Auckland: The Big City
Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, is home to roughly a third of the country's population. Also known as the 'city of sails', it is located near the top of the North Island on a narrow stretch of land in between two harbours, Manukau on the Tasman Sea and Waitemata on the Pacific side. Unlike anywhere else in New Zealand, Auckland feels like a big city and is much less compact than Wellington; to visit, it feels more like an Australian city with bright lights, busy streets and motorways and lots of international shops. As home to the country's major international airport, the city is a lot of people's first impression of New Zealand and although is it quite different to the rest of the country, it is a lovely place to visit.
How To Get There, Where To Stay And When To Go
As the country's largest city, it is relatively easy to get here either from abroad via the international airport or from elsewhere in New Zealand by domestic flight, buses, or by car via SH1. There is also a long distance train route connecting Auckland and Wellington. For budget travellers there are plenty of hostels, two that I can recommend from personal experience are Frienz and the Attic, both are very centrally located just off Queen Street. I would suggest visiting Auckland in the summer when there are long, warm days and the surrounding beaches can be taken advantage of, although the winters here are fairly mild, especially without the gale-force winds that Wellington often experiences.
What To Do In The City
There is plenty to do in Auckland city centre; go for a walk by the harbour or check out the Silo Park, a recently regenerated area of the city which now boasts some lovely waterfront cafés, markets and an open-air cinema (check it out here: www.silopark.co.nz). The Sky Tower, one of Auckland's most obvious landmarks, is the tallest building in New Zealand. You can go for a SkyWalk, or jump off it, take in the scenery from the viewing platforms or eat at one of it's restaurants.
There is also a tourist information centre there, with maps and guidebooks galore. Another major landmark is the dormant volcano, Mount Eden, which you can visit on one of the tourist buses such as the hop-on hop-off Explorer. These buses are a good way to see the main sights if you only have a short time in the city and tickets are valid all day. During my first few days in Auckland, it was a great way for me to do some solo sightseeing. Museums such as the Auckland Museum and MOTAT (the transport museum) are also included on the bus routes.
There are several parks in the city, the Auckland Domain and Albert Park are both nice for a walk, run or picnic. On one of my days in Auckland, I took a ferry over to Devonport, a nice little suburb with shops, cafés and a Navy museum. The ferry ride also allows you to see the city from the water or there are harbour cruises as well. Although not boasting quite as many as Wellington, Auckland has lots of places to grab a coffee, a bite to eat or a beer when you have done enough sightseeing. There are plenty along Queen Street, one of the main thoroughfares through the city centre, and on the streets leading off it, as well as in the Silo Park area. When I visited Auckland in February 2015, I stumbled across a lovely little ice cream shop on the harbour which did a 'happy hour' with ice creams for just $1, well worth a visit!
A Break From The City - What To Do Further Afield
Auckland is a great place from which to explore other areas of the North Island as it is a major transport hub. The Bay of Islands in the Far North is a beautiful place boasting pristine beaches, warm sunshine, opportunities for diving and dolphin swimming. I visited on the Stray bus, on my first excursion out of Auckland, staying in the seaside town of Paihia. From here, you can take a day trip up to Cape Reinga and ninety-mile beach, go on a boat trip to see the 'Hole in the Rock' (pretty self-explanatory) or a ferry over to Russell, once known as the 'hell hole of the pacific' in its early days as a seedy whaling town. It now boasts some lovely old buildings, including a pub overlooking the sea. Just up the road from Paihia, is Waitangi, where the agreement between the British and the Māori, the Waitangi Treaty, was signed on the 6th February 1840. There is also a lovely bush walk to the nearby Haruru waterfall which I would highly recommend.
In the other direction from Auckland, to the southeast, is the Coromandel Peninsula. The area can be easily visited on a day trip and a car is definitely the easiest way to get around. I did just this whilst I was in Auckland, driving over to the eastern side of the Peninsula to visit Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.
Cathedral Cove is a lovely beach with some amazing rock formations,such as the eponymous cave with its cathedral-like roof forming a gateway between two stretches of sand. Rock stacks can also be seen near to the shore, showing the incredible erosive power of the ocean. The beach can be reached via a bush walk from the cliff-top car park and is worth the visit.
Hot Water Beach however, I was less amazed by. The beach is famous for its pools of hot water around the tide line, which you can create for yourself by digging just a little way down into the sand either side of the low tide. Promotional materials show people happily relaxing on the beach as the waves gently lap up to their pool, but when I went all I saw was dozens of people crowded onto the same spot, all frantically trying to dig pools as the cold ocean instantly refilled them. Not quite so idyllic. Having said that though, I have spoken to others who have visited and had a great time, so maybe go and see for yourself!
If you visit New Zealand, it is likely that you will not be able to escape at least a short visit to Auckland as it will probably be your first and last port of call. Make the most out of your time there, while on first appearances it may be just another city, it is worth exploring and finding out what it has to offer as it's very different to the rest of the country.
