Auckland CBD from Wikipedia – ChewyPineapple
My Asia 2017 trip begins in Auckland. I land there in February. One thing I find is that such “insignificant” matters such as where I stay and how I decide to get around tend to depend on what it is that I want to experience when I go somewhere. Since I don’t know a lot about New Zealand I’m going to go and visit my old friends Fodor, Frommer, Tripadvisor, VirtualTourist, Lonely Planet and Wikitravel to see what they have to say about the attractions to be found in Auckland.
Auckland Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
One of the first things I noticed when I started my research was that Auckland has a Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus. I’m an easy mark for a HOHO bus. I find it a great way to see a city and get oriented. It’s their job to give me the lay-of-the-land and to expose me to the local attractions, all the while filling me with trivia to get me all excited about getting off the bus and seeing a few sites. A HOHO bus is also a good place to start learning about local attractions, even if you never ride on the bus itself.
I found that there is some consensus about what there is to see and do in Auckland. The sites that were suggested by all of my old friends were the Auckland Museum, the Auckland Zoo, Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium, the Sky Tower and the New Zealand Maritime Museum. While all five of the above were the only attractions on everyone’s lists. there was no consensus whatsoever about which ones were best. The Auckland Museum tended to rate higher than any other attraction. The Auckland Museum, the Sky Tower and the New Zealand Maritime Museum are all located within walking distance of each other and are located in the city center. The Auckland Zoo is located a couple of miles southwest of the city center and Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium is located a couple of miles to the east of the city center.
Auckland Sky Tower - Wikipedia
That doesn’t mean that these are the only attractions in Auckland. In the city center there are numerous other sights to see including Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Aotea Square, a large paved public space that includes the Auckland Town Hall and there are a few attractions along the waterfront.
The main commercial thoroughfare in the city is Queen Street. It runs from the city’s main transportation center, Britomart, which is located at Queen’s Wharf on the waterfront. A stroll down Queen Street makes for a productive and enjoyable walk as many of the city’s attractions are very close to downtown Aukland’s main artery. Albert Park is a couple of blocks off Queen Street and is the home of the art museum. The University of Auckland is adjacent to the park. The Sky Tower is three blocks from the Queen Street. The Auckland Town Hall is located located along the street at the Aotea Square. .
One other attraction that caught my eye in the city proper was Auckland Free Walking Tours. I tend to really like walking tours and free ones are my favorites. In the next post I’ll cover some of the other attractions that are relatively close to Auckland.