The Waitakere Ranges are a chain of hills in the Auckland Region, generally running approximately 25 km (15.5 mi) from north to south, 25 km west of central Auckland, New Zealand. The maximum elevation within the ranges is 474 m (1555 ft). The ranges and surrounding areas were traditionally known to local Māori as Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa (The Great Forest of Tiriwa).