About the Avondale Community

Avondale is a suburb of the future as well as the present. With such easy access to the city, proximity to the sea, great educational facilities, plenty of character, and a richly diverse population, it is sure to develop as one of the more desirable places to live in Auckland in the 21st century.

Avondale's multicultural population make it a wonderfully rich place to live. From the early morning Pacific Island shopping in the main street, to the famous Avondale Market, to the more traditional retail and other businesses supported by the Avondale Business Association, the suburb is alive with diversity.

Education opportunities are provided at all levels, and Avondale College is a very sought after school in the region. Avondale Primary, Rosebank Pimary and Avondale Intermediate provide excellent choices, and there are private school opportunities as well. We are also on the doorstep of UNITEC, just a short walk across Oakley Creek, and, of course, city based institutions like the University of Auckland and the Auckland Institute of Technology are just a short distance away.

When you are in Avondale, you will see a lot of spider statues, spider logos, spider pictures and the occasional business with the word spider incorporated in its name - even the local newspaper is called the Avondale Spider! What is this about spiders? Well, when the Avondale Racecourse was built back in the late 19th century, it used a lot of imported hardwood from Australia. And amongst the timber, a few uninvited guests arrived, and their descendents have remained here ever since. They are quite large, quite hairy, totally harmless, and you will hardly ever see one. But the Avondale Spider, as it is known, has become famous in these parts and beyond, and was even used in the film Arachniphobia.

Avondale has lots of lovely green areas, from formal sports fields like Eastdale and Riversdale Reserves, to the less formal Heron Park, with its sloping open fields and forest adjacent to the sea, a popular spot for kite flying, walking the dogs, and the occasional concert.

Shopping

Avondale boasts a thriving main street with a large variety of shops. There are supermarkets very close by, and larger malls are just a few minutes away at New Lynn or St Lukes. Avondale has its own cinema, the Hollywood, famous for its Wurlitzer Organ, and several restaurants are available within and around the suburb. Full community services include several medical centres, dentists, police station, churches, and a modern hotel.

Transport

The motorway to the city is just a few minutes away (a choice of two interchanges) and this form of transport will be extended in the next few years when the Waterview extension is completed, providing alternative motorway access to the south and the airport. Because Avondale is on the bus route to the western suburbs, there is a regular supply of buses in both directions. And the train service from the Avondale train station provides a fast, efficient service to the city (about 25 minutes) or out west, as well as links to the south and east.