Auckland attraksjoner

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.

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.

Busy, bustling, and lined with shops, Queen Street is the pulsing center of Auckland. This main thoroughfare runs from the Auckland ferry building up the hill towards Karangahape Road, and in addition to the shops and trendy storefronts is home to a collection of restaurants and hotels. The pedestrian traffic along the length of Queen Street is greater than anywhere else in the country, and the fast-paced energy of commerce and trade can be felt in the step of those on the street.

There is more to Queen Street than simply professionals, however, and the area is a hub for visitors and travelers who are moving about town on the city’s public transport. At the bottom of Queen Street, the ferry building serves as a landmark on the waterfront where it’s easy to embark on a stroll of the harbor.

Just west of Auckland’s CBD, Ponsonby is one of the city’s most fashionable inner-city suburbs. Known for its restaurants and cafes, delis, boutiques, jewelers, independent bookstores, clubs and bars, and art galleries that line Ponsonby Road — this large neighborhood also has its fill of art hotels.

In a classic tale of gentrification, up until the 1970s Ponsonby had a reputation as a crime-ridden corner of the city, full of slums and unloved buildings that had remained rundown since the Great Depression. Then came the students and an underground arts scene which eventually led into Ponsonby becoming an upper-middle class neighborhood as soon as the beautiful 19th-villas were restored. To get to know the history of the area, you can take a heritage walk and learn more about historic buildings including the Ponsonby Fire Station, Ponsonby Post Office, The Leys Institute, and St. Mary's Convent.

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.

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.

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.

With a prime location at the heart of central Auckland, Albert Park is the ultimate urban garden, with its pretty flower beds and towering palm trees set against a backdrop of looming skyscrapers and the landmark Auckland Sky Tower. With the Central Business District and Auckland Art Gallery to the west, and the University of Auckland to the east, Albert Park is among the city’s most popular green spaces, and its shady benches and grassy lawns provide ample space for picnickers.

A former military barracks, Albert Park was laid out in the late 19th-century and features a series of flower gardens and walkways around a central Victorian fountain. Notable features include the historic band rotunda; the Albert Park House, now a museum; a series of oak trees planted in honor of the United States Navy's Great White Fleet; and a number of statues and memorials.

The Auckland Art Gallery was the first permanent art gallery in New Zealand and is now home to the largest collection (over 14,000 works) in the country. The main gallery displays many historical works by Maori, Pacific and New Zealand artists alongside a considerable collection of international works.

The New Gallery hosts the contemporary art collection in a building that is a mix of Edwardian and modern styles. The gallery has a calendar of events that include traveling exhibitions, lectures, family days and holiday programs. At 2pm each day there is a free tour of the gallery. The main gallery is currently being renovated and when the new wing opens in mid-2011 there will be 50% more space for exhibits.

Located at the southern entrance to the Viaduct Harbor, the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum is a window into New Zealand’s maritime past.

As an island nation, the history of New Zealand has been largely reliant on man’s ability to navigate the sea. Polynesian voyagers in sailing canoes were the first to land on the shores of New Zealand, only to be followed later by European explorers mapping the far-reaching corners of the Pacific. Explorers were followed by traders and settlers, all of whom endured long voyages at sea to reach the shores of Aotearoa. Today, New Zealand consistently puts out some of the world’s top shipbuilders and sailors, and America’s Cup racing yachts are a common sight in the waters around the museum. In fact, the enormous racing yacht KZ1 which competed for the 1988 America’s Cup is docked adjacent to the museum entrance, and the 153- ft. mast on the ship can’t make it beneath the Auckland Harbor Bridge.

Smack in the middle of downtown Auckland just off of bustling Queen Street, Aotea Square is a popular spot for festivals, gatherings, and events. Located just across from the Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Square provides over an acre of open space downtown, and after a massive renovation in 2010, can now accommodate up to 20,000 people for rallies or open-air concerts. Aside from a handful of shade producing trees, the square houses large, public works of art such as statues and Maori sculptures, the most famous being the Waharoa gate that serves as the entrance from Queen Street. In summer, dance under the stars when part of the square is converted into a dance floor, or strap on skates in the middle of winter when an ice rink is built in the square.

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.