Auckland Points of Interest and Places to Visit

The sixteen Hauraki Islands are scattered off the coast of Auckland in Hauraki Bay. Auckland’s summer playground, they contain some lovely places to get away from it all and indulge in walking, horse riding, swimming, eating and drinking. Island highlights include Waiheke Island which is described as a magical island paradise and is home to over 7,000 people. Its beaches are beautiful and safe for swimming, sea kayaking and fishing, making it a popular holiday spot in summer. The rest of the year there are lovely walks and lots of restaurants, cafes and vineyards to visit. On Tiritiri Matangi Island, which is being returned to its original forest, you can explore the unusual fauna and birdlife native to New Zealand. You can also see the gulf’s oldest lighthouse, circa 1864, which is now the brightest lighthouse in the southern hemisphere. The cone shape of the dormant volcano that forms Rangitono Island provides some excellent walking opportunities with great views of Auckland Cit

The tallest man-made structure in New Zealand, Sky Tower offers breathtaking views for 50 miles (80 kilometers) in every direction. There is plenty to do up this high; relax with a coffee in the Sky Lounge, enjoy a revolving feast at the 360-degree Observatory Restaurant or, in true New Zealand fashion, you can also jump off Sky Tower. At 1,076 feet (328 meters) tall the Sky Tower is taller than the Eiffel Tower and it took two years and nine months to build. It was built to withstand 125 mph (200km/h) winds and magnitude 7.0 earthquakes. It has three viewing levels and climbs into the antenna mast or around the exterior can be organized. The tower gets around 1,450 visitors a day and is one of Auckland’s main tourist attractions. During the year it is lit in the various colors of causes and charities to show Auckland's support.

Waitmata Harbor, often referred to as Auckland Harbor, is one of two beautiful harbors surrounding Auckland. Its name refers to 'obsidian glass' in Maori language and its spectacular waters are said to sparkle like the dark volcanic glass that early settlers found in the area. The harbor made a stunning backdrop for the 2000 and 2003 America’s Cup and for the sailing enthusiast there is the opportunity to live the experience and sail an America's Cup yacht. The Motu Manawa Marine Reserve covers an area in the southwest of the harbor surrounding Pollen and Traherne Islands. The reserve covers salt marshes, mangrove swamps and shellbanks. It is best viewed from a sea kayak.

The magnificent Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge that spans Waitmata harbor between St Mary's Bay in Auckland and Northcote Point on the North Shore. The bridge is 3,348 feet (1,020 meters) long and 15 stories high. Although it is an imposing sight from land, one of the most exciting tourist attractions for visitors to Auckland is to get up close and personal with a bridge climb or bungy. The climb involves clamoring up the steel struts to the top of the bridge where you will see spectacular views of Auckland, known as the “City of Sails.” Bungying sees thrill-seekers falling 147 feet (45 meters) to touch the waters of Waitmata Harbor.

Many equate the city of Auckland with sailboats cruising along the famous waterfront. While there is no denying the city’s maritime heritage, few realize that the “City of Sails” also has bushwalks and tumbling waterfalls which are tucked away in a forested hideaway. In the Waitakere Ranges—a string of hills which rise to 1,400 feet and stretch for 15 miles—rural hiking tracks weave their way through native wilderness and bush. Set only 30 minutes west of the downtown city center, the park offers everything from twenty-minute loops to multiday trails delving deep into the forest. Along the way, hikers will pass along numerous streams and walk beneath a canopy which teems with birdsong. Of all the trees which grow in the forest, none are more famous than the towering kauri which regularly stretches to over 100 feet in height. The park has more than just trails, however, and the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park extends to the shoreline of Auckland’s west coast.

Auckland is famous for many different things, although volcanoes aren’t usually one of them. While the sailboats, wine, and iconic waterfront are just a few of the city highlights, there nevertheless sits a volcanic island just minutes from downtown Auckland. Symmetrical, rugged, and only 550 years old, a visit to volcanic Rangitoto Island is one of the best day trips from Auckland. Ferries depart from the city’s north shore and cross the bay in about 25 minutes, and once on shore, an hour-long trek leads to a summit which was active just centuries ago. Though experts expect that Rangitoto Island will eventually erupt again, currently it’s safe to trek on the island without fear of an eruption. While the climb to the summit can be rocky and strenuous, the panoramic view of the Auckland skyline is regarded as one of the best in the city.

The most charismatic of Auckland's neighborhoods, charming Parnell Village is Auckland's oldest suburb and is renowned for its restaurants, cafes, galleries and boutique shopping. Spend a day exploring the fashionable village shopping area along Parnell Road which is renowned for quality crafts and good jewelers. In the evening there is an international flavor to the 40-odd restaurants and cafes in the area and a dinner option to suit every budget. Every second Thursday of the month there is music in the streets and Parnell’s galleries stay open until 7:30pm for late night art; afterwards you can bunker down in one of Parnell’s many lovely bars. Leave behind the main shopping area and you'll find beautiful, quiet parks including the Parnell Rose Gardens and some interesting historic buildings, including the Anglican Cathedral which stands at the top of the hill and exemplifies ‘Modern-Gothic’ style, as well as the impressive 1930s brick Auckland Railway Station.

Located one hour west of downtown Auckland, Piha Beach is one of the most popular day trips for city-trapped urbanites needing an escape to the beach. This coastal community of 600 residents sits tucked at the base of the Waitakere Ranges, a series of hills which are criss-crossed by some of Auckland’s best hiking and trails. Along the shore, the beach itself is an expansive theater where land and sea meet in an epic tableau. Towering rocks spring upwards from the sea, and stretches of sand which are so limitless in size make it tough for the shoreline to ever appear crowded. On the stretch of shore along Piha Beach, a towering monolith known as Lion Rock separates the beach into its north and south parts. Since the south side of the beach is closer to town, it’s also the part which is most frequently popular, and as you walk the shore towards the north end of the beach the development gives way to a system of dunes.

There was once a time in the early 1990’s when Viaduct Harbor was a downtrodden port. With an infusion of money from the America’s Cup, however, this aging corner of the Waitemata waterfront was fantastically transformed into one of the city’s most popular districts. Bars, restaurants, and high-end apartments line the pedestrian mall, and some of the most luxurious yachts in the South Pacific can be docked at the nearby marina. By day, Viaduct Harbor is a great place for people-watching from the patio of a comfortable café, and watch as visitors ogle at sailboats which sit in the Viaduct Basin. By night, the Viaduct turns into a hopping scene of popular bars and restaurants, and Auckland locals and passing tourists mingle with yachties on leave. More than just bars, restaurants, and luxurious sailboats, Viaduct Harbor is also home to the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum.

Set only three miles south of the Auckland city center, Mount Eden offers a view of the Auckland skyline unlike any other you’ll find in the city. This 650 ft. extinct volcano is the city’s highest natural vantage point, and it’s a few miles closer to downtown Auckland than neighboring One Tree Hill. Heavily populated during ancient Maori times, the slopes of the mountain were largely abandoned at the time of European arrival. Today the area surrounding Mount Eden is one of Auckland’s most popular suburbs, and the village surrounding the base of the hill houses a burgeoning community of artists. For those flying into the Auckland airport and providing their own transportation, Mount Eden is a popular stop while driving en route to the city. The 360-degree views from the summit allow visitors to get their bearings, and one of the best free activities you’ll find in Auckland is enjoying a Mount Eden sunset.

Michael Joseph Savage is often regarded as the most popular Prime Minister of New Zealand. Not only did Savage lead the nation into the depths of World War II, but he was the founder of many of the social programs which still exist to this day. Although he passed away in 1940 at the age of 68, his memory lives on near the Auckland waterfront at the park which bears his name. At MJ Savage Memorial Park, not only can you pay your respects to one of New Zealand’s most loved politicians, but you can enjoy the ornately-landscape surroundings and drink in the stunning view. Located a five minute drive from downtown Auckland, the park sits along a stretch of waterfront which lies just east of the city. The view from the park gazes out over the water towards symmetrical Rangitoto Island, and the famous skyline of Waitemata Harbor occupies the view to the west.

Tiritiri Matangi Island is an open wildlife sanctuary devoted to the protection of local endangered species. The island is tightly controlled to keep out predators such as cats and mice, which hunt fragile bird species, including the tiny kiwi birds you’ll see running around the island. With about 80 species of birds, Tiritiri Matangi is a must-see for birdwatchers, and the air is rich with varieties of birdsong rarely heard on the mainland. Guided walks can help you spot and identify the various types of birds, and you can find the trailheads of walking tracks at the visitor center. The Kawaura Track winds through coastal forest and 1,000-year-old pohutukawa trees, while the Wattle Track leads to the oldest working lighthouse in New Zealand. Head to Hobbs Beach, just a short walk from the ferry dock, to take a swim and spy on blue penguins in their nesting boxes.

Perched on top of a dormant volcano, the Auckland War Memorial Museum is one of New Zealand’s finest museums. The Museum is the place to explore Maori and Pacific Island history with the largest collection of artifacts in the world, including buildings, canoes, carvings and around 1.2 million images. An extensive permanent exhibition covers the wars in which New Zealand has been involved both at home and abroad. Exhibits include Spitfire and Mitsubishi Zero airplanes and models of Maori pas (earth fortifications). Children will have fun exploring in the Stevenson Centre where they can get up close with bugs and birds and even touch a real elephant tooth. The Walk on the Wild Side self-guided tour explores the evolutionary history of New Zealand’s plants and animals giving kids the chance to see dinosaur bones and fossils.

Aucklanders swarm to Waiheke Island in summer to make the most of its stunning beaches, which are some of the safest and cleanest in the world for swimming and water sports like sea kayaking and snorkeling. Some of the best beaches include Palm Beach, a secluded beach so named for the palms at the east end, which is not to be confused with the clothes-optional Little Palm Beach. Blackpool Beach is popular with windsurfers and the perfectly romantic Cactus Bay, which can only be accessed by boat or kayak, is popular with picnicking couples. As well as the beaches, the 22 vineyards and numerous olive groves are popular with wine aficionados and gourmets on weekend getaways. Excellent restaurants and cafes dot the island and many offer food that complements the local wines. Settlement on the island goes back 1,000 years to the first Maori settlement. On the island today you will still find scattered remains of Maori sites, including cooking pits and terraced.

The brainchild of the renowned marine archaeologist and diver, Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium is an aquarium designed to thrill the whole family. It was the first aquarium to use curved-glass viewing containers and a conveyor belt to move people along. There is an exciting array of specimens from tropical marine fish to Antarctic penguins. Highlights include the gigantic stingrays, turtles and octopus that you will see in the deep water exhibit and the pufferfish and stonefish in the venomous-fish tank. Jump aboard an Antarctic Snowcat, a vehicle usually only used in Antarctica, and travel through the penguin enclosure where you will see king and gentoo penguins. If you’re up for some added excitement you can snorkel with the fish or for a real adrenaline rush you can swim with the sharks or stingrays.

Located at the top end of New Zealand's North Island, Auckland is the country's largest and most cosmopolitan city. Sitting on an isthmus surrounded by volcanic hills, it offers a truly unique atmosphere. Often named one of the most livable cities in the world, you may find it hard to leave! Your cruise ship will dock at Princes Wharf, which is in the center of downtown Auckland. As soon as you step off the ship, you'll be surrounded by shops and cafes and the city's main shopping district is just a 10-minute walk away.

One Tree Hill is the name for a suburb, park, and single hill on the outskirts of the Auckland city center. Though it is now a 118-acre park, there was a time in history when this 600 ft. peak was an important Maori settlement which was home to thousands of residents. The strategic location between Auckland’s two harbors provided easy access to the water, and the volcanic soil of this extinct caldera created a desirable spot for farming. The land was sold in the 1840’s, however, and the surrounding area was slowly developed as Europeans populated Auckland. The lone tree which stood on the summit was chopped down in the 1850s, and subsequent trees were planted atop the hill to replace the one which was destroyed. A lone Monterey pine stood towards the summit until 1994, when a Maori activist took a chainsaw to the tree as it was seen as a symbol of foreign intrusion on sacred Maori land.

Sandwiched between the city of Auckland and the westward-facing beaches, the Waitakere Ranges are forested hills which separate the beach from the city. These hills provide a forested escape from the urban bustle of Auckland, and the best place to begin such a journey is at the popular Arataki Visitor Center. Located 30 minutes west of downtown Auckland, the Arataki Visitor Center is the official gateway to the surrounding Waitakere Ranges. Not only does this informative stop offer views looking east towards Auckland, but there are numerous bushwalks which depart from the center and explore the surrounding forest. Stare in wonder at towering kauri trees which explode from Earth towards sky, and soak in the simplicity of getting back to nature despite being so close to Auckland. Inside the center itself, visitors can peruse the informative placards to learn about the region’s history, and various displays also discuss the park’s unique flora and fauna.

The modern Auckland Zoo has a focus on reducing the number of bars between the animals and visitors, making for more natural enclosures that rely on moats to separate animals and people. Even the pride of lions is not behind bars! Animals from all over the world are here. The Hippo River is home to African wetland animals including Hamadyas baboons, cheetahs and flamingos. The Aussie walkabout allows you to walk amongst native Australian animals like the wallaby and kangaroo. Native New Zealand animals include kiwi, tuataras and the morepork owl, which all live in the nocturnal house.

For some Auckland travelers, the best part of the city is walking by the waterfront and perusing the rows of sailboats. For others, the best part of Auckland is touring the islands or heading out west to the coast. For aviation and locomotive enthusiasts, the best part of Auckland is without a doubt the Museum of Transport and Technology. Located in West Springs about ten minutes from the city center, the museum has been showcasing modes of transport since its opening in 1964. Everything from exhibits on trolleybuses and airplanes is on display at the massive museum, and there is also a focus on science and engineering that showcases changes in technology. Climb aboard a railway carriage as if exploring during the 19th century, or walk beneath the wings of a WWII bomber that flew missions over the Pacific. The museum is separated into two separate buildings, and there is fittingly a tram which shuttles visitors between the two different parts of the museum.

The delightful harborside village of Devonport is an excellent spot for whiling away a day in antique shops, sampling local fare in the many restaurants and cafes or idling on beautiful Cheltanham Beach. The area has a number of charming heritage buildings including the Art Deco Victoria Cinema, the oldest cinema in the southern hemisphere. The lovely Esplanade Hotel is a well-preserved example of an 1890s English seaside hotel and offers dining options with views over the harbor. The suburb is home to the Devonport Naval Base and you can get an excellent insight into the area's military history at the Navy Museum. There are also the fascinating WWII caves that you can visit at North Head.

Every city needs a large central park, and Auckland Domain provides 185 acres where you can escape the bustle of the city. Set on the slopes of an extinct volcano and protected since the 1840’s, Auckland Domain is not only the largest, but also the oldest park in Auckland. Located just east of the city center, Auckland Domain has a network of walking trails which weave their way through the forest. Unlike the pace of nearby downtown, peaceful moments abound in the park such as watching ducks land on the pond or relaxing on a bench in the shade. In the spring, cherry groves pepper the forest with a pink and vibrant hue, and during most times of the year you can find teams playing rugby on any of the large open fields. For all of the open space, however, the largest draw of Auckland Domain is the building atop the hill. Constructed in 1929, the Auckland War Memorial and Museum is a three-story, neo-classical building with displays on everything.

Set adjacent to the park at One Tree Hill, Cornwall Park is a 296-acre green space that rises above the suburbs of Auckland. Strategically located between Waitemata and Manukau harbors, the area was once the site of a Maori settlement which once housed thousands of residents. Today, visitors enjoy Cornwall Park for its archeological remains, views of the city, and ornately-landscaped gardens. Although the Maori settlement had been completely abandoned by the time of European arrival, remnants of the ancient fortress, or pa, lay scattered about the hillside. One notable relic within the park is the Rongo Stone, a large, carved stone which was part of a Maori shrine. While a few remains are evident on self-guided walks through the park, guided tours also take place which dig deeper into the Maori history.