off the leash?
Yes, in the reserve’s off-leash areas. Elsewhere the council asks for dogs to be on a leash.
Is the path suitable for strollers?
The council describes a flat gravel path that suits sturdier strollers and can be wet and muddy after rain.
Why is it called a wetland restoration project?
The old Waiatarua lake was drained, and the area was later rebuilt as a constructed wetland that treats stormwater from Greenlane and Ellerslie.
What birds can I see?
Pūkeko, herons, grey teal, kingfishers, tūī, silvereyes, pied stilts and shags are among the birds the council lists.
Are there toilets and a playground?
Yes. The council lists toilets, a playground, a skate ramp, a basketball half court, picnic tables and seating.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.