Brent Scott, 45, was this evening charged with one count of murder and two of attempted murder.
He would appear in North Shore District Court tomorrow morning, police said.
The family asked for privacy. Police said they would make no further comment as the matter was now before the courts.
Emergency services were called to the Mahoney Drive address just before 9am today, where three people were lying injured outside the property.
Despite their efforts, Scott's ex-wife Heidi Welman-Scott, 41, died at the scene.
Their daughter Taryn Welman, 22, was taken to hospital by ambulance, and her 22 year-old partner was flown to hospital by Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
Both had undergone surgery and were in a serious but stable condition in hospital, police said.
A manhunt was launched across the North Shore, which involved the lockdown of three schools in the surrounding area, after the stabbings.
Police organised for an alert to be placed on the wanted man to ensure that he was unable to leave the country.
As a result of that alert, he was stopped at the airport and detail by airport police until detectives arrived. He had been driven to the airport by a friend, police said.
A number of vehicles had been seized and would be forensically examined in the next few days, police said.
A scene examination was under way and was expected to take several days.
A weapon has not been located.
At a press conference this afternoon, Detective Inspector Bruce Scott said the couple's other child, a 14-year-old boy, was at Rangitoto College when the incident occurred.
The weapon used in the incident had not been recovered but it was believed to be a knife or other sharp implement.
It also emerged that Ms Welman-Scott had taken out a protection order against her husband, 45-year-old Brent Scott, over an incident in South Africa last year.
He had been driven to the airport by a friend after fleeing the crime scene on foot this morning, Mr Scott said.
"He was detained by airport police until our detectives arrived."
Scott had been due in North Shore District Court this afternoon for allegedly breaching a protection order.
Mr Scott said that breach had been for contacting the couple's 14-year-old son.
He said the protection order was organised by Scott's wife following a trip to South Africa last year, in which Scott was arrested and with charged with family violence offences.
The protection order was taken out on their return to New Zealand.
The 14-year-old son was being looked after by wider family members and had been with his sister in hospital today, Mr Scott said.
Mr Scott noted that the incident took place during White Ribbon Week, which aims to end domestic violence.
Scott is listed as the sole director of Warthog Blade Sharpeners NZ Limited, which has a head office in South Africa.
The website says it began operating in 1999 and had been manufacturing and exporting a "patented high-quality diamond knife sharpeners for more than 10 years".
Director of the Capetown-based company Hein Pretorius said Scott had contacted the company about 18 months ago and became New Zealand's franchisee selling knife sharpening products.
Scott had placed several orders for the company's products however he recently informed the company he would no longer continue to sell them.
Mr Pretorius said Scott, who is listed on the electoral role as a service technician and by the companies office as a director of Warthog Blade Sharpeners NZ Ltd, had told him he worked full time in a factory.
No one at the company in South Africa had ever met Scott.
