Auckland was my first stop in New Zealand, and the beginning of my Oceania adventure over 2011-2012. The city, located in the northern part of the north island of New Zealand, also happens to be the most populous city in the country, with a population of just over 1.3 million.
Auckland – April 2011
The best way I can think to describe Auckland is: a city -the Central Business District (CBD) or city proper- surrounded by suburbs, each of which are their own self-sustained town. Some of the districts are worth a visit, with my favorites being Newmarket, Parnell, Devonport, and Ponsonby.
I found transiting between suburbs, and even within the Auckland CBD itself, time consuming and difficult. Despite being the biggest city in New Zealand population-wise, with only 1.3 million citizens, Auckland cannot justify having a massive (and therefore more effective) type of public transit (subway, train, tram, etc.), instead relying heavily on a network of buses that seemed a little disorganized and difficult to me. Adding to the problem, Auckland and its suburbs are spread out over a large area, making it time-consuming to transit around, especially since most locals prefer driving their own cars to using the ineffective bus system, thus adding to traffic.
Despite the transportation issue, Auckland is a very fun and beautiful city, and definitely worth a visit. I was lucky enough to have great sunny weather through most of my time in Auckland, with only half a day of heavy rain. with the sun out, I found walking was a more rewarding experience to get around the city and around the inner suburbs, rather than trying to figure out and wait around for busses.
With a large multicultural population, Auckland also has a surprisingly varied array of ethnic restaurants, spread out all over the CBD and the city’s suburbs. A number of cafes (mostly chains) and bars can also be found all around.
Auckland Skyline
Auckland Sky Tower
Perhaps New Zealand’s most famous landmark, the Sky Tower sticks out over the city’s skyline, making an otherwise mostly uninteresting skyline quite unique and recognizable.
A NZ$25 ticket will lift you up in an elevator to the top of the Sky Tower. The price is a little steep for the experience (which is unlikely to last more than 20 minutes), but the Sky Tower offers amazing views of the city and it’s surrounding suburbs, and is great to get an orientation of the city.
For those adventurous visitors (a category in which you’ll discover I don’t fall under, the more you read my blog), there are two thrilling activities that can be enjoyed (at a hefty price). The first, “SkyWalk,” allows a small group of visitors to walk around the top of the Sky Tower on a ledge 1/2 metre wide. If that’s not exciting enough for you, there is also the “Sky Jump,” in which visitors can jump from the top of the tower, remaining suspended over the city for about 15 seconds, before being dropped right to the ground (well, almost to the ground) in an 11-second free fall.
I have no problem with heights, but I must confess that by simply seeing an adventurous girl do the jump, I got a little shaky.
The Viaduct
For travelers who prefer staying on the ground, the Viaduct Harbour offers great views of the city, it’s waterfront, and good opportunities for people watching from cafes and bars.
The newly renovated ‘Viaduct’ (as is commonly referred to), contains a mix of residential, commercial (Including hotels), and entertainment venues, which has become a big hit with tourists and locals alike.
A stroll through the walkway along the marina of the Viaduct allows us to understand why Auckland is known as “The city of Sails,” with thousands of yachts and sail boats housed in the marina, as a great forefront to the city behind.
The walkway, lined with restaurants and bars, is great for a stroll, having lunch, grabbing a coffee or a beer, and people watching.
The Auckland Waterfront & the Viaduct
In the end part of the Viaduct, the iconic yellow and red limestone Ferry Building is the point of departure of ferries into Devonport and other nearby islands and peninsulas.
Queen Street
Auckland’s major street, which crosses right through the city from North to South (at a steep angle that will make you sweat if walking it in a sunny day!), is lined with shops, restaurants, malls, banks, and plenty of hotels and hostels.
Queen Street is where the locals mingle with the international students and the tourists. The street is also sometimes used for parades or special events: in my last morning in Auckland, I got to see (right from the window of my hostel) hundreds of graduating students from Auckland University, making their way up Queen St to their convocation ceremony, all decked out with their graduating robes and hats!
The streets of Auckland, especially those closer to the waterfront, both crossing through or parallel to Queen Street, are great to get lost in. There are plenty of small cafes, restaurants and bars to discover all over the CBD. However, as the sun goes down, the CBD becomes mostly unpopulated, leaving Queen Street as the main part of the city which remains alive over night, mostly overrun by tourists, international students, and the few young locals who live right in the city.
-For easier readership, I am dedicating separate blog posts to Auckland’s gay scene (concentrated around Karangahape Road in the CBD), as well as Auckland’s memorable suburbs, mentioned above.
Auckland was a great first impression of New Zealand, but the city does not by any means represent the rest of the country. The small metropolis is modern, cosmopolitan, and quite beautiful. Despite the public transport issues, Auckland is definitely worth checking out for a few days, rather than just being the point of entry before moving on to other places in the country.
Filed under: •Auckland
