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auckland: general info
· city links
· history
· nightlife
photos
· hostels
· things to do
· tours
· read reviews
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AUCKLAND
Calling Code: +64 9
Auckland may not be the capital of New Zealand, but it is definitely a world class cosmopolitan
city and, as site of the major international airport, is likely to be your
introduction to the country. Auckland straddles two harbours with the sparkling Waitemata Harbour which opens up to
the island-studded Hauraki Gulf and then the Pacific Ocean. The much larger Manukau Harbour, to the south, opens up to
the Tasman Sea.
Auckland is built on a series of volcanoes and is New Zealand's largest city and the world's 4th largest city by land area.
The City Of Sails looks its best from the water as the high-rise downtown is dwarfed by the Skytower and backed by the low,
grassy humps of the fifty-odd extinct volcanoes in the harbour. The Harbour Bridge has become quite a tourist attraction -
you can climb to the top or you can even bungee jump off it.
Take a harbour cruise or a ferry over to Birkenhead Point, one of the more posh suburbs of Auckland. Trendy Ponsonby, affluent Parnell and
the maritime suburb of Devonport play home to some of the more flash bars and shops.
Auckland stakes its claim to fame as the world's largest
Polynesian city with almost 20% of the city's population declaring Maori descent
or are the families of migrant who arrived from Tonga, Samoa, the Cook
Islands and other South Pacific islands during the 1960s and 1970s. Several years back the NZ government relaxed the immigration policies to attract more Asians to the country. It worked,
and today everything in Auckland is influenced by it. At one point, 60% of students entering primary school didn't even
speak English.
The weather in Auckland is bizarre. Being directly on the water, it has a ocean temperate climate that can change at the
drop of a hat. One minute it will be sunny and the next it will be raining - heck, it even rains when it is sunny! It doesn't
snow in Auckland, but it does get bitterly cold so be sure to take proper clothing if you go in the winter. Aucklanders say
that you can have all 4 seasons in one day... Then again this is the
place where the sheep are more populous than humans so you can pick up some Ugg boots and merino wool sweaters for not much coin.
The weak New Zealand dollar makes it heaven for travellers.
As New Zealand's major gateway city, Auckland receive the bulk of international arrivals. Auckland International Airport
is located 20km south of the city centre in the suburb of Mangere. A taxi into the city will set you back about $40 or check
out one of the minibuses, who often offer discounts with YHA or VIP cards. The AirBus follows
a fixed route taking about an hour to get into the city but only costs $13 one-way.
Auckland's main visitor centre is at 287 Queen St and open Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat & Sun 9-6 and can help organize and book anything
you may want to do in New Zealand. The Department of Conservation (DOC) office, in the Ferry Building at 99 Quay St, stocks
DOC material and can give you information on tramping anywhere in the country.
Quick tips/suggestions
On a sunny day, Princes Wharf is a great place to grab a bite to eat and watch the world go by. There are tons of restaurants, cafes, and pubs,
something for everyone. Don't be jaded by Queen Street... there is more to the city than this busy street, but some backpackers find
it hard to leave. Plus, prices are cheaper off on the side streets - Queen is just a tourist trap.
Jump on the free Stray City Tour which runs Monday to Friday for your best view of the major
sites in Auckland in a laid back attitude. You even end the tour in a pub - what could be better?!
Best Way to Get Around
Public transportation in Auckland is not great. It is easy to get around the city centre on foot, but to reach the outlying areas, it's
best to have a car. The Link bus goes around town but is your basic city transport - not all that nice. The recently opened Britomart
is a rail system that is slowly taking off.
If there's a place you've stayed or something you've done, but we haven't listed, review it for us!
 Activities
AJ Hackett Bungy Auckland - jump off the famous harbour bridge
Auckland Bridge Climb - a new kind of adventure
Sail NZ - get onboard an americas cup boat
Skytower Jump - a 194m freefall jump
Bars
Cardrona Speights Ale House - a replica of a pub on the south island
Globe Bar - a backpackers bar in the acb
O'Connell's - a true irish pub
Margarita's - lots of space and cheap jugs
The Met - wannabe flash in the city
Beaches
Mission Bay - a lovely beach on the outskirts of town
Culture
Auckland Domain - a sense of peace in the city
Auckland Museum - the world's finest collection of maori taonga
Sky City Auckland - putting the city into perspective
Hostels
ACB - the largest hostel in new zealand
Base - a new way of doing hostels
YHA City Hostel - a little bit of quiet in the city
Hotels
Auckland City Hotel
Auckland Hilton - the best views of the harbour in town
Devereux Boutique Hotel
Hyatt Regency - a five star hotel in the cbd
Nature
Bastion Point - the site of a peaceful maori protest
Cruising the Harbour - exploring the islands of the gulf
Mt. Eden - a huge volcano
Princes Wharf - where the harbour meets the city
Auckland Viaduct Harbour - home to americas cup race in 2003
Photos
City Scapes - pictures of auckland
Restaurants
Umbria - relax on the patio in the cbd
Esquires Coffee - a local coffee house
Kebabs on Queen - a busy place to get kebabs
Mezze - tapas, mezze and vino in birkenhead
Mid City Kebabs - the best kebab in town
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