Welcome to Auckland
New Zealand's largest city offers a unique combination of marine and city life, set around three harbours and surrounded by over 50 islands. Auckland enjoys a year-round warm, humid climate, and its residents benefit from a lifestyle that is unrivalled almost anywhere in world. It is hard to believe that wherever you go within this modern city you are no more that a few minutes away from stunning shores and crystal-clear waters. Auckland is home to a third of New Zealand's population. It is also New Zealand's most multi-cultural city, bursting with the rhythm of Polynesian culture and home to a diverse immigrant population from all corners of the globe. When you cast your eyes across Auckland Harbour or admire the view from the bridge that connects the city's northern and southern sectors, it will be easy to see why Auckland is known as the City of Sails. Boating is a favourite pastime of many Aucklanders, and the number of yachts and launches you will see on a calm, sunny day will amaze you given the relative small population of the city. Auckland is New Zealand's prime shopping destination, with dozens of shopping centres and specialty stores offering unique handmade goods, top fashion labels and everything in between. Visit the boutique stores of High Street, Parnell Road and Ponsonby Road, and stop to enjoy a superb coffee at one of the many exquisite cafes you will come across. Auckland offers you the best of both worlds, with the busy city environment of the central part of town, and the laid-back, cultured, suburban lifestyle of the North Shore. You will be spoilt for choice by the array of inner-city and waterfront hotel and apartment accommodation, and the number and range of restaurants to suit all tastes, from ethnic cuisine to seafood restaurants and café-style dining. Make sure you take the opportunity to see the waterfront and experience the city as it comes to life at night. Live music and entertainment is always available and waiting to be discovered at the numerous cafes, bars and clubs in the Viaduct Basin, or take a dinner cruise on the Pride of Auckland to enjoy a meal and see the city's bright lights from a yacht out on the harbour. The Sky Tower literally cannot be missed. Towering 328 metres high and located in the heart of the city centre, the Sky Tower is one of the city's greatest entertainment spots. Step out onto the outdoor observation level, stand on a glass floor right above the city and dine at the revolving restaurant. As well as offering nine other options for relaxing and enjoying a meal or a drink, Sky Tower has two casinos and a world class hotel. Children and adults alike will enjoy Rainbow's End, New Zealand's only large theme park, and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World. Travel deep beneath the ocean on a moving walkway and look up to find yourself surrounded by diverse ocean life - giant stingrays, moray eels and sharks are only centimeters away in their natural habitat. Also make some time to explore the city's outlying islands if you want to fully appreciate the beautiful marine environments of New Zealand's north. Take a ferry from downtown Auckland to explore the wonders of Waiheke, with its wineries and cafes, or wander down the golden sands of Takapuna Beach and catch a ride across to Rangitoto, the forest covered giant with an impressive dormant volcano that looms over you as you approach. If you have a day to take a slightly longer trip visit Tiritiri Matangi, Kawau or Great Barrier. But don't feel restricted to just the city and the sea. Only a short drive away, the Waitakere Ranges are the perfect opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle and be reminded that in any New Zealand city, the country still holds it's own. Go mountain biking or walking, and explore the parks and tracks that are around every corner. Travel less than an hour in almost any direction to come across one of the many scenic coastal settlements set into the harbours, such as Piha or Orewa, and you will suddenly feel miles away from city life.
The Auckland Sky Tower looking down on the harbour