Great North Road is a major thoroughfare in Auckland, on the North Island of New Zealand. It begins as a continuation of Karangahape Road from the latter's terminus with Ponsonby road and Newton road, and passes through the western suburbs of Arch Hill, Grey Lynn, Western Springs, Point Chevalier, Waterview, Avondale, New Lynn, Kelston, Glendene and Henderson before becoming Swanson Road at the intersection with Lincoln Road. The road is one of the longest roads in Auckland, second only to its counterpart, the Great South Road. Located on, or within walking distance from Great North Road are notable Auckland attractions such as Motat and Auckland Zoo, as well as two major shopping malls, Lynmall and Westfield West City. The road is served by several bus routes linking Auckland with these attractions and the suburbs of West Auckland. Unlike what its name suggests, the road actually heads west for most of its route, turning to a more north-westerly direction past New Lynn. However, in the days before the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the Northern Motorway and the North-Western motorway were built, the road was the main road route from Auckland City to the areas north of Auckland Isthmus.
