Auckland

Understand

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, home to 1.5 million people, nearly one-third of the country's population and more than that of the entire South Island. It is the main economic and travel hub and home to an international airport. It's lucky enough to have its own beautiful landscapes, waterways, and other attractions to draw tourists in. It is not New Zealand's political capital though – that honour goes to Wellington. Auckland is by some measures the most isolated city of over 1 million people in the world; the nearest city of over 1 million people is Sydney, 2,160 km across the sea in Australia. Auckland is called the "City of Sails" for the large number of yachts that grace the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf, and for the city's love of sailing. More than 135,000 yachts and launches are registered in Auckland and several America's Cup regattas have been held here. Auckland could also be called the "City of Volcanoes"; much of its natural character comes from being built on the Auckland Volcanic Field, which consists of about 50 volcanoes. All of them are individually extinct (Rangitoto was the latest to erupt, in the mid to late 15th century), but the volcanic field as a whole is not. The city also features a large number of urban beaches and parks, numerous arts and cultural institutions and events, and is home to a multitude of sporting teams. Auckland is frequently ranked highly in international quality-of-life polls, including third in Mercer's Quality of Living Ranking (behind Vienna and Zurich). However, Auckland is also New Zealand's most expensive city – house prices alone are double to triple those found in Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton (the latter 130 km away).

Auckland is very multicultural, with strong immigrant cultures. Some 40 percent of Auckland's population was born overseas; in two local board areas, Puketapapa (Mount Roskill) and Howick, there are more overseas-born residents than New Zealand-born ones. It has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world. For some Polynesian island nations, there are more expatriates living in Auckland than in their homeland. There is also a large population of New Zealand's native Maori people, and populations of immigrants and expats from the UK, China, India, South Africa, South Korea and the Philippines, among others. Auckland's rich cultural mix is celebrated with a wide variety of festivals and events throughout the city. Tipping is not customary here. Excellent service is the norm, and service charges are often already included in the bill.

Climate

Auckland by definition has a temperate climate, although it is often regarded by New Zealanders as having a subtropical climate. The city experiences four distinct seasons with mild to warm summers and mild winters. Winter night temperatures rarely fall below 0 °C (32 °F). Summers are mild to warm with average highs of 23 °C (73 °F) and lows of 17 °C (63 °F). On exceptionally hot days, the temperatures can climb to or exceed 26 °C (79 °F) and not go below 20 °C (68 °F) at night. Auckland experiences regular rainfall throughout the year, with more in winter than summer, though it can also have periods of drought. Snow in Auckland is extremely rare – the last decent snowfall in the city was in the 1930s, although snow flurries occurred in 1976 and 2011. Daylight hours run between 7:30AM and 5:15PM in the winter, and from 6AM to 8:30PM in the summer.

What's inside

Until 2010, the Auckland urban area was divided between four city councils and three district councils. In November 2010, the councils merged into a single "super city" council. The districts here are based on Statistics New Zealand's four Auckland urban sub-areas, which in turn are based on the four erstwhile city councils.

Getting there

By plane

Main article: Auckland Airport

1 Auckland Airport. (AKL IATA). New Zealand's largest airport is located 22 km/14 miles south of central Auckland in the southern suburb of Mangere on the shores of the Manukau Harbour. There are frequent services from Australia and other New Zealand cities. There are also non-stop flights from locations in Asia, the Pacific Islands, the United States, Vancouver (Canada) and Santiago (Chile). Ground transport options from the airport to central Auckland include shuttles (NZ$35) and taxis (NZ$35-65 ask for fixed fare; NZ$75-90 metered). For public transportation, you can buy a HOP card for $10 at the airport and take the AIR bus from Stop A International Terminal, get off at Puhinui Train Station, then board a train to Waitematā Train Station in the CBD; the journey will take 60-90 minutes including waiting times depending on the time of the day. 2 North Shore Aerodrome. Has a few flights from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, Tauranga and Great Barrier Island.

By bus

The InterCity Sky City Bus Terminal at 102 Hobson St (behind Sky City Plaza) is the main hub for national coachline InterCity and its subsidiaries GreatSights. Facilities include an InterCity ticketing office, free Wi-Fi, café and luggage lockers.

Getting around

Local transport options include bus, train, ferry, shuttle, taxi, and car rental. Use the Auckland Transport (AT) website to plan trips by public transport. AT also has a mobile app that can be used to find the time of the next bus, ferry or train or to find the quickest way to get to your destination using public transport. Google Maps is also reliable for directions. If you wish to do a lot of cross-city travel, or travel outside the city, it may be more convenient to hire a car, though some city roads are congested at peak times, and finding a parking spot can be challenging. If you don't travel too far, an electric scooter that can be hired from different companies via app might be a good and cheap alternative where you don't have to worry about the traffic jam and parking. Waitematā Station (formerly known as Britomart Transport Centre) on the corner of Queen St and Customs St in the CBD near the waterfront is the main information centre for public transport. You will find free bus, train and ferry schedules there – which is handy since the frequency of some services is low and sometimes irregular. Timetables can also be downloaded from the AT website. The AT HOP card is a prepay smart card for travel on bus, train and ferry services that costs $5 and is available from a number of retrailers and major stations around the city. Cash is no longer accepted on buses and trains, but you can also use a contactless card (e.g. Visa) or a digital wallet (e.g. Google Pay) for the exact same fare as an AT Hop card. Bus and train fares use a zone-based system, with free transfers within thirty minutes - fares start at $2.80 for one zone. There is a $50 weekly fare cap on trains, buses and inner harbour ferries. No matter how you are paying, be sure to tag on and off every time, or you could be hit with a hefty fine.

By bus

Bus services cover most areas of Auckland. Between 2015 and 2018, the bus network was significantly overhauled, simplifying routes and extending frequent bus services, with the trade-off of having to transfer to a train, ferry or another bus to access the CBD from the outer suburbs. Routes with two-digit numbers run at least every 15 minutes daily between 7AM and 7PM; routes with three-digit numbers operate on lower frequencies. Buses no longer accept cash - an AT HOP card is required. The route indicators displayed on electronic bus stops (e.g "INN") sometimes bear no relation to what is displayed on the front of the bus. In these cases, you must rely on the colour of the bus. The most useful bus routes for visitors are as follows:

The City Link bus (red) runs in a circuit from Karangahape Rd/Upper Queen St to Waitematā or the Wynyard Quarter – it costs 95c with HOP or contactless payment. The Inner Link (green) is a loop service connecting CBD and the surrounding areas of Newmarket, Parnell and Ponsonby. It is fairly frequent and costs up to $2.37 with HOP card, if you stay in one zone. The Outer Link (orange) is a service that runs from Newmarket, past the Museum and Parnell, then to the Universities, through Westmere, Herne Bay, out to the Meola Rd entrance to MOTAT, and terminates at St Lukes. The buses are bright amber and operate on a frequent basis, so no timetables are required. Northern Express (NX1 and NX2) buses run between the central city and the North Shore along the Northern Busway, a bus rapid transit (BRT) line. NX1 services start at Lower Albert St near Waitematā and terminate at Hibiscus Coast busway station. NX2 services start in Wellesley St between the universities and terminate at Albany busway station. They run every 3 to 10 minutes during working hours and no more than 15 minutes apart in the evenings and weekends. Last services leave between 11PM and midnight, with some NX1 services after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights (but only to/from Albany, not Hibiscus Coast). The Tāmaki Link (blue) runs every 15 minutes between Waitematā, Mission Bay, St Heliers and Glen Innes train station via Tamaki Drive, passing by Kelly Tarlton's. Route 18 provides a service every 12 minutes between Victoria St in the CBD and New Lynn train station, via Great North Rd, passing close to the Zoo and MOTAT.

See

Auckland's many volcanoes offer great vantage points to take in the city and some of them have been turned into parks. Popular ones include Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill in Auckland Central and Mt. Victoria in Devonport.

Auckland Art Gallery, cnr Kitchener and Wellesley Streets. The largest collection of national and international art in New Zealand, housed in an award-winning landmark building on the edge of Albert Park in the heart of Auckland. The Gallery regularly hosts touring international exhibitions and offers a calendar of talks, performances, film screenings and children's activities to complement its exhibition programme. Has a shop and café. Free entry to permanent exhibitions for locals (excluding special exhibitions), $20 for international visitors Auckland Domain is Auckland's oldest park and hosts weekend sports events. Includes the historically important winter gardens with impressive flower bed displays, tropical plants and statues (free). There are scenic views of the Waitemata Harbour and islands of the Hauraki Gulf from in front of the museum.

Auckland War Memorial Museum, Parnell. The museum displays collections of significant importance at its prominent position in Auckland Domain. It was constructed in the 1920s as a war memorial to those that fought and died in theatres of war. The cenotaph located on the grounds below the steps leading up to the museum entrance is the focal point for annual ANZAC day remembrance services. The top floor records names in stone as well as sobering tombs and lists of war events and their locations. The museum contains excellent exhibitions of Māori and other Polynesian peoples' arts and crafts and daily Māori cultural performances as well as geography of the Auckland region. There is a planetarium and a cafe. $25 entry for overseas visitors, donation invited from NZ residents, free for Auckland residents. Auckland Zoo, Motions Rd, Western Springs. Auckland Zoo is home to the largest collection of native and exotic animals in New Zealand, set in 17 hectares of lush parkland and just minutes from central Auckland.

Do

Movies. Ticket prices vary around Auckland. The cheapest are in the west, with adult tickets at WestCity in Henderson the lowest at $8.50, and a bit higher at $10 at LynnMall and Westgate. Hoyts Hibiscus Coast in the north on Whangaparaoa Peninsula is also cheap at $10.90. Elsewhere in Auckland prices are in the $18.50 to $19.50 range, except on Tuesdays when there is a $12.50 special (2017 prices). Visit the Waitakere Ranges in West Auckland, replete with impressive waterfalls and rugged but beautiful beaches. Around 45 min (peak hours) drive from central Auckland. Eden Park in Central Auckland is the national stadium, hosting rugby union and cricket. Golf: notable courses are Gulf Harbour, and Formosa at Beachlands.

Beaches

There are many beaches, due to Auckland's straddling of two harbours. The most popular ones are in three areas:

North Shore beaches (in North Harbour district) are on the Pacific Ocean and stretch from Long Bay in the north to Devonport in the south. They are almost all sandy beaches with safe swimming, and most have shade provided by pohutukawa trees. Most are accessible by bus. Takapuna Beach is the most centrally located, with a lovely beach-front café at one end. Just north of Long Bay is a family nudist beach. St Leonard's Beach is gay male nudist. Others are conventional. Tamaki Drive beaches are on the Waitemata Harbour, in the upmarket suburbs of Mission Bay and St Heliers in Central Auckland. These are sometimes-crowded family beaches with a good range of shops lining the shore. Swimming is safe. Mission Bay beach is Auckland's equivalent of Los Angeles' Santa Monica/Venice Beach and is extremely popular on a hot summer's day. To its east, Kohimarama and St Heliers beaches are usually less crowded. Ladies Bay to the east of St Heliers has historically been a nudist-friendly beach, but is frequented by regular beachgoers too, and is accessible by a 5 min walk down from the cliff-top road.

Shopping

The downtown area of the CBD has a number of souvenir shops for a range of budgets. Check around the lower Queen Street and lower Albert Street area. Hobson Street (at the top end) has a couple of large shops also stocking honey and health products. The High Street/Vulcan Lane/O'Connell Street area is the Fashion centre of Auckland Central and has local designer stores as well as international brands There are a number of markets in Auckland; perhaps the most famous for Aucklanders are the Otara and Avondale markets (serving South and West Auckland respectively).

Eat

There are some good cheap food courts (food halls) offering a variety of usually Asian foods usually priced around $10. Try next to the Queens' Arcade at the bottom of Queen St (slightly hidden entrance), or the Metro award winning Food Alley (9-11 Albert St). Very good value and good quality predominantly non-Asian choices are available at Elliott Stables (39 Elliott Street, near Wellesley). Also on the same block is the Atrium on Elliott (21 Elliott Street), a good quality food court of predominantly Asian food. Check out the once-a-week night markets at various locations on different nights. Britomart Precinct on the waterfront in the city centre is home to an array of popular and diverse bars and eateries. Cafe Hanoi, Ebisu, Mexico Britomart, Giapo ice cream, to name a few. A must visit. Ponsonby is not far out from the CBD and features delicious restaurants such as Bali Nights, Mexico, San Ray, and the Ponsonby Food Court. It also features famous Duck Island, serving various flavours of ice cream such as fairy bread, lolly cake, and apple pie custard. Must visit by far. Viaduct Harbour provides upmarket dining, starting at $30 for mains. While this area has some very nice bars and restaurants, be wary of restaurants lacking customers and usually very quiet. It may be a sign of below average food or poor service.

Drink

You can find neighbourhood pubs in many parts of the city, but the highest concentration of bars and clubs is in Auckland Central — particularly around the Viaduct area, K Road, Ponsonby and Parnell.

Sleep

Accommodation can be found throughout the city, but the largest selection is in Central Auckland particularly the central business district. Backpackers hostels are predominantly found in the central business district although there are a few in other areas. These are usually intended for young adults coming from overseas but there are few, if any restrictions on who can stay. Beds in shared dorms will cost around $40-$60 per night, female only dorms are also commonly offered. Often, they will also offer private rooms for a premium but these will be more competitively priced than a hotel room in a similar area. They will usually have a shared kitchen, and various other shared facilities such as games and TV rooms but this will vary from hostel to hostel. Motel style accommodation is found across the city, they will almost always have car parking available and a reasonably well equipped kitchenette in each room. These are often less expensive than hotels of similar quality and provide the ability to self-cater. They may have shared facilities such as games and tv rooms or occasionally pools or spas. Traditional hotels are found mainly in the CBD although there may be others in areas with a high density of offices to cater to people on work trips. These are often the most expensive type of accommodation. Quality can vary from just adequate to luxury. Airbnb can offer a range of accommodation to suit any size group and budget and often has locations outside of traditional accommodation spots. Hosts are usually welcoming and friendly, although they may prefer to "leave a key" and not interact face to face. If you want a slower pace, try an Airbnb in Titirangi, Huia, or Laingholm. These suburbs are close to beaches and bush walks, as well as quaint towns and villages. These are quiet, with more of a local and natural feel. Highly recommended.

Stay safe

Auckland is a safe place to visit, thanks to a quality of life that ranks alongside cities like Munich or Melbourne. That said, thefts and robberies are more prevalent than in the rest of New Zealand, and aggravated assaults are not unheard of. Make sure to take all the usual safety precautions. Asking locals can give you an idea of where not to go. The area locals will most definitely warn you about is South Auckland, which is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most dangerous locations due to its significant poverty and unemployment rates. While it is nowhere nearly as dangerous as "rough" areas in the USA or Europe, it is advised to remain on one's guard at night. People might also advise against going to certain parts of West Auckland, a former working-class area seen as "rough around the edges" that has thankfully improved markedly over the years, but still suffers from occasional burglaries and thefts. As in the rest of the country, alcohol culture is very prevalent in Auckland, and it is not abnormal to see drunkards of all ages and from all walks of life meander around. Drugs are also becoming a major issue in Auckland, with drug addicts becoming a common sight along Karangahape Road (commonly known as K' Road) and parts of Queen Street at night. Simply avoiding eye-contact will be enough to avoid trouble.

Go next

Go wine tasting on Waiheke Island. It's home to an abundance of art galleries, some fantastic wines and has some of the best beaches in the area. You can rent a scooter and get around the island fairly quickly. Can get crowded during the weekends, but very quiet during the week. It seems a world away from Auckland, but is only 35 minutes by ferry. Take a ferry to Rangitoto Island. Rangitoto Island has trails around much of the island, as well as a bridge that connects to the neighboring Motutapu Island, and is a great hike for even the most inexperienced hikers. Rangitoto Island has several lava caves that can be crawled or climbed through as well as a spectacular 360 degree view at the summit (only about an hour hike on the most direct trail). This is one of the more convenient islands that is nearby as it is only 20-25 minutes by ferry. Rotorua, Hamilton, Waitomo Caves and Taupo are all within several hours drive and all have a lot to offer.

More pictures of Auckland

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.