Auckland
Otherwise known as “the City of Sails”, New Zealand’s largest city sprawls for 50km between two large harbours, the Waitemata and the Manukau. Chances are, you’ll fly into Auckland when you arrive in NZ and find there’s an overload of information on accommodation and things to see and do.
With a population of 1.2 million, Auckland covers a significant land mass, but its beauty and spirit far exceed expectations.
The city oozes culture from all different walks of life. Many people from NZ’s neighbouring Pacific Islands have settled here, and it now has the largest concentration of Polynesians in the world. The city is concentrated around the southern shore of the Waitemata Harbour and part of this area has been renovated into an attractive district for tourists, with interesting restaurants, shops and the America’s Cup Village. This is also the area where you can catch ferries out to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.
The nice thing about Auckland is its close proximity to natural escapes. A mere 45-minute drive and you can be on one of several beautiful, uncrowded beaches or, in other directions, among sheep and cattle on a NZ farm. The possibilities are endless, it’s up to you to choose where you want to go.
August 1st, 2007
