Whangarei
17.89°C
Whangarei
17.89°C
Waitakere City
16.98°C
Manukau City
17.11°C
Papakura
24.46°C
Hauraki
17.26°C
Waikato
17.67°C
Matamata
18.46°C
Hamilton
17.51°C
Otorohanga
18.52°C
Rotorua
16.6°C
Taupo
15.44°C
Tauranga
19.27°C
Kawerau
18.6°C
Whakatane
19.64°C
Gisborne
15.51°C
New Plymouth
16.98°C
Stratford
8.97°C
Ruapehu
14°C
Wanganui
17°C
Palmerston North
16.41°C
Wairoa
19.19°C
Hastings
18.84°C
Napier
18.49°C
Masterton
15.49°C
Carterton
15.66°C
Porirua
15.99°C
Lower Hutt
16.45°C
Wellington
15.79°C
Tasman
9.35°C
Nelson
16.27°C
Marlborough
3.22°C
Kaikoura
15.48°C
Christchurch
12.59°C
Ashburton
12.52°C
Timaru
13.37°C
Waitaki
11.32°C
Waimate
13.08°C
Queenstown
12.38°C
Dunedin
14.33°C
Southland
9.98°C
Gore
11.31°C
Invercargill
12.06°C
Blenheim
14.73°C
Te Anau
27.35°C
Wanaka
11.17°C
Kaikoura
13.38°C
Stratford
13.54°C
Upper Hutt
15.9°C
About
Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, is a vibrant and diverse metropolis with stunning natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
Enjoy the history and charm of Auckland’s waterfront. Whether it be a family day out or a relaxing day with friends, there is so much to see and experience by foot or bike. Start your stroll or ride along Curran Street in Herne Bay. You'll find street parking here, or good nearby public transport.
Nearby Point Erin Pool is a great spot for family fun during summer, with an outdoor pool, dive pool, hydro slides, spa, toddlers’ pool and family basketball court. Cross under the Auckland Harbour Bridge and admire stunning harbour views along the Westhaven Promenade. This is a great spot to view the sparkling Vector lights on the Harbour Bridge after dark. Head left up Beaumont Street to Silo Park. Silo Park is a hub of events: markets, outdoor movies, festivals and more.
Daldy Street Park will keep kids of all ages busy with a basketball court, playground, water play area and 7.5m slide. Further down Daldy Street, explore the community garden at the Dockline Tram Shed, Auckland Fish Market, or have a go on the public piano in the blue container.
Don't miss the Sounds of Sea (2009-2011, Company) and Wind Tree (1972, Michio Ihara) sculptures on North Wharf.
Dip your toes in the water at Karanga Plaza and admire the city view. At the kiosk there's even a bike fix-it stand on hand if you want to do a quick tune-up. Continue over Te Wero Bridge to the Viaduct precinct. There's plenty to see and do here, including sampling local restaurants and discovering New Zealand’s seafaring history at the Maritime Museum.
Auckland War Memorial Museum is one of New Zealand's first Museums. The Museum tells the story of New Zealand, its place in the Pacific and its people. The Museum is a war memorial for the province of Auckland and holds one of New Zealand's top three heritage libraries. It has pre-eminent Māori and Pacific collections, significant natural history resources and major social and military history collections, as well as decorative arts and pictorial collections.
For New Zealand Residents or citizens, the museum is free. They ask for a donation to help maintain the exhibits.
The Domain was set aside in 1880 as a 200-acre public reserve. In the 1880s, a pond and the area immediately surrounding it were used by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society as a testing ground for exotic fish and plant species. These early plantings developed into the initial site of Auckland's botanic gardens, leaving a legacy of magnificent mature trees for visitors to enjoy today. The pond, fed by an underground spring, went on to become Auckland's first water supply. Today it is populated by ducks and the outflow stream runs alongside the picturesque 'Lovers Walk' track through a hillside section of native forest. A second native forest walk leads through a gully, with the option to exit up into the middle of the historic Parnell shopping and restaurant area. The domain area was formed by volcanic activity 140,000 years ago. The large crater, which has a small scoria cone in its centre, forms a natural amphitheatre for large outdoor events like the annual 'Carols in the Park'. The level floor of the crater is covered with sports fields; a wooden cricket pavilion built in 1898 remains today. The rim of the crater offers panoramic views and is a great place to fly a kite. The beautiful Wintergardens, opened in 1913, consist of two large glasshouses each exhibiting either temperate or tropical plants. Between the glasshouses is an enclosed courtyard with fish pond, fountains and classical marble statues. The atmosphere here is charged with romance and often attracts newlyweds for photos on their big day. Behind the Wintergardens, an old quarry forms the perfect location for an extensive native fernery. At the top of the Domain hill stands the architecturally impressive Auckland Museum, a large neo-Greek building that was opened in 1929. A variety of sculptures have been installed throughout the domain and a brochure describing the walk to view them can be obtained from the museum.
Viaduct Harbour is a vibrant community situated in and around Auckland’s waterfront. With the continued development of residential apartments, it’s the place of choice for those wanting to live in the heart of the Supercity. Viaduct Harbour has a vibrant hospitality scene and is the hot spot for unforgettable dining experiences. And with world-class hotels and accommodation, it’s fast becoming on par with other harbour-based cities around the world as a destination of choice.
The neighbourhood of Wynyard Quarter wasn’t always a spot where you could have your feet planted firmly on dry land. Before being reclaimed, it was the tidal shoreline of the Waitemata Harbour, and looked very different to what you see today.
It was a mahinga kai (food-gathering place), and many pa (fortified villages) were built on the headlands with easy access down to the water. Waka were dragged ashore or launched for fishing expeditions, and people would wade in the low tide to collect shellfish and catch flounder.
Many points along the water’s edge had names that derived from how people interacted with the location. For example, Freemans Bay was once called Wai Kokota (Cockle Bay), and Kauri Point was once called Mangonui (Big Shark).
This heritage is reflected today in some of the names of public spaces throughout Wynyard Quarter, like Karanga (welcome) Plaza and Urunga (entry) Plaza, which are both important access points into the precinct.
With the continuation of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) in the approach to the Wynyard Quarter redevelopment, the theme is honoured by the care that’s being taken to preserve the heritage and character of the area while revitalising it and improving access.
As a key location for much of Tamaki Makaurau's marine activity, and being home to the Fish Market, this is an area that reflects the importance of the sea to Auckland’s growth since the 1800s.
The Western Reclamation, now known as Wynyard Quarter, was progressively constructed by Ports of Auckland's predecessor, the Auckland Harbour Board, to provide additional berthage capacity and flat land for port related activities, with the last component of the reclamation being completed in 1930. The area was initially utilised by the timber trade; in the 1930s, it started to be used for bulk petro-chemical storage, leading to the area becoming known as the 'Tank Farm'.
Changes to the way fuel was supplied to Tamaki Makaurau / Auckland meant that much of the land was no longer required for bulk fuel storage, freeing it up for progressive revitalisation. In 2005, Ports of Auckland developed a unique Western Reclamation vision and concept to transform the area into a harbourside community in stages over the next 25 years.
In 2007, Sea+City Projects was established to oversee the development of Wynyard Quarter. In 2010, as part of the super city merger, Waterfront Auckland (now Eke Panuku) was established as the Council Controlled Organisation to manage the development of Wynyard Quarter.
In August 2011, ahead of the Rugby World Cup being hosted in Aotearoa New Zealand, 500m of new public space was brought to life in the form of Silo Park, North Wharf, Karanga Plaza and the Wynyard Crossing Bridge.
Wynyard Quarter has continued to develop into the welcoming neighbourhood you see today. It has played host to many a major sporting event, such as the 36th America’s Cup, and it continues to evolve as a place where people can live, work, visit, relax and play.
Looking to the future, the next decade will continue to see the plan for Wynyard Quarter come to life. The point to the north of Wynyard Quarter will be developed into a park, and other areas in Wynyard Quarter will be developed to accommodate the growing needs of the community by introducing more housing, offices and public amenities.
Mt Eden (Maungawhau) is one of the most prominent volcanic cones remaining in the Auckland region. Erupting about 15,000 years ago from three overlapping scoria cones, it formed a huge scoria mound with a central crater from the last eruption. Lava flowed out from the base of the mound, and in some places the lava is more than 60 metres thick.
Maungawhau was a significant fortified pā, large enough to provide refuge for several hundred people. Extensive earthworks modified the steep upper slopes of the cone.
Maungauika is a volcano forming a headland called North Head at the east end of the Waitemta Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, in the suburb of Devonport. Known for its sweeping views over the harbour and the Hauraki Gulf, since 1885 the head was mainly used by the military as a coastal defence installation, which left a network of accessible old bunkers and tunnels as its legacy, forming part of the attraction. The site was protected as part of Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park in 1972, and listed as a Category I historic place in 2001. As part of a 2014 Treaty of Waitangi claim settlement the volcanic cone was officially named Maungauika and the reserve renamed Maungauika / North Head Historic Reserve. Maungauika is theMaori word for Mountain of Uika.
he original scoria cone has been substantially altered, first by marine erosion and later by the various generations of people who have occupied the headland. It was first used by Maori, and the Tainui waka was reputed to have put ashore close by at what is now Torpedo Bay. The Tainui people named the spring 'Takapuna', which was later used for the nearby beach. Some early photographs of the area show that they used to work gardens on the hill's lower slopes, though the pa fortifications of other cones in the area seem absent. European visitors during the 1850s have also described a settlement at the foot of the hill with gardens and racks for the drying of fish.
Takarunga is the original Māori name and means ‘hill standing above’, which is in reference to its height above adjacent Takararo / Mt Cambria which was a third maunga in Devonport. Sadly, Takararo was completely levelled by quarrying and is now the flat park known as Mt Cambria Reserve.
European settlers named the maunga Mt Victoria, after Queen Victoria. Another early European name for the maunga was Flagstaff Hill, after a signal station for the Port of Auckland was positioned on the summit in 1841. Takarunga / Mt Victoria has been a public reserve since 1880.
Used as a military position against a feared Russian invasion at the end of the 19th century, Takarunga / Mt Victoria has one of the last remaining disappearing guns in the world.
Takarunga is another former Māori pā (fortified village settlement). The northern slopes are largely original terracing dating to the pā, and pā storage pits are visible here on the upper slopes.
Although this maunga has been heavily modified in post-European times, it’s important to tread carefully and avoid walking on or through the historic terracing and pits. Please help preserve the history that still survives and stick to the formal tracks and sealed paths where they exist.
Start the path on King Edward Parade, by the water. Head up Church Street and turn left onto Kerr Street. Access the walk to the tihi (summit) from the signed access point off Kerr Street.
The tihi and summit road at Takarunga / Mt Victoria is permanently closed to private motor vehicles, making it a safer and more peaceful place for walking and cycling.
Dotted around the summit of the maunga you will come across a number of colourfully painted mushroom features. These are in fact the vents for a water pumping station which lies underneath the surface of the maunga.
Takarunga / Mt Victoria is a great place for stunning views across the Waitematā to the city centre and is also a great viewing place for watching ships arriving and departing.
Takarunga / Mt Victoria is one of 14 Tūpuna Maunga co-governed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.
Nestled within the old-world charm of Auckland’s High Street – just minutes from the bustle of the Britomart, lower Queen Street and Auckland’s iconic waterfront – lies the delightfully Art Deco styled Hotel Flor. Our luxury boutique Auckland hotel is home to 25 rooms – each with a distinct personality – a chic mix of mid-century modern furniture and New Zealand art, fused with contemporary comforts designed to tickle the senses.
Emerging from the sea just 600 years ago, pest-free Rangitoto Island is the youngest volcano in New Zealand. An Auckland icon and deeply enriched with history, it's long been a favourite day trip for walkers, and a much loved boating destination. See the classic kiwi holiday baches (around 30) that remain on Rangitoto Island today, largely unchanged since the 1930s. Many of the baches can be seen by taking the track from Rangitoto Wharf to Flax Point. Bach 38, adjacent to Rangitoto Wharf, has been turned into a museum about the history of this unique piece of kiwiana.
It was the site of Auckland's quarantine station for 50 years, a prisoner of war camp, and a naval training base.
Surrounded by crystal clear blue waters, Rakino Island boasts captivating views that sweep all the way to the Coromandel, Great Barrier, Waiheke and Auckland City. Yachts enjoy anchoring in Woody, Pohutukawa, Home, Sandy and West Bays and are home to approximately 16 permanent residents.
This small island's history includes Sir George Grey, Governor of New Zealand, building his home in 1862, before being lured to Kawau Island. Governor Grey then leased the island to Albert Sanford (one of the founders of the Auckland commercial fishing fleet), who lived here for close to 80 years with his family.
Prepare for an adrenaline-packed journey like no other with Auckland Adventure Jet! Nestled on New Zealand's North Island, this thrilling experience takes you to the iconic Hauraki Gulf, where adventure-seekers can brace themselves for a high-speed ride on the water.
As you board the sleek jet boat, you'll immediately feel the excitement build. The powerful engines roar to life, and the adventure begins. Auckland Adventure Jet propels you through the azure waters of the Hauraki Gulf, expertly maneuvering between islands and through breathtaking coastal scenery.
Hold on tight as your expert pilot executes heart-pounding spins, turns, and thrilling maneuvers that will leave you exhilarated and drenched with excitement. The boat's agility allows you to get up close and personal with the rugged coastlines, hidden coves, and stunning landmarks that grace the Gulf.
But it's not just about the adrenaline rush; Auckland Adventure Jet also offers a unique perspective on the area's natural beauty and wildlife. Keep an eye out for dolphins, seabirds, and the occasional seal, as you zip across the waves.
Whether you're an adventure junkie seeking a dose of adrenaline or simply looking to experience the Hauraki Gulf's scenic beauty in a whole new way, Auckland Adventure Jet promises an unforgettable ride. Hold your breath, scream with delight, and soak in the thrill of this extraordinary aquatic adventure against the backdrop of Auckland's stunning waterfront. Get ready to make memories that will last a lifetime with Auckland Adventure Jet!
Cornwall Park is centred on the volcanic cone of Maungakiekie - One Tree Hill, one of New Zealand’s largest pā sites. The site was occupied by the Te Wai ō Hua tribe in the early 1700s, although by the time Europeans settled in the region in the late 1800s, its fertile volcanic soils had been converted to pasture land.
Today Cornwall Park’s open green spaces, peaceful avenues of century-old trees, and rural country atmosphere provide a natural sanctuary for relaxation and recreation. The park is a popular spot for visitors to the region, who flock to Maungakiekie’s 182-metre summit to take in the incredible view across Auckland.
This spring, as the park bursts into colour and life, why not pack a picnic and take the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular displays of daffodils and blooming cherry blossom trees that herald the new season. You may even be lucky enough to spot new-born lambs and calves playing in the paddocks nearby.
The area contains One Tree Hill Domain and Cornwall Park, which are next to each other, and often seen as one.
Both parks are open to the public, however Cornwall Park is a private park and administered by the Cornwall Park Trust Board.
Visit the Stardome Observatory or climb to the summit of the hill to enjoy the incredible view. Dogs must be on leash at all times in our parks unless otherwise stated in the dog walking section.
The name says it all, Silo Park, in Wynyard Quarter has been established around the 35 metre Golden Bay cement silo and ‘six-pack’ in recognition of the area’s industrial heritage. Silo Park offers striking views across to Westhaven Marina and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
During the summer season, Silo Park plays host to more than 50 events, activations and exhibitions attracting people from all over Auckland. Take a walk up the gantry and get a view from above or just head up there on a nice night for fresh air and rug up for a view of the cityscape.
Events include the ever-popular Silo Cinema where films are projected onto the side of Silo7 to create a magical open-air movie theatre in the summer, along with food and artisan markets.
Silo Park is home to Silo Marina, where 100 meter superyachts berth alongside beautiful old wooden classic yachts in Heritage Landing.
The Rangitoto Summit Track is a popular hiking trail located on Rangitoto Island, an iconic volcanic island situated just off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand. This scenic trail offers an exciting outdoor adventure that combines natural beauty, volcanic landscapes, and panoramic views of the surrounding area.
The hike to Rangitoto Summit begins at the island's wharf, where visitors arrive by ferry. The well-marked track takes you through native forests, across lava fields, and up the slopes of the dormant volcano. Along the way, you'll encounter unique volcanic rock formations and witness the regenerating flora that has flourished on the island.
As you ascend toward the summit, you'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Auckland's skyline, the Hauraki Gulf, and the neighboring islands. The panoramic vistas are especially spectacular during sunrise and sunset, offering photographers and nature enthusiasts the perfect backdrop for their adventures.
At the summit, you'll find the iconic Rangitoto Island trig station, which is a popular spot for taking in the scenery, picnicking, and soaking up the island's natural beauty. The panoramic views from the summit are a testament to the volcanic origins of the island and the stunning landscapes that have developed over time.
The Rangitoto Summit Track is a moderate hike that can be completed in a few hours, making it accessible to a wide range of hikers. It's an excellent opportunity to connect with nature, explore volcanic landscapes, and enjoy the picturesque beauty of Auckland's coastal environment.
Whether you're a hiking enthusiast, a nature lover, or simply someone looking for a memorable outdoor experience, the Rangitoto Summit Track offers a rewarding journey to the summit of one of Auckland's most iconic volcanoes, complete with breathtaking views and a glimpse into New Zealand's unique geological history.