Auckland Things to Do Tips by grkboiler

The Sky Tower is a great place to start your sightseeing of Auckland. Ride the lift to the top of the tower and get amazing 360 degree views of Auckland and the surrounding areas. This costs NZ$15. For an extra $3, you can go up to an even higher level (its worth it). The coolest part (or scariest, depending on who you talk to) of the observation levels is the glass floor which lets you see Auckland below your feet.

The Sky Tower is part of the Sky City complex, which also holds a 24-hour casino, hotel, live theatre, and restaurants, including a revolving restaurant above the observation levels.

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Phone: 09 - 363 6000
Address: Cnr Federal & Victoria Streets, Auckland.
Website: http://www.skycity.co.nz

The New Zealand National Maritime Museum has many great exhibits that teach about New Zealand's relationship with the ocean. Exhibitions change, but you will most likely learn about Polynesian voyagers, European explorers to New Zealand, trading, whaling, immigration, shipwrecks, fishing, and especially yachting.

Overall, this is a great place to spend a few hours in Auckland, and I would highly recommend it. It is open 7 days a week from 9 AM to 6 PM. Admission is NZ$12 for adults and $6 for seniors, children, and students. For a harbour cruise, add $7 for adults and $6 for everyone else.

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Phone: 373 0800
Address: Downtown Waterfront
Directions: Near America's Cup Village - just take Quay St and you will run right into it, or head to the waterfront and follow directions to Viaduct Harbour.
Website: http://www.nzmaritime.org.nz/

The Ferry Building, built in 1912, is one of the most impressive buildings in Auckland. It is listed in the NZ Register of Historic Places. It was built to be leased, and tenants included ferry companies, trade unions, and corporate offices. After the Harbour Bridge was built, the building's importance diminished and it fell into disrepair. It was refurbished in 1986 and converted into office space.

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Address: Quay St. at Pier 2

Auckland Harbour Bridge was built between 1955 and 1959. It is 1,021m (3,350ft) long and crosses Waitemata Harbour joining Freeman's Bay in Auckland to Northcote in North Shore City. It is credited with the rapid development of the North Shore.

The bridge has a traffic count of over 160,000 cars a day. Before 1969, there were 4 lanes of traffic. A Japanese company then added 2 lanes on each side doubling the size of the bridge, which were named Nippon Clip-Ons. The Clip-Ons have a life of 50 years, so another span will have to be built to cope with traffic before they can be replaced.

The bridge is available for climbing tours as of 2001 (shortly after my visit).

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Address: State Highway One, Auckland.
Directions: Between downtown & North Shore, follow main Hwy north.

Auckland is called the City of Sails, and the marina is a good indication of why. The people of Auckland own more boats per capita than any other city in the world.

When you take a harbour cruise, or go to the Sky Tower to check out the view, pay special attention to the marina. Westhaven Marina is one of the biggest marinas in the world. You will also get some great views of the city from the marina.

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Phone: +64 9 309 1352
Address: 137 Westhaven Drive
Website: http://www.westhaven.co.nz/

Take a cruise around the harbour. You will get great views of the city, a chance to go underneath the Harbour Bridge, and you will see another perspective on how big the marina really is.

If you go to the NZ National Maritime Museum, you can pay a little extra to get a harbour cruise. You will appreciate the cruise even more after visiting the museum and learning a little about New Zealand's connection with the ocean, with everything fresh in your mind. I was able to take a cruise on a small steamboat just outside the museum, the Eliza Hobson, and enjoyed it very much.

Check the Museum's website for more details.

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Address: Hobson Wharf
Directions: Go to the waterfront and walk towards Viaduct Harbour.
Website: http://www.nzmaritime.org.nz/entry_charges.htm

Auckland has a very nice and clean downtown area with some interesting buildings. Queen St. is the main road through Auckland, with plenty of shops and restaurants on it or nearby. The waterfront offers activities for everyone.

Take a walk and get a good feel for Auckland. It shouldn't take more than a couple hours to walk the downtown area and see what Auckland is about.

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