About the Glendowie Community

Glendowie is well known for its wealthy inhabitants but more importantly, for it's strong community values and family orientated lifestyle. Set on a peninsula, it is an attractive area for locals and visitors alike.

Glendowie has a rich local history. It is said that Maori watched the eruption of Rangitoto from the Glendowie shoreline and Karaka Bay was one of the locations where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, not once but twice.

The area has a variety of walking tracks which cover different terrain and both pastoral and coastal areas. In the 'gum boot' park, Churchill Park Reserve, the cows roam freely and the ducks swim blissfully in the local stream making the park a popular place to visit and walk. The Glendowie sandspit and Tahuna Torea bird sanctuary have fabulous walks and are a great educational resource.

The residential zoning (Zone 5) of Glendowie makes it harder to subdivide the typically 800 m2 sections, which means gardens are a bit bigger in Glendowie than in St Heliers or Kohimarama. This makes the area popular with families and those who don't want to live in such close proximity to their neighbours. Homes range from 1950's weatherboard bungalows through to the mansions on Riddell Road with their breath taking seaviews.

Glendowie's two main primary schools are Glendowie School and Churchill Park Primary. Both are high decile, with good reputations. Glendowie Primary was the first state primary in New Zealand authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate programme. Glendowie College is a highly regarded high school with an excellent reputation NZ wide. As well, there is a great Catholic integrated school in the suburb - Sacred Heart College. With the added bonuses of having a tennis club, bowling club, a yacht club and an athletic park (Glover Park) - all your sporting needs are met.

Eating

Glendowie has a few cafes and restaurants offering a diverse range of eating options from Japanese, to Italian & Thai. Fix Cafe in Roberta Ave is popular with locals and while people come from all over the city to sample the breads at Tower bakery, in Waimarie St. Residents often walk or drive down to St Heliers Bay Village for a larger choice of restaurants and nearby Mission Bay offers a wide range of dining options.

Shopping

Glendowie has three small shopping strips with a range of businesses. Locals tend to use the Pak'n Save supermarket in Glen Innes, the Eastridge shopping centre or pop down to St Heliers Village, which is an attractive and buzzing local centre, offering all the key services and shops. There is also a fine-food market, Nosh, in neighbouring Glen Innes.

Transport

Whether you go by private car taxi or bus, travel to the CBD is via scenic Tamaki Drive (20 - 25 minutes off-peak) and a beautiful route on your way home from work. There is a regular bus service to the City and the children who go to private schools are well catered for with school buses. The train departs from nearby suburb of Glen Innes (a 5 min drive away) and runs to destinations North and South.

Transport Links