Auckland Things To Do – Complete Guide

Auckland things To Do - activities, hotels, golf courses & car rental

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The Auckland hotel and activities guide offers stay over guests and cruise ship visitors information and discount reservations for hotels, villa rentals, car rentals, activities and shore excursions in Auckland.

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Auckland (Māori: Tāmaki-makau-rau) is New Zealand's most populous urban area (agglomeration), located on the North Island. The agglomeration consists of several cities and districts, which were merged at an administrative level in 2010.[2][3] The area has more than 1.4 million inhabitants (2009), about a third of the entire New Zealand population, of which more than 400,000 live in the former Auckland City

Around 1350 the first Māori settled in the area, attracted by the fertile soil. They founded several fortified settlements, mainly around the volcanic hills. Several Māori tribes gained access to firearms superior to the spears used by the Māori through trade with European newcomers. The balance of power between the Māori tribes was disrupted and armed conflicts arose between the various tribes.[5] One of the tribes, the Ngāti Whātua, sought protection from the Europeans and tried to persuade them to settle in the region.

British Lieutenant William Hobson was looking for a suitable place to found a capital and bought a piece of land from the tribe, an area of 12 km² around Mount Eden. The city of Auckland was founded and declared the colony's capital, a status it would lose to Wellington in 1865. The Waitemata Harbor to the north of the city and the Manukau Harbor to the south of the city were excellent port areas and enabled rapid growth. Within a year, nearly 2,000 people were living and working in the city.

Auckland is located on an isthmus between the Hauraki Gulf and the Tasman Sea. The isthmus is less than two kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Two natural harbors surround this isthmus: Waitemata Harbor to the north and Manukau Harbor to the south. The former flows into the Hauraki Gulf and the latter into the Tasman Sea. It is one of the few cities in the world to have two ports on two major bodies of water. To the west are the Waitakere Ranges, a ridge that reaches to the west coast and is characterized by the high cliffs that jut out between the surfing beaches. In the southeast of the region, the hills of the Hunua Ranges form the border area.

Auckland is known as the "City of Sails" because there are approximately 135,000 yachts in the harbor. The America's Cup was held in the Viaduct Basin in 2000 and 2003. There are a large number of sailing schools and marinas in Auckland, such as Westhaven Marina, the largest in the southern hemisphere. High Street, Queen Street, Ponsonby Road, and Karangahape Road are well-known streets. Newmarket and Parnell are areas with a wide range of shops. Well-known (flea) markets are held in the districts of Ōtara and Avondale. Well-known and popular indoor shopping centers are Sylvia Park, Botany Town Centre, St Lukes, Westfield Albany and Westfield 277 Newmarket.

Auckland Town Hall and the Aotea Center host conferences and cultural events such as theater and opera. Auckland also has the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. Museums include the Auckland Art Gallery with works by Colin McCahon and the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the New Zealand National Maritime Museum, and the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). Other attractions include the Auckland Zoo and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World.

At the Waitematā Harbor are beaches such as Mission Bay, Devonport and Takapuna. On the west coast are the popular surfing towns of Piha and Muriwai.