Auckland (North Island, New Zealand)

Auckland Reviews

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Auckland Information

Overview

Things to do

Country Info (New Zealand)

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Auckland, the 'City of Sails' is the main gateway city to New Zealand. Built on the remnants of 48 extinct volcanoes, it is home to more than one million people, making it the largest city in New Zealand as well as being the main commercial and financial centre.

With a larger boat-to-person ratio than anywhere else on earth, it is a paradise for sailing enthusiasts and every weekend the waters of the Hauraki Gulf come alive with a flotilla of colourful sails. The best way to experience the city is from the water, sailing around the attractive harbour or on a ferry cruise to one of the many stunning islands dotted about the Gulf.

Beyond the bustling downtown area, dominated by the southern hemisphere's tallest building, the Sky Tower, the city sprawls outwards, with low-slung buildings and wooden houses among leafy parks and walking tracks.

The suburbs wind their way around picturesque bays and harbours and between volcanic hills that provide panoramic views over the city and mountains, encompassing numerous green urban parklands that are dotted with sheep.

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Auckland is home to many fine galleries and museums. The Auckland Museum is noted for its outstanding masterpieces of Maori art and displays of New Zealand's natural history and birdlife. Downtown, the Auckland City Art Gallery is host to international exhibitions and contains a fine selection of New Zealand and European works. The Hobson Wharf Maritime Museum on the city waterfront depicts New Zealand maritime history.

Shows, theatre productions and concerts are all popular in Auckland. Be sure to check with the Visitors Information Centre for the frequent performances of live theatre, shows or concerts coinciding with your visit.

Auckland city has a fascinating assortment of shops from the designer boutiques of Parnell and Newmarket to the casual atmosphere of the city markets and stalls.

Restaurants are mostly in Ponsonby, Parnell, the waterfront suburbs such as Mission Bay or St Heliers and the inner city and frequently specialise in the local seafood delicacies.

Don't miss a harbour cruise and perhaps a visit to a nearby island. Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands are popular for their sandy beaches, native bush and idyllic lifestyle.

Waiheke is also a flourishing centre for winemakers and artists. Rangitoto Island, formed from a volcano only 600 years ago, is worth a visit for its magnificent views. Also accessible by ferry is the historic suburb of Devonport. A number of public gardens and reserves surround Auckland city and demonstrate the wide variety of plants of this region.

A convenient way to see the highlights of Auckland is by taking a half or full day sightseeing tour. Only a short trip from the city are the west coast beaches including Muriwai and the nearby Gannet Colony and the beautiful Waitakere Ranges, all of which feature short scenic walks.

Located on the picturesque waterfront along Tamaki Drive, just minutes away from downtown Auckland, Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is the city's premier marine attraction, providing an all weather 'close-up' interactive experience of the Southern Oceans. A rare mix of aquarium, zoo and museum, visitors are assured of several close encounters with penguins, sharks, giant eels, stingrays and many other species of fish.

Rising 1080 feet (328 meters) above Auckland city, Sky Tower is one of the tallest structures in the world. Views from each of its four public access areas give an unrivalled 360° view of the city, its suburbs and the land, hills and sea that surround Auckland. A "City within a City", Auckland's Sky City features two casinos, ten restaurants and bars, free live entertainment, a theatre, a conference center, Sky Tower and a top class hotel. Located in the heart of the city, Sky City is a non-stop center for excitement and entertainment.

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Population: 4.035.500
Languages: English, Maori (both official)
Currency: New Zealand dollar
Currency code: NZD
Local Times:
New Zealand - Auckland

New Zealand - Chatham Island

New Zealand - Wellington

Country Dialling Code: +64
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

It's been Middle Earth and Narnia in the movies but New Zealand's beautiful landscapes are no fantasy.

With a varied and dramatic landscape, a long and significant cultural heritage, and some of the world's rarest and most fascinating plant and animal species, New Zealand is an ideal adventure travel destination. Take a trip here and discover why New Zealand has it all - from flightless birds to breaching whales and breathtaking fjords to erupting geysers.

New Zealand comes with a reputation as a unique land packed with magnificent, raw scenery : craggy coastlines, sweeping beaches, primeval forests, snow-capped alpine mountains, bubbling volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes, all beneath a brilliant blue sky. The far north is a subtropical haven of unspoilt beaches, citrus fruits and hibiscus flowers, while volcanic mud pools and geysers feature in the central part of North Island. The South Island boasts whale watching, ice glaciers and rugged snow-covered Alps. And yes, there are many wide-open spaces.

What's more, everything is easily accessible, packed into a land area little larger than Britain and with a population of just 3.8 million, over half of it tucked away in the three largest cities : Auckland, the capital Wellington, and the South Island's Christchurch. Elsewhere, you can travel miles through steep-hilled farmland and rarely see a soul, and there are even remote spots which, it's reliably contended, no human has ever visited.

Geologically, New Zealand split off from the super-continent of Gondwanaland early, developing a unique ecosystem in which birds adapted to fill the role normally held by mammals, many becoming flightless through lack of predators.

Only in the last couple of decades has New Zealand come of age and developed a true national self-confidence, something partly forced on it by Britain severing the colonial apron strings in the early 1970s, and partly by the resurgence of Maori identity. Maori demands have been nurtured by a willingness on the part of most pakeha to redress the wrongs perpetrated over the last century and a half, as long as it doesn't impinge on their high standard of living or overall feeling of control. More recently, integration has been replaced with a policy of promoting two cultures alongside each other, but with maximum interaction. In this way New Zealand is set to forge through the new century with considerable dignity and a good deal of uncertainty.

The British represent the second largest group of visitors to New Zealand - after neighbouring Australia. But at 12,000 miles away from the UK it's a once-in-a-lifetime destination for many and takes a bit of planning.

Most British travellers either tack New Zealand on to the end of an Australian holiday and regret not having enough time, or take two or three weeks and race around like mad to see the whole country. While New Zealand is small enough to 'do' in that time, a more enjoyable option is to spend longer at just a few places - and then you have an excuse to go back!