Amazing Auckland

Staying in Auckland was a bit of a shock after being in small towns on the South Island for so long: highways, two lane bridges, skyscrapers, city noise, traffic, lots of people. However, we adjusted quickly and had fun exploring various parts of the city. We also went out to Waiheke Island and had an a fantastic day wine tasting and enjoying the beaches.

Our AirBnB was on the 30th floor and had some awesome views. On Wednesday afternoons one of the boat clubs has a big regatta on the harbor and we could watch them sail from our apartment.

Waiheke Island

Waiheke Island is a 40 minute ferry ride from Auckland and is known for its wineries, beaches and fine dining. We enjoyed all three! We booked a lunch at Man O’War Winery and had a perfect spot to taste wine, enjoy charcuterie, and take in the spectacular views of the bay.

We also explored the beaches on Waiheke. As usual there was no problem finding parking and they were not crowded. The water was warm and clear, perfect for swimming.

After a wonderful day we got a great sunset and city views on the ferry ride back to Auckland

Walking Around Auckland

We explored different spots around Auckland over three days. The first day we went on a walking tour and explored some interesting nearby neighborhoods to get our bearings in downtown Auckland. Another day we took the ferry over to Devonport and walked a loop through via Mt Victoria, North Head and the bay.

On our last day in Auckland we rented a car we will use for the remainder of our trip. Our original plan was to go to the west coast and visit the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. However, the entire park has been impacted by the heavy rains and cyclone, so it is closed. Instead we went south and visited Mt Eden, One Tree Hill, and Hunua Falls.

The city of Auckland is built on a volcanic field. There are 50 volcanoes within an area of 1,000 km2. One of them erupted as recently as 600 years ago, so scientists are monitoring them carefully. We walked up two of them: Mt Eden and One Tree Hill. On Mt Eden you can see the crater. On One Tree Hill there is a monument to the Mouri who discovered New Zealand. Both have great views of Auckland.

Hunua Falls is a bit south of Auckland, but definitely worth the drive. They are trying to protect the native Kauri trees from disease so we had to clean and sanitize our boots before going on the hike.

Sailing

Sailing for youth in New Zealand is as popular as our youth soccer in the USA. They have different boat sizes for different ages and abilities as children grow up. We were driving back along Auckland bay and saw hundreds of kids racing. In the picture below they are getting the boats out of the water which is a huge process.

Spark Auckland

We went to an event called SPARK Auckland. It was created by an artist from the Netherlands and it is now travelling the world. Basically it is a massive amount of long lasting bubbles blown into the air with a light show projected onto it. It is mesmerizing and families were having a great time enjoying the show.

We are now heading up the east cost of the North Island for sailing and diving.