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AUCKLAND
AUCKLAND is New Zealand's largest city and its major commercial center. Home to about one million people, with the suburbs included, it is a beautiful waterfront city set between two harbors and around 48 dormant volcanos on the northern part of the North Island. It is the main gateway to New Zealand and it is regarded as the world's largest Polynesian city because of its large population of Maori, Samoans, Tongans and other Pacific islanders.
Many travelers who have spent time in Auckland regard it as friendly, green, unpretentious but bland, and as a city geared more for living than visiting. It major attractions are its sports, activities and the awesome scenery that surrounds it. Particularly worthwhile are the climbs up Mt. Eden and Mt. Victoria, two grass-covered dormant volcanos, for wonderful views of the city.
Auckland is sometimes called the "City of Sails," because it is believed there are more sailboats per capita here than in any other city in the world. It is currently the home of the America's Cup one of the most coveted trophies in the sport of yachting. But sailing isn't the only sport that Aucklanders enjoy. They are also into cycling, jogging, walking, rugby, cricket, swimming, frisbee playing and even leaping 30 stories from the top of a building in a bungy-jumping-like sport called rapajumping.
Auckland was founded in the 1840s and originally known to the Maori as Tamiki-makau-rau (Maori for "Spouse of Hundred Lovers"). Its present name honors Heroge Eden, the Earl of Auckland. It was briefly the seat of the government until Wellington became the capital in 1865.
Today, one out of every three New Zealanders lives in or around Auckland, and one quarter of all Aucklanders are of Maori or Polynesian descent. Auckland has often been compared to cities on the West Coast of the United States. It has a Sky Tower that brings to mind Seattle's Space Needle. And, massive boat-filled Westhaven Harbor reminds many people of San Diego.
Orientation in Auckland
Auckland has two major harbors: 1) Waitemata Harbor on Hauraki Gulf on the Pacific Ocean and east side of North Island; and 2) Manukau Harbor on the Tasman Sea on the west side of North Island. The Tamaki River runs through the east part of Auckland; Westhaven Harbor and Hobson Bay are situated near the downtown area; and yacht basins are located on most coves on the heavily indented coastline that surround the city.
The main part of the city faces Waitemata Harbor. The Auckland Domain, Auckland's major park, lies near the downtown part of the city along with Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.
Quay Street runs along the waterfront past the Ferry Building to Hobson Bay and runs into Tamaki Drive, which is connected by a causeway to the eastern part of the city and the main beachfront recreation areas: Takaparawa Regional Park and Mission Bay.
Queen Street is the main shopping boulevard. It intersects with Quay Street near the Ferry Building, where there are wharves and ferry docks with ferries to the South Island and islands and other destinations around Auckland. Many of the streets in Auckland are one way and fairly easy to negotiate on a bicycle but difficult in a rent-a-car if you are not used to driving on the left side of the road.
Entertainment and Restaurants in Auckland
The Aotea Center (across from the town hall) is a relatively new entertainment venue, where concerts and major events are staged. Several times a year the Auckland Philharmonic and the New Zealand Opera perform here. There is also a Harrah's hotel and casino.
American-style multi-screen cinemas, theaters, restaurants, nightclubs, restaurants, bars and pubs are located around Queen Street and the shopping districts listed in the shopping section.
Popular entertainers from North American often appear at local clubs in New Zealand during the New Zealand summer. The Park Towers Hotels offers wonderful views of Auckland, the ocean and volcanos.
Sports: Rugby and cricket players are often seen at Takaparawa Regional Park, Mission Bay, Auckland Domain, Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.
Restaurants: There are numerous ethnic restaurants in Auckland, including ones with cuisine from China, France, Italy, Thailand, India, Japan, Turkey, Greece and many other countries. Auckland is particularly famous for its seafood. There are also numerous cafes, takeaways, and fish and chips shops, and a large number of American fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
There are many good eating area in and around Queen Street, Victoria Park Place, China Oriental Markets, and Parnell Village. Many ethnic restaurants are concentrated around Ponsonby Road.
Lists of restaurants is sometimes available for free from the tourist office or hotels. Several restaurant guides are on sale at bookstores and newsstands. You can also check lists of restaurants and suggestions in the entertainment guides listed above, the yellow pages in the phone book, the Lonely Planet books, and other guidebooks.
Shopping in Auckland
Queen Street is Auckland's main thoroughfare and one of the city's main upscale and commercial shopping areas. In and around it are shopping malls, designer shops, trendy boutiques, cafes, cinemas and restaurants.
Other shopping areas include 1) Parnell Village, an area with designer boutiques in restored Victorian villas; 2) China Oriental Markets, a cluster of colorful shops on the Quay; and 3) the Victoria Park Place, which consists of small shops and stalls selling fruits, vegetables, crafts and books in a complex that once housed a council-run waist disposal facility.
Ornaments made from New Zealand greenstone can be purchased at several shops including the Greenstone Factory and Greenstone distributors. On the weekends, flea markets are held at Victoria Market and other places. Check local newspapers for schedules. Also, items can be bought at duty-free shops in Auckland and delivered to you at the airport. Art Galleries are scattered throughout the city.
Traveler Information for Auckland
The Auckland Visitors Center is on 299 Queen Street. There is also a visitor's center at Auckland International Airport.
Accommodation: Auckland has more than 100 motels and hotels as well as hostels, budget hotels, motor inns, homestays, bed and breakfasts, and backpacker hotels. Tope of the line hotels include the Regent, a Hyatt, a Sheraton, the Pan-Pacific, and the Parkroyal. Some of the most popular cheap hotels and guest houses are located near ????. The New Zealand Tourist Board has good list of hotels and the Visitors Information Centers at the airport and in Auckland can help you find a place. The Lonely Planet books have good lists of cheap accommodation options.
Transportation: Most Visitors get around by ferry, bus or taxi. Reasonably-priced one- and two-day passes are available for the buses. Also, there are numerous ferries that can be taken to destinations all over the Auckland area. Most leave from around the Ferry Building and the ferry berths on Quay Street near the base of Queen Street. Commuters use the ferries to commute between the northern suburbs where they live and the downtown area where they work. There are hourly departures to Devonport on the North Shore and less frequent ferries to the islands in the Hauraki Gulf. For more information see the "Getting Around-Within Cities" section earlier in the text.
Train Station: The main long-distance train station is off of Beach Road between Waitemata Harbour and the Auckland Domain.
###Sights in Auckland
Auckland Domain is Auckland's main park. Once a Maori settlement, it now contains the Auckland Museum and a Botanic Garden, and often hosts festivals and other events.
Gardens and Zoos: Roses and other flowers blooms in profusion at Parnell Village and Rose Garden and parks around the city. The Auckland Zoo features wide array of animals and birds. Special exhibits include the Kiwi House where you get a chance to see the nocturnal kiwi and tuatara reptile. Four miles from downtown is One Tree Hill where a single tree stands next to a 70-foot-tall obelisk which honors Sir John Logan Campbell, the father of Auckland.
Mission Bay (east of the harbor front) has been described as Auckland's answer to Venice Beach. A pleasant place for a walk, it is a park and beach area that fills up on sunny weekend days with cyclists, roller skaters, joggers, picnickers, partiers and cricket players. In the water are windsurfers, kayaks and yachts. A foot bath along Tamaki Drive in the Mission Bay area is lined with red-blossomed pohutukawa trees.
Mt. Eden (three miles from Auckland) is a symmetrical, conical, extinct volcano. A spiralling road leads to its 643-foot-high summit, where there are lovely views of the city and Waitemata and Manukau Harbors. There are also great views from Rangitoto Island, another dormant volcano.
Devonport (a five minute ferry ride from the Ferry Building) is a pretty historic suburb at the end of a peninsula north of the city. Here you can climb Mount Victoria, an extinct volcano. There are also nice swimming beaches, quaint restaurants and craft shops. It is regarded by some as a hippie haven.
Hauraki Gulf (near Auckland) is one of New Zealand premier sailing areas. A semi-sheltered waterway, it features hundreds of small islands, beaches, sparkling water, good fishing, and abundant shellfish beds. Try to get to get to Tiritiri Matangi Island to see the beautifully situated lighthouse there. Waiheke island is a popular overnight destination. It is scenic and has many bed and breakfasts.
Visitors can enjoy Hauraki Gulf aboard privately-owned yachts, charter boats or scheduled ferries. Harbor cruises and catamaran excursions to Hauraki Gulf can be arranged at Ferry Terminal. The Harbor Explorer day-pass cruise offers visits to Devanport, Kelly' Tralton's Aquarium, and Rangitoto Island.
### Museums and Attractions in Auckland
Auckland Museum (in the Auckland Domain and also known as the War Memorial Museum) has excellent exhibits that deal primarily with Maori and Polynesian culture, New Zealand natural history and European colonization. Housed in the neo-classical War Memorial Building, which itself rests on a dormant volcano, it contains a 12-foot-tall model of a moa, displays on New Zealand vulcanism and an interesting collection of New Zealand, Pacific, Asian and European art. The Maori exhibit features artifacts, carved legends and family histories, an 82-foot war canoe and a traditional Maori meeting house.
Auckland Art Gallery (near the Auckland Museum in Albert Park on Wellesley Street) contains the New Zealand's largest collection of Maori Goldie paintings as well a collection by European and American painters.
Other Museums in Auckland include the Museum of Transportation and Technology (in the suburbs of Western Springs), which displays classic cars, planes and player pianos, among other things. The New Zealand National Maritime Museum is also worth a look. The America's Cup was displayed here for a while and may be there still.
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World is a unique underground attraction consisting of moving walkways that transport visitors through acrylic tunnels under tanks filled with sharks, sting rays, lobster, and colorful fish and living coral. There is also an Antarctic exhibit with live penguins.
Water Activities in Auckland include sunset cocktail cruises on old ferry boats, complete with jazz music; mock America's Cup-style yacht races; overnight ferry trips to islands in Hauraki Gulf; and walks on long and near-deserted beaches. Tour cruises and passenger ferries to the Hauraki Gulf Islands leave from the Ferry Building.
NEAR AUCKLAND
Visitors can visit lush rain forests and gardens in the Waitakere Ranges and vineyards, many with restaurants, west of the city. Some people stop in at Montgomerie Farm, a beautifully located facility with sheep, cattle, angora goats and horses.
Barrier Island (20 miles northeast of Auckland) is one of the most distant Hauraki Gulf islands accessible to Auckland. It offers nice secluded beaches, excellent fishing spots, birdwatching and mountain biking. Barrier Island is also the home of the world's largest insect, a cricket-like weta that is years is about the size of a mouse. Accommodation: Barrier island has some small hotels, guest houses, backpacker hostels and campgrounds. How to Get There: 2 hour ferry ride from Auckland.
Wine Tasting Tours (around 30 miles from Auckland) are offered in vineyards north and west of the city. One of the most visited wineries is Matua Valley Wines (Waikoukou Valley Road) in Waikoukou. Arrangements for tours are usually made in Auckland.
Karikare (25 miles west of Auckland) is where Holly Hunter came ashore in the film “The Piano”. Situated on the rugged Tasman coastline, it features broad beaches, pounding surf and a small artist colony. There are walks through coastal forests with towering kauris, cabbage trees, and nikau palms. Sometimes the sand flies here are quite fierce. Accommodation: Karikare is a fairly small place with a few small hotels, guest houses, backpacker hostels and campgrounds. How to Get There: one hour drive from Auckland. It can also be reached by bus and as part of a guided tour from Auckland.
Muriwai Beach (35 miles west of Auckland) is a scenic beach with one of the world's two known mainland nesting sites for yellow-crested sea gannet.
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: New Zealand Tourism Board, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, and various books and other publications.
Last updated September 2025
