Auckland New Zealand

"Not for nothing do they call it the City of Sails"

Don't make the mistake of thinking that Auckland has little to offer the overseas visitor and thus whizz through before you've had much of a chance to unjetlag. You could while away five or six pleasant days in this, the largest Polynesian city on earth.

Auckland is, above all else a maritime city. It is built astride a narrow isthmus that bridges two coasts: the Tasman Sea to the west, the Pacific Ocean to the east. The isthmus itself enfolds two magnificent harbours - the Manukau and its more famous twin, the Waitemata Harbour.

The Waitemata and its front-yard, the Hauraki Gulf, are among the world's most stunning sailing and boating waters and Aucklanders are thus boat crazy. Not for nothing do they call it the City of Sails. On the average summer weekend the harbour and gulf are confettied with white canvas.

Auckland is home to a million souls - a polychromatic melting pot of races and cultures. Predominantly British, but with, naturally enough, a very strong Maori element. On top of these base tones add in the peoples of the Pacific Islands - notably Samoa, Tonga, Niue, and the Cooks - Dutch, Dalmatian, and (especially recently) Chinese. But then add the coloratura high notes - Indian, Greek, Italian, African, Middle Eastern and many more. The result is a true multi-cultural city which for the most part works harmoniously and successfully.

What it has meant is an interesting melding of cuisines which have combined to create a very distinctive New Zealand style of cooking.

Sightseeing

But what to see, what to do?? -

Start with the basics: The Auckland Museum has an excellent Polynesian court and (not unexpectedly) the best Maori section in the world. For some reason, it is one of the most visited museums in the world. It is certainly NZ's most visited visitor attraction. There's also a grand view of the city from its front steps. The museum shop sells particularly good quality, authentic souvenirs.

While you're up that way, wander over to the Wintergardens - glass houses dating from the 1920s, they house splendid displays of tropical and temperate plants. Well worth the stroll, as are some of the other lanes and dells in the gardens.

The best views of the city, however, are from the volcanic cones that dot the isthmus. Mt Eden, one of the more prominent, blew its top only a few thousand years ago . . . but yesterday geologically. That'll add spice to a summit visit. (If the ground starts rumbling, run).

Another high point for viewing is One Tree Hill. It used to have a single tree on its crown until some loony Maori "activist" (I prefer the phrase "mindless racist vandal") tried to score cheap, destructive publicity by attempting to fell it. He was stopped before completing the job but its days were numbered and in October 2000 it was finally felled. And for you U2 fans, yes, this is the One Tree Hill of "Joshua Tree" fame. The park that surrounds it is worth a wander and the tea kiosk in the grounds is a fine old-fashioned watering hole.

Prominent on the city's skyline is Sky City Skytower ranked as the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and the seventh tallest in the world. The view from the top platform is stunning, but to be honest the "high"-light for me was walking on a glass floor a hell of a long away above Mother Earth. Set into the floor of the viewing platform are glass blocks that give a splendid view straight down. You are invited to step on to this seemingly insubstantial construction. It requires a considerable leap of faith in the engineering profession to do so. The elevator ride to the top costs $18 . . . but the best value is to go up for a meal at either of the two sky-high restaurants, Orbit or The Observatory. The meals are not too badly priced - around $35 for a two course lunch and dinner mains at $29-32 - but the elevator ride is included for free. It makes the eats cheap. And if you want a great mood shot for an "Auckland" photo, try to catch the Skytower by night as the clouds drift around it. It's lit, often with an unearthly bluish-purple light, and with the cloud effect can be quite spectacularly spooky.

If you want a rapid adrenalin rush the Skytower has a couple of other options: Climb to the top of it or simply jump off it. Vertigo takes you on a climb to the highest man-made viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere. You'll get spectacular views from the open air of the crows nest, 300 metres (1000ft) above the city. Access is gained by way of a climb 44 metres up the internal ladder system within the steel mast structure. The Skyjump is not a bungy - a bungy cord would be too long and too dangerous - instead it's a wire-controlled base jump, the highest of its kind in the world. You fly a bit like Superman for 20 seconds down 192m (630 ft) to the landing below.

Rather go up in the world, than leap off tall buildings? Try the Skyscreamer in Victoria St, near the corner of Albert St. It's like a giant slingshot, a bungy in reverse, that hurls you into the air, reaching 200kph in 2 seconds - faster even than a top fuel dragster.

The king of the adrenalin rush, A.J.Hackett, was the first person to bungy off the Auckland Harbour Bridge - for which he was promptly arrested. He went on to start commercial bungy jumping operations in Queenstown and later around the world. Now he is back at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, this time legally with a commercial bungy jump. In my view, this has to be the bungy jump option anywhere in the country.

If leaping off a bridge isn't your thing right now, why not just take a stroll over it - over the top span to be precise. Another A.J.Hacket operation, the Harbour Bridge Climb is set to become one of the top tourist attractions in town.

Auckland Zoo is popular with visitors because of its well-presented kiwi house. Kiwis (the ornithological variety) are a nocturnal species so it's difficult to arrange their hours to suit thems-as-us that prefer it t'other way round. At the Kiwi House a group of birds, duped by technology, work on human time in a specially created and controlled atmosphere. The rest of the zoo is also worth the wander, especially if you have young 'uns at heel.

While you're out that way take a look at the Museum of Transport and Technology. You can actually catch a tram from zoo to MOTAT. The aviation section is particularly good with a replica of Richard Pearse's monoplane, now accepted as the first heavier-than-air machine to fly, beating the Wright brothers by over a year. Catch a tram - or take a walk around Western Springs Lake - to the Sir Keith Park Memorial Aviation Collection, named after the NZer who commanded the defence of London against the Luftwaffe's aerial assault during WW2

Probably these days the premier man-made attraction in the city is Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Experience and Underwater World. Built in what were formerly sewage holding tanks, it'll give you an inches-away view of such lovelies as piranhas, sharks and stingrays. Indeed, you can now get up-close-and personal with the sharks - take a dive into their tank. The Antarctic section recreates and presents the life and conditions of the great frozen continent away to the south. The main feature is the penguins - live emperor penguins on display. Tip: Go in the morning when the birds are wide awake and feeding.

While you're out that way, along Tamaki Drive in the eastern suburbs, continue on eastwards. Okahu Bay, Mission Bay, Kohimarama Beach, St Heliers Bay make up a line of superb swimming beaches. Safe, unpolluted and only 10 minutes from the downtown area. Lots of on and off beach hire attractions like windsurfers catamarans, skates, bikes. Mission Bay has a string of restaurants, bars and sidewalk cafes that are a pleasant place to pass the time and watch the scenery stroll by. Or just grab takeaways and a bottle of wine and sit on the seawall with a million dollar view from your momentary makeshift restaurant. Now that's a real Auckland experience.

While you're there you can enjoy a variety of activities - roller blading, sailing or tandem hang-gliding. Aqua Air Adventure will take you tandem hang gliding off the beach - if the wind is in the right direction, otherwise it operates from the west coast beaches such as Muriwai and Kariotahi.

If there are kids among the crew, Rainbow's End at Manukau City is a fun-filled day. Not in the Disneyland class perhaps, but they'll love it anyway.

But the real mega-star of Auckland is, as mentioned above, its harbour. There are literally hundreds of thousands of boats in this town. It's no accident that NZ yachties have at one time or another captured every international yachting prize worth winning, culminating, naturally, in their win over Dennis Conner to take the America's Cup.

Team New Zealand successfully defended the cup in 2000 but lost it in early 2003 to a Swiss challenge - made up mostly of hired-gun Kiwi designers and sailors.

This kind of sport makes Formula One motor racing look like a game for paupers. The Swiss spent $150 million to wrest the cup from Team New Zealand who had to skimp by with a miserable $96 million.

A quick way to sample the harbour is to take a ferry ride to Devonport. The ferries leave from the Ferry Building (how amazing!!) at the foot of the city. Devonport is one of those places where time somehow moves slower than it does here in the real world. Thus much of its original character has been preserved . . . not by the intrusive manoeuvrings of planners, but by the more natural process of economic stagnation. Over the past few years, however, the village has shaken off its 40 year sleep and blossomed into a lively and entertaining collection of shops, bars and restaurants. Ferries depart every half hour from 6.15am to 7pm and thence hourly till 10pm.

Another way of seeing the harbour is on one of the Fullers Cruises to one of the Hauraki Gulf islands - Waiheke. Rangitoto or Great Barrier Island - or one of the quickie coffee or luncheon cruises of the inner harbour. Everything operates from the ferry wharf.

Combine a gulf cruise with a look at an eco-marvel, Tiritiri Matangi Island. It was originally farmed, but since 1984 has been reforested and has become home to some of NZ's rarest bird species. As an open sanctuary it allows the public to see native bird life in its natural habitat. Operates Thurs-Sun and public holidays. Leaves Auckland 9am, Gulf Harbour 9.45. Operated by Fullers Cruises.

Rangitoto Island - that's the volcanic cone-shaped island that is one of the iconic images of Auckland - can be visited with Fullers. You can walk to the summit - or hitch a ride on the Volcanic Explorer, a tractor-drawn carriage train. Rangi last erupted about 600 years ago, which is but a beat of a humming-bird's wing in volcanic terms and it will probably erupt again - sometime in the next 10,000 years. Thus - if the ground starts to shake, leave quickly.

Another great eco-centred cruise is to go dolphin swimming with the Dolphin Explorer. It's actually a marine mammal research vessel but they take paying passengers to pay for the research. You'll see dolphins, orca and Brydes whales on a good day.

But the No 1 experience on this harbour, the former home of the America's Cup, would have to be yachting. The Pride of Auckland boats offer a couple of options for getting on the water - "Sailing and Seafood" cruises at lunch and dinner time, or "Experience Sailing" which gives more hands-on way to see the city from the water, help with the crew work and take the wheel if you like. Both cruises operate daily.

Sailing with more than just a whiff of romance and adventure can be had aboard the Soren Larsen, a wooden square-rigger famous for its lead role in the tv series "The Onedin Line". It operates a rather curious mixture of cruises ranging from a 6 hours to 5 days. It winters in the Pacific Islands offering a programme of fly/cruise options.

Gettin' down and wet, go kayaking with Ferg's Kayaks. "Ferg" just happens to be a quadruple Olympic gold medallist in kayaks, so he sorta knows what this is all about. One of the more popular trips, moreso in summer I might add, is a night paddle to Rangitoto Island. Ferg can be found at Okahu Bay, between the city and Mission Bay not far from Kelly Tarlton's.

To see how some of our early merchant princes lived, visit one of their erstwhile homes - Highwic in Gillies Ave, Newmarket, or Alberton, 100 Mt Albert Rd, Mt Albert. For something more homely see Kinder House, cnr Parnell Rd and Ayr St. A few short steps away is Ewelme (pronounced you-elm) Cottage. Both these houses are a peek at the simple life of early clergymen.

Out at Howick - if you get that far out of town - is a better-than-most replica of a colonial village. Howick was one of the earlier settlements in the Auckland region, built as a garrison outpost to defend the main town against querulous Maori. Thus is has a natural resource of raw material on which to draw for a settlers' village. In Bells Rd, off Pakuranga Rd.

Out of town on the other side of the city is West Auckland. Take a drive along the tops of the Waitakere Ranges - great views of the city and a quick snapshot of primaevel NZ rainforest. At the Arataki Visitors' Centre, on the Scenic Drive - the road that runs along the top of the Ranges - you can learn much about the natural history of the area. Just opposite the Visitors' Centre there's a bush walk which takes between 20 and 40 mins depending on the path chosen. It's a wonderful peep at the way this country used to be a thousand years ago. Many named species of tree and shrub, including large kauri trees. Highly recommended.

Further west from the ranges are the stunning west coast beaches at Piha and Muriwai. Well worth a visit, especially if you are into surfing. At Muriwai is a gannet colony that is worth the visit on it own.

One way to see both rain forest and beaches is with Bush and Beach, one of the longest running tour operations in town and certainly one of the very first eco-based tours..

A good reason for western wandering is wine tasting. Some of the oldest vineyards in the country are headquartered here and you can while away a pleasant day trying and buying premium quality wines.

Markets

One of the highly recommended shopping experiences in the city is to go to one of the local markets. Otara, a suburb in working-class South Auckland, is the one most guide books bang on about, but there are others that may have more appeal depending on your interests and whether you have transport.

Otara is a fairly long trip by bus as are a number of the others. For more details on how you might do it on public transport go to the Stagecoach site.

Aotea Market, Aotea Square, Queen St. Open Fri/Sat 10-6. The large open space between the Aotea Centre and the Town Hall becomes a market on Friday and Saturday. About 80 stalls with all the usual sorts of market stuff.

Karangahape Rd Street Market, Motorway Overbridge, Karangahape Rd. Sat 10-4. Ph 377-5086. Mostly second hand or new clothes and variable as to quality from week to week. But there are a few of the area's more colourful characters to be found there and it's not a bad time filler fon a Saturday morning. There' are also some Pacific Island crafts, books, garden plants, and odds-n'-ends.

For more detailed information on markets in the broader Auckland region you'd need to download a copy of my Travel Guide To Auckland.

Waiheke Island

Another great wine region is Waiheke Island out in the Hauraki Gulf. Goldwater Estates chardonnay was recently rated the best in the world at a blind tasting of the world's best of that variety. And that's not what they're famous for! The wine that made their name is a cab-merlot-franc. But don't go to the vineyard expecting to buy it. Most of their wines are sold out as soon as they are released though they try very hard to retain supplies of other wines for winery tasting and sales.

In an earlier life, Kim Goldwater was a top-of-the-line fashion photographer and one day on a shoot he said to me that he was quitting the business and going to start a vineyard on Waiheke. With my usual blinding foresight I said "You must be nuts. Waiheke??!! As a wine region. Yeah right!!". But he'd done his homework and he was absouletely right. Some of its microclimates have world-class climate/soil combinations, as he proves year in and year out.

There are some other equally exceptional vineyards on the island that are worth the trip. Particularly good is Stonyridge Vineyard, but also try Peninsular Estate. These three wineries were the original pioneers of viticulture on the island. Start at the Visitors' Centre to collect a map and details of the other, newer-established, wineries.

Take the Fullers Ferry, from the wharf, hire a rental car or moped (or a mountain bike) and set off to tour the island. Some of the cafes do great tucker, too.

Sea kayaking is a plus here. Night kayaking especially appeals to me. There's nothing quite like wafting along on the water in the darkness. It'll cost you $50 per person. Call Ross Adventures 372-5550.

Great Barrier Island

If you want to discover what we lost when "civilisation" captured the world, Great Barrier Island is not a bad place to start. Don't go there expecting "tourist" things. There's nothing to do on the island. Except walk, fish, dive, trek, ride horses, swim, surf, take photos, relax, kill time without working it to death.

The fishing and diving here are what it used to be like everywhere. You can still row out from the beach, catch a snapper and be back in time to have it for breakfast. Fullers will get you there. If you are in a hurry (why??) then fly with Great Barrier Airlines.

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Home Page

All you need to know about a visit to the place where God set the contrast and colour and man hasn'nt fiddled with the dials.

Introduction

What, hopefully, you'll get out of this mish-mash of peripatetic ramblings.

General Information

Background bumpf on the country.

Getting In

Visas, customs, immigration, duty free shopping, and getting away from the airport. Important if you don't want to be arrested on arrival.

Getting Around

Moving on . . . by road or rail, by air or by sea.

Accommodation

"nuff said.