Auckland, New Zealand

Aukland

*1/15/19-1/17/19. On our Own.  Hop On Hop Off. (Milam)

Devonport:  From Downtown Auckland you can jump on a ferry and arrive at the north shore town of Devonport in just minutes. Devonport is a charming historic village by the sea, just 12 minutes away by ferry from Downtown Auckland.

The real drawcard here though is the walk up North Head Historical Reserve. Pack some lunch and when you get to the top reward yourself with a rest and some of the most beautiful views looking out over the Hauraki Gulf and Inner Harbour.

Auckland cruise port terminal is part of the Waitemata Harbour. The cruise ships berth right at the heart of the city. The primary Auckland cruise terminal is at Princes Wharf. The second facility that is used for cruise vessels is the Queens Wharf.

Address: Ferries leave from the Ferry Terminal on Quay St, Auckland. Cost: Return Ferry Trip, Adult $NZ11.50, Child $NZ6.00

Waiheke Island is one of the many islands dotted around the gulf and harbour and is easily reached in about 40 minutes by ferry from Downtown Auckland. There is lots to discover on Waiheke so make sure you allow yourself a full day.

Highlights include some of New Zealand’s best wineries, hiking trails, mountain biking, beautiful beaches, a thriving arts scene, incredible locally grown and produced food and more sunshine and less rain than Auckland. There are buses to get you around the island or you can take one of the interest specific tours on offer.   

Address: Ferries leave from the Ferry Terminal on Quay St, Auckland.  Cost: Return Ferry Trip and all day bus on the island, Adult $NZ45.00, Child $NZ23.00 | Tour also available at an extra cost.

Walking:

Heading west along the waterfront from the ferry wharf are the areas of Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter. On a beautiful sunny day there is nowhere else in Auckland I would rather be than taking a stroll through here and stopping at one of the many restaurants and bars. As you walk between Viaduct and the Wynnyard Quarter you’ll notice some of the world’ most impressive yachts moored in the harbour.

Viaduct Harbour is one of the city’s newest precincts and is full of great waterfront dining and drinking options plus the odd bit of entertainment from time to time. As you walk between Viaduct and the Wynnyard Quarter you’ll notice some of the world’ most impressive yachts moored in the harbour.

Wynyard Quarter is the perfect place to take the whole family. The area has kept a very industrial feel with shipping container, silos and other industrial objects used purposefully and for aesthetics. Along with a few more waterfront dining and drinking options there are some fun seating options in the open squares, play equipment for the kids in the Playspace, beautiful harbour and city skyline views and right at the end, Silo Park where you’ll find the occasional outdoor cinema, markets and live music.

Volcanoes:  The two most popular and most accessible are Mt Eden and One Tree Hill. Both of which offer stunning views of the city, harbour and other volcanoes in the area. One Tree Hill is also a very historical place. It was one of the largest Maori settlement complexes in New Zealand and has been claimed as the largest pre-historic earth fort in the world.

Shopping:

The place to shop, visit tiny hole in the wall galleries, sip complicated sounding coffees and spend your evenings is the ultra hip inner-city suburbs. Here are a few of the best.

·         Ponsonby Road – Attracting the fashionable crown for its boutique shopping by day and stylish bars and restaurants at night, Ponsonby Road simply oozes cool. While most people visit for the great range of ethnic restaurants, bars, and fashion, it is also a very pretty heritage area perfect for a stroll.

·         Newmarket – The home to fashion in Auckland, Newmarket is high street shopping and malls at its best. From your standard high street brands to designer labels and the odd one off boutique, there is something to suit every budget and style.

·         Parnell – This village within a city is packed full of restaurants, cafes, bars, art galleries, boutiques, craft stores and some of the city’s best jewellers. It’s Auckland’s largest arts precinct and New Zealand’s first suburb, established in 1841.

Paul’s comments:

The Hop On Hop Off bus is excellent there to do one day to see the city sights. I will send separately other things to do including a ferry trip to Waiheke Island which is a great fast ferry ride for about 45 minutes. Then jump on the local bus and get off at some vineyards for tasting and lunch. We recommend Tantalus Estate as their red wines are from those vineyards (the whites are from Hawkes Bay Area because of climate) and the restaurant is superb. That morning, the restaurant won another award for excellence. There are two other vineyards nearby so a nice walk too from the bus. Check out the map and Google Tantalus Estate. Ferries and bus are cheap and restaurant worth the money.

The ferry is about 15 minutes to Devenport which is actually a suburb of Auckland but detached. Had a lovely walk around the waterfront and then lunch at a pub on the Main Street. You have to enjoy the waters of Auckland as you will in Sydney as that is the main feature especially with the America’s Cup preparations starting. Plenty to eat and drink around the Viaduct area with all the boats there.