"Auckland - The City of Sails" Top 5 Page for this destination Auckland Region by kiwigal_1

Auckland Region Travel Guide: 1,618 reviews and 3,048 photos

My Hometown

Auckland is my hometown. Since 1998 I have spent more time away from Auckland than living here however my parents and two of my brothers and their families live here.

Auckland is one of my favourite places to come to. It has a really pretty outlook with the harbour and the volcanic cones dotted over it.

What to see and do?

Auckland City

There is plenty to see and do here too. You might like to visit Mission Bay or Takapuna which are two popular inner city beaches with good cafes also.

You might like to go up Mt Eden or One Tree Hill for some lovely views of the city (and a bit of exercise too!). Cornwall Park (where One Tree Hill is located) is a nice place for walks, running, cycling and picnics.

For shopping there are the trendy boutiques of High Street, Newmarket and Ponsonby, there are several malls, the biggest being St Lukes in Sandringham. Downtown is best left for souvenir shopping.

The Sky Tower is a distinctive landmark on the Auckland landscape. It offers good views both day and night and has the casino and some good restaurants.

I would also recommend a cruise on the harbour or a trip to Waiheke and Devonport.

Most of these activities cost very little too :-)

Auckland and its urban sprawl

Auckland Region

Auckland city is one of the most spread out cities in the world and only has a population of just over 1,000,000 people. If you take a look at the map you can see the areas that make up Auckland.

The green section is where I live and this is known as Central Auckland or Auckland City. The red area is known as South Auckland or Manukau City and this (including the Papakura district in blue) is really the southern boundary of Auckland.
The lime green section is West Auckland or Waitakere City and the Yellow section is North Shore City which makes the northern boundary of Auckland. Parts of the Franklin and Rodney Districts are also sometimes considered to be part of Auckland also.
In 2009 the government announced that Auckland will be turned into a "Super City" and will be administered under one council. We are still waiting to see exactly what this structure will look like. I am happy about the change as I think it will mean that Auckland's infrastructure should be better planned and more coordinated.

Unfortunately getting around this large space is not so easy as we do not have a good public transport system although if you have time on your side there are buses and trains from the city centre to most places you would want to go. If you are in Auckland, and indeed New Zealand for a longer stay then I suggest you consider buying a cheap car!

Welcome to the City of Sails!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Close to beaches, bush walks, countryside but with the benefits of city living
Cons:Bad transportation!
In a nutshell:home sweet home

Last visit to Auckland Region: Oct 2009
Intro Updated Nov 23, 2009
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Reviews (66)

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Nightlife (7)
See All Fox's Winery and Ale House
Hotels (8)
See All Hilton Hotel
Transportation (7)
See All Driving around New Zealand
Shopping (5)
See All Auckland Fish Market
Local Customs (1)
Mt Roskill Grammar School

Sports & Outdoors (3)
See All Chamberlain Park Public Golf Course
Tourist Traps (1)
Laundromat's in Central Auckland
Favorites (7)
See All Auckland Harbour Bridge
Warnings Or Dangers (1)
Parks at night
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Comments (38)

Jim_Eliason Jul 9, 2008 at 2:27 PM Report Abuse

Nice tips!
skatzcatz Jul 26, 2006 at 9:21 PM Report Abuse

Auckland does look like such a great city, a place worthy of my moving too and settling down to lay some famiiy foundations down.
JessH Apr 10, 2006 at 10:50 PM Report Abuse

Hello Rhianon. I really enjoyed your tips & photos... especially the restaurants & nightlife! Looks like a diverse place that you call home, and hope to visit one day :-) Greetings from Dubai / Jess
DebNZ Mar 22, 2006 at 4:33 PM Report Abuse

Do you realise the Wildfire website you've included here is for Chicago not for NZ?
AnatolianBoy Feb 11, 2006 at 10:36 PM Report Abuse

Great Page. fantastic pic.
TheWanderingCamel Oct 16, 2005 at 3:14 AM Report Abuse

Making our first call on Auckland next Easter, en route to Wanaka (the long way round). Some good info here -thanks -leyle
Amitabh Sep 11, 2005 at 12:03 AM Report Abuse

Liked the school dress custom . Kimano looking beautiful on tall Rhianon. Great Homepage and Auckland page.
Tugboatguy Sep 5, 2005 at 9:31 PM Report Abuse

Very good Auckland update for me! Last there twice in the '70s for vacation trip and later business. About only thing I recognized was the Ferry bldg. Did enjoy War Memorial Museum and Devonport area. Nice pics and tips.Lots of changes. Doug
sprdak11 Jul 6, 2005 at 6:41 AM Report Abuse

Great travel page! Greetings!
dfactor Jun 11, 2005 at 1:03 AM Report Abuse

New Zealand has always been interesting, thanks to LOTR. Thinking of going next year, I think it's time to do some homework now. :) Thanks for the great tips.