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The New Zealand capital of Auckland is beautifully situated between the Pacific and the Tasmanian Sea, and taking advantage of the sea on both sides of the city is one of the central elements of the city’s development, sights and activities. There are many great things to do, places to eat, museums to enjoy and points to look at Auckland’s modern skyline.
In the center, the skyscrapers are abundant with the Sky Tower as the highest construction, and the many hills forming the horizon are former volcanoes. It is a magnificent panoramic view that can be enjoyed from several places in the city, and the view from the Sky Tower observation deck is of course also unforgettable.
Auckland’s central business district is an encounter with a city scape of a metropolis with shopping, cafes, restaurants and a rich cultural life, including theaters and fine museums. A walk along the main street, Queen Street, embraces almost the entire spectrum and city life and it is also a good way to see the city’s various building epochs.
If you want to see other of the city’s many attractions, they are almost all within walking distance. For example, a good stroll is through Albert Park and the Auckland Domain to the distinguished Auckland Museum and the churches of Holy Trinity Cathedral & Saint Mary’s Church as well, they are located side by side.
With the city’s seafront location, there is also plenty of opportunity for a good tour with one of the many ferries from the Auckland Ferry Terminal in the city center. It can be a harbor cruise or, for example, the short trip to pleasant Devonport, where Victorian architecture dominates.
The Sky Tower is a 328 meter tall tower that opened in 1997 as the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. It happened after two years and nine months of construction. From the top, in clear weather, you can see more than 80 kilometers into the horizon, and it is of course a very impressive sight.
There are three observation decks in the Sky Tower. At a height of 186 meters is the main deck, the Main Observatory Level, where you can get information about what you can see. The outermost part of the deck has been constructed with a glass floor, so that you almost feel like you are walking out into the air.
190 meters up is the revolving restaurant Orbit, and four meters higher you can visit the brasserie The Observatory. In both places you can enjoy local specialties in unique surroundings.
The Sky Deck is at a height of 220 metres, and this is the highest of the regular decks. Its outer walls are made of glass, so it gives the feeling of standing outdoors. From the Sky Deck you can buy a trip further up, where you yourself have to climb the outside of the tower’s antenna. This happens in the activity Vertigo Climb, where you reach 270 metres.
If you want to get down from the tower quickly, you can take a free-fall jump, Sky Jump, from a height of 192 metres, where you reach a speed of 85 kilometers per hour. The entire jump lasts about 16 seconds.
The New Zealand Maritime Museum is New Zealand’s national maritime museum, and here the nation’s thousand-year maritime history is portrayed in an exciting way through a number of interesting exhibits and vessels. The museum opened in 1993, and it is very modernly furnished with a number of themed exhibitions.
Among other things, you can take a closer look at Maori vessels and navigation, the European voyages of discovery, settlements, whalers, the merchant navy and New Zealand successes in the America’s Cup racing. The country’s oldest steamship is among the ships on display. It is called the SS Puke and is from the 1800s, and in addition to that you can see, among other things, a number of beautiful sailing ships.
The Auckland Museum is a magnificent museum that houses the world’s finest collection of arts and crafts from Maori and Polynesian cultures. In the Maori Treasure Gallery exhibition, among the many beautiful effects, you can see a 25 meter long war canoe.
The museum also depicts New Zealand’s history, nature and culture. In the natural history exhibition, you can see everything from dinosaur skeletons to samples of the country’s varied flora and fauna. New Zealand’s history, including the battles in the 1800s, is also depicted in an interesting way, and you can get a very good overview of the country at the museum.
Auckland Museum’s roots go back to the institution’s first exhibitions in 1852, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that major expansions took place. In 1918, the city council laid out land and funds for the construction of the current building, which was designed by local architects Grierson, Aimer & Draffin. Their neoclassical museum is one of Auckland’s most notable buildings.
Part of the Auckland Museum was established as a dedicated war memorial for New Zealand soldiers’ participation in, among other things, the two world wars of the 20th century. The memorial is called the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and you can see this purpose in both the decoration of the building’s exterior, in an installation in front of the entrance to the city and in the exhibitions.
The Auckland Civic Theater is a venue that opened in 1929 in a grand Art Deco design with an interior that could have been taken from a Hollywood production. Built as a cinema, the theater is one of the few remaining atmospheric theaters that featured the illusion of sitting outdoors under the open sky.
The decoration in the lobby was done as a reproduction of an Indian rock temple with Buddhas and countless elephants in the decoration, while the great hall was decorated as a Moorish environment with gardens, spires, minarets and an overall Middle Eastern feel. It all takes place under the southern hemisphere’s starry sky in the ceiling in the form of correctly placed bulbs.
Auckland Ferry Terminal is the name of Auckland’s central harbor for passenger ferries to and from, for example, North Shore City. The terminal consists of an old and a new building.
The old building is called The Ferry Building, and it was built 1909-1912 in Edwardian Baroque to Alex Wiseman’s design. The foundation was created in granite from the Coromandel, while the rest was built in sandstone and brick. The beautiful building with the central tower is today furnished with shops and eateries, and with modern high-rise buildings as neighbours, it remains one of the harbourfront’s most characteristic buildings.
Auckland Ferry Terminal’s new building is where the ferry departures have now moved to. It is located immediately outside the terminal’s old building, and from here there is busy traffic and many boats with locals and tourists.
Immediately to the east of the ferry terminal you can see some barricades. These were imported from Great Britain and set up in the years 1912-1925 to divide Auckland’s passenger port and industrial port.
The district around and immediately south of Silo Park is called the Wynyard Quarter, and in the old harbor area you can try a trip on the charming Auckland Dockline Tram. The wagons run a loop that lies a short distance east of the silos.
The loop is 1.5 kilometers long and was built as a monument to the otherwise defunct trams in Auckland. The original tram network opened to traffic on 17 November 1902 as the first of its kind in New Zealand. A total of 256 trams were added to the fleet of carriages that ran until December 1956, when the traffic was stopped and taken over by not least cars and buses.
There are two trams operating on the Auckland Dockline Tram; an X1 Class with number 257 which was built in 1926 and a W2 Class from 1927. Both trams were built and ran in Australia.
Strand Arcade is a shopping arcade that opened its doors in 1900 in a distinguished Edwardian-style setting. In its day, the shopping arcade was referred to as undoubtedly the finest shopping venue in New Zealand, and it was naturally where Auckland’s elite shopped.
The arcade was equipped with lifts, ventilation and a lighting system that made it a very modern building technically speaking. In addition to shops, there was a dining hall for 700 guests in the basement.
By and large, the arcade remains unchanged, and it is therefore a fine and atmospheric example of the classy construction of the time in the expanding Auckland.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral in Auckland. Its history started when, on June 1, 1841, the Crown gave the land to the city’s first Catholic bishop; Jean Baptiste Pompallier.
The first church on the site was built of wood and was erected for the predominantly Irish congregation of the town. In 1848, a stone building was erected, and the church was repeatedly remodeled and expanded. The current Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was completed in 1908.
In the middle of Auckland’s many modern high-rise buildings in the central business district is the small and low house Bluestone Store. The house was built in 1861 with walls in volcanic stone. It is the oldest surviving commercial building in Auckland, having originally been built as a warehouse for businessmen Bernhard Levy and Nathan Goldwater.
Today, the house is set up as the restaurant and reception The Bluestone Room, and thus you have plenty of opportunity to experience the old and atmospheric setting during a good meal and drink.
The University of Auckland was founded in 1883 and is today New Zealand’s largest university. In its time, the institution was established as a college under the University of New Zealand, which from 1874 was the credit-granting institution in the country. The university campus is mainly around Princes Street and Symonds Street and there are several notable buildings to enjoy while strolling around the university campus.
The Clock Tower Building is the most significant construction, and it was completed in 1926 according to the designs of architects Roy Lippincott and Edward Billson. In the middle of the building you can see the 54 meter high Clock Tower, which today is one of Auckland’s best-known landmarks and is the symbol of the university. The Clock Tower Building is also known as the Old Arts Building, and for a number of years it housed all the university’s faculties.
Symonds Street Cemetery is a cemetery that tells part of Auckland’s 19th century history. It was the city’s primary burial ground from 1842 to 1886. In this way, several of the significant personalities of the time from the New Zealand development are laid to rest here. This applies, among other things, to Governor William Hobson and some of Auckland’s mayors.
The street Symonds Street and thus also the cemetery was named after William Cornwallis Symonds, who came to New Zealand in the 1830s. He became one of Governor William Hobson’s most effective officials. Symonds became part of the work on the founding of Auckland and the drafting of the Treaty of Waitangi between the Maori in the country and Great Britain.
Auckland was the capital of New Zealand in the years 1841-1865, and therefore the parliament and the British governor had their seat in the city during this period. Old Government House was the second governor’s residence to be built in Auckland. It happened in 1856, after the first one had burned, and it was as a measure to ensure Auckland’s continued status as New Zealand’s capital.
However, in 1865 Wellington became the capital, and after that Old Government House was only used sporadically. It has happened sometimes when visiting the British royal family; for example, Queen Elizabeth II gave a Christmas speech from here in 1953.
It was the architect William Mason who designed the building, and in the design wood was used to imitate stone. Mason wanted to use real stone, but Governor Hobson decided on wood, considering the building to be temporary. In 1969 the house was taken over by the University of Auckland, which has used it for various purposes since its acquisition.
Aotea Square is Auckland’s central square, and various cultural events are often held here. On the square are several buildings worth seeing, such as the city’s town hall with its characteristic bell tower.
The name Aotea comes from the Maori name for the island of Great Barrier Island, located approximately 100 kilometers northeast of Auckland. They call it Motu Aotea.
There are quite a few works of art and statues in the square. Among other things, you can see a statue of George Eden, who was the first earl of Auckland and who gave the city its name. The statue, which originally stood in Calcutta, India, was erected in front of the City Council Administration Building, considered the first high-rise in Auckland.
As a town hall, Auckland Town Hall is the city’s political center with the mayor’s office and council chamber. The Town Hall was opened after two years of construction on 14 December 1911 by the Governor Lord Islington. The building was designed in the Italian Renaissance style by architects from Melbourne, Australia. The building’s bell tower stands as a special feature.
Auckland Town Hall is known for the concert hall Great Hall, which is considered to provide one of the world’s best acoustic experiences. The hall was built with strong inspiration and partly as a copy of the concert hall in the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany, and there can be 1,600 spectators in the Great Hall.
Holy Trinity Cathedral is Auckland’s Anglican cathedral and New Zealand’s leading church. It was built on the site where a number of churches previously stood, and next to the current cathedral you can see the former Saint Mary’s Church.
The current Holy Trinity Cathedral was built in the years 1957-1995 with consecration in 1973. The architecture is a peculiar mix of styles, where the classic Neo-Gothic European church style was mixed with inspiration from buildings from the South Pacific region.
Collectively, the styles and design create a very exciting church space, where the light wood and plaster together with the large and colorful window sections create an atmosphere that cannot be found in many other large church buildings.
Albert Park is a Victorian park that was laid out in 1881 on an area that had previously housed part of the Albert Barracks. Already in 1870, the Auckland City Council had reserved the area for the purpose of establishing a public park, and the winners of the printed construction competition received ten pounds for their proposal.
In the park there are lawns and many flower plants, fountains and statues. They form a lovely setting for a stroll in the surroundings of Auckland University’s many buildings, and along the way you can see preserved elements from the Victorian era.
The pavilion The Band Rotunda was built as an open venue in 1901. At the time, such band concerts were quite popular, and at the first concert there were over 5,000 spectators in the park. Since 1882, there had been a pavilion on the site, where today you can see the park’s large statue of Queen Victoria. The statue was erected to mark the 60th anniversary of Victoria’s reign, and it was dedicated on her 80th birthday on 24 May 1899. It was the first statue of Queen Victoria in New Zealand.
In Albert Park you can also see a monument to George Grey, who was governor of New Zealand in the years 1845-1853 and 1861-1868. The statue was prepared 1902-1904 by the Englishman F.J. Williamson, who had also produced the city’s statue of Queen Victoria. Originally, Grey’s monument stood at the intersection of the streets Grey’s Avenue and Queen Street, but due to increased traffic in the city, the statue was moved to its current location in 1922.
In 1953, the park’s electric flower clock was established. It was realized as a donation from Robert Alexander Crookston Laidlaw to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to New Zealand.
Auckland Domain is Auckland’s largest park and is 75 hectares in size. Beautifully laid out in a former volcanic area, the park covers most of Pukekawa’s crater and crater ring.
Today, the park, with its lakes, avenues and flower gardens, is somewhat more peaceful than its historical origins, when the park was a lava lake. After the arrival of the Europeans, the area was drained and used for, among other things, sports and other recreation.
The entrance from Park Road was built in Art Deco, while in the park you can see both greenhouses in the Wintergarden complex and other buildings such as the cricket pavilion from 1898. Of course, there are also a multitude of different plants and lawns following the English model.
The Auckland Art Gallery is considered to be New Zealand’s leading art museum. The collection consists of more than 10,000 works, and the museum is housed in two exciting combined buildings; an older castle-like museum building and a modern extension.
At the museum you can see historical New Zealand and European art dating back to the 14th century. Caspar Netscher and William Blake are two of the many artists represented. You can also experience modern art and the works of new experimental artists. A good example is the collection of the renowned New Zealand artist Colin McCahon.
The museum was established in 1888. The original museum building is in the French Renaissance, and it was built as a combined museum, library and the town hall, which was located here until 1911. The building is distinctive with the six-storey high bell tower, which was one of the elements with which Melbourne architects D’Ebro and Grainger won the construction competition.
Ewelme Cottage is a wooden cottage that was built in 1863-1864 as a residence for the vicar Vicesimus Lush and his wife Blanche. The cottage was extended in the 1880s and despite Lush’s descendants living here until 1968, it is a largely original cottage including the furnishings that can be seen today. You can thereby experience the living conditions and daily life in 1880s Auckland and New Zealand by visiting Ewelme Cottage.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a well-known bridge that also stands as one of Auckland’s landmarks. The eight-lane motorway bridge leads traffic over the Waitemata Harbour, thus connecting Auckland itself with, among other things, the suburb of Northcote.
At 1,020 metres, the Auckland Harbour Bridge is one of New Zealand’s longest bridges. The longest clear span under the bridge is 243.80 metres, and the clear height is 43 meters at high tide.
The first plans for a bridge on the site emerged as early as 1860. However, it would take almost 100 years for a connection, because the Auckland Harbour Bridge was only built in the years 1954-1959, and before its opening on 30 May 1959 was the fastest route from Auckland to North Shore by ferry.
Originally, there were four lanes on the bridge and about 50,000 people lived in the rural North Shore. However, development of the area was rapid after the opening of the Auckland Harbor Bridge, and in 1969 two-lane sections were added to both sides of the bridge, bringing the number of lanes to eight.
Traffic on the bridge varies with rush hour, and in the morning traffic there are five southbound lanes and vice versa in the afternoon. As the first place in the world, a physical barrier was set up between the directions that could be moved by special machines. It happened in 1990 and the move took 40 minutes. Today, new machines have reduced the time.
From the Auckland Harbour Bridge, you can also take a bungy jump approximately 40 meters high, and you can also climb on the bridge’s iron girders on a so-called bridge climb. There are some special experiences with adrenaline and great views.
Devonport is a pleasant town situated on the northern shore of Waitemata Harbour. It takes 15 minutes by ferry from Auckland Ferry Terminal (Quay Street) to get to Devonport, and along the way there is a wonderful view of the water and the Auckland skyline with the many high-rise buildings and the Sky Tower as a characteristic profile.
A trip to Devonport is like a journey from the big city to New Zealand’s Victorian era with the many beautiful wooden houses and other things from the decades around the year 1900 that characterize the city.
The main street is called Victoria Road, and it offers many fine shops and eateries, and along the promenade King Edward Parade are several beaches and, further east, North Head and the green area Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park.
Mount Victoria is an 87 meter high volcano that rises as the tallest on Auckland’s North Shore, which is the area north of Waitemata Harbour. As a result, the volcano has a significant profile in the suburb of Devonport, and it was once named after the British Queen Victoria. There is easy access to Mount Victoria, and there are fine views over the waters of Waitemata Harbor and the Hauraki Gulf to, among other things, Auckland.
There are a number of exciting islands outside Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf. The very varied islands can be reached with the many boats that sail centrally from the Auckland Ferry Terminal (Queen Street), and the trips to the islands are in themselves great experiences.
Rangitoto is a volcanic island where one of the country’s youngest volcanoes is located. It is 260 meters high, and you can walk around the island and up to the top, from where there is a nice panoramic view. Rangitoto can also be seen from a long distance with the island’s characteristic profile.
Waiheke Island is the most populated island in the Hauraki Gulf. It is known for its lovely sandy beaches, and there are also some wineries that you can visit.
On Kawau there are also good beaches, and here is also the beautiful mansion Mansion House (Mansion House Bay), which was the residence of New Zealand’s former Governor-General, Sir George Grey. The Mansion House is now set up as a museum.
The Waitakere Ranges National Park is a 16,000 hectare national park that features preserved native temperate rainforest. Streams cut through the landscape and on their way form a series of waterfalls as they run towards the park’s beautiful coastline. There are 250 kilometers of hiking trails in the park, where you can also try various activities such as canoeing, horse riding and fishing.
New Zealand is known, among other things, for its tasty lamb meat, and in Sheepworld you get an interesting insight into sheep farming and various facets of working with the animals, such as shearing wool.
Sheepworld was set up in 1988 on a sheep farm, and thus it is in the right surroundings. Through Sheepsworld’s shows, you will be presented with how sheep drivers and dogs work together to keep a flock of sheep together, how to feed a lamb and other natural elements in the operation of the farm.
21-25 Elliott Street
atriumonelliott.co.nz
Ten Rakau Drives
Te Irirangi Drive
botanytowncentre.co.nz
691 Manukau Road
royaloakmall.co.nz
Victoria Park
victoria-park-market.co.nz
80 Saint Lukes Road
westfield.com/stlukes
Queen Street, High Street, Chancery Street, Britomart
Auckland Zoo
Motions Road
aucklandzoo.co.nz
Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium
23 Tamaki Drive
kellytarltons.co.nz
Museum of Transport & Technology
805 Great North Road
motat.org.nz
Rainbow’s End
2 Clist Crescent, Manukau City
rainbowsend.co.nz
Parnell Baths
25 Judges Bay Road, Parnell
clmnz.co.nz/parnellbaths
Around 1350, the Polynesian people, the Maoris, are believed to have settled the area of present-day Auckland, whose volcanic past ended as active thousands of years ago.
The location was strategically good with oceans on both sides providing ample fishing opportunities and the volcanic soil was lush. The extinct volcanic peaks also served as good protection with the fortified villages of the Maoris, who not least achieved protection through the many terraces on the slopes; they can continue to be seen on parts of Mount Eden, Mount Albert and One Tree Hill.
It is believed that around 20,000 people lived here at the height of the pre-European era when the place was known as Tamaki Makau Rai.
With Europeans’ arrival in New Zealand, firearms also came to the country, leading to settlements between different Maori tribes. It caused both the Maori internal balance of power to shift and, together with European diseases, made the Maori population smaller before the founding of Auckland.
The Maori wars raged in the 1820s, and at the same time European interests spread. In 1832, the merchant Joseph Brooks Weller purchased land in present-day Auckland and North Shore; without direct investment in development here yet.
In 1840, the primary European settlements in New Zealand were Russell, the Bay of Islands, to the north, which was the first European settlement, as well as Otago Harbor, located as a natural harbor on the south-east coast of the South Island. However, there was also a colony at present-day Auckland and elsewhere in the new lands.
Already in 1788 James Cook had invaded New Zealand on behalf of the British monarch, but it had not led to an official claim to the land, although it was considered part of the Australian colony of New South Wales.
With rising lawlessness and raging Maori war, the pressure on the English rose to bring order. This happened, among other things, through the power of the church.
The Maori chief Te Kawau and the British William Hobson signed the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840, when the Crown’s claim to New Zealand was manifested. The treaty established the British governor post in New Zealand, granted the Maori rights as British citizens, recognized the Maori property and more. After the first signature, copies of the treaty were sent around the country, and a total of about 500 chieftains signed what gave Britain authority over the country.
As new governor, William Hobson was to establish a capital and the natural choices could be Russell or Otago Harbor, but Hobson found both remote and unsuitable as a new capital. Port Nicholson, which is now Wellington, was also an option, but the site was dominated by commercial interests through The New Zealand Company.
After a brief transition from using Russell as its capital, Auckland was designated the capital of the new colony. Governor Hobson had let Chief Magistrate William Symonds buy some land by Chief Ngāti Whātua for values of £ 341. With the handover, Ngāti Whātua hoped for military protection, increased trade and generally better opportunities for the Maoris in the area.
Auckland was founded on September 18, 1840 at 1pm. William Hobson had arrived on September 15 of that year aboard the ship Anna Watson. Three days earlier, the ship Platinum had arrived with 130 settlers and a prefabricated governor’s residence, similar to the one built for Naopleon Bonaparte in Saint Helena.
The new town was named in memory of George Eden, friend of Hobson and the first Earl of Auckland. And it became the capital of New Zealand in 1841, and in that connection the authorities were moved from Russell to Auckland in the years 1841-1842. That status continued until 1865, when Wellington became the new capital.
On September 26, 1841, Union Jack was hoisted over New Zealand for the first time. It happened at Point Britomart, which has since been dug away and become part of Auckland’s major port areas.
Ships with settlers came to the new city, and during 1841 1,500 people lived there; they had come mainly from New South Wales. Ships from Britain arrived from 1842, and many of the new arrivals to Auckland came from Ireland compared to other New Zealand’s growing cities.
At that time, the downtown coastline was by the street that is now Fort Street, and along the coast, Shortland Street was constructed as the city’s first street with Queen Street as a rapidly following main street.
Roads were also built for Waikato to the south, which gave Auckland a larger hinterland that contributed to the city’s rapid growth. The so-called Great South Road from this time later became State Highway 1.
The growth came not least from a booming trade that could be achieved due to the continuous expansion of the port, which formed the framework for countless shipping companies and trading houses.
For decades, Auckland’s economy was growing due to exports to other cities and colonies in the region as well as rising general exports.
By 1864, the city had grown to just over 12,000 residents, and along Queen Street was invested in banks and other businesses and institutions. The first gas lamps were lit in the city’s streets in 1865.
Like most other economic centers and port cities, the development initially occurred close to the port. However, in the latter half of the 19th century, several suburbs grew, such as Parnell.
Politically, 1871 called for the establishment of a city government, which was responsible, among other things, for the overall planning of the New Zealand metropolitan growth.
In 1872 the railroad came to Auckland, which over time also got trams in the streets. The railroad was taken on land, all the way to both the city center and to the considerable port.
During this time, Auckland developed into the country’s absolute largest city and commercial center. In addition to the commercially developed, a number of public institutions such as a library and the city’s art museum were continuously established in the 1880s.
Population growth continued in the 1900s, and Auckland was continuously expanded with a number of new suburbs. From 1913-1917 a number of villages were made part of Auckland, which in the period doubled its population to 70,000, and the prosperous time in the city in the 1920s caused even more people to apply for it.
In the 1930s, especially in the 1930s, a number of new construction of residential areas was initiated by the state to house the many new inhabitants that flowed. In 1945, the population of the urban area was almost 300,000.
After the end of World War II, a number of projects were initiated in the city; Among other things, the water supply and infrastructure were strengthened, so that there was now a breeding ground for continued large growth in population. During these decades, the city’s and region’s many green parks and areas were also created.
The biggest land transport was the bridge over to the North Shore north of Auckland city center. As early as 1860, it was proposed to build a bridge on the site, but it would take until 1959 before the Auckland Harbor Bridge was inaugurated. With it, new urbanization was opened in the otherwise predominantly rural areas of the North Shore.
At the city council’s 100th anniversary in 1971, approximately 700,000 people lived in Auckland’s urban area, and it was estimated that the city’s population would continue to rise for decades to come.
The focus was therefore on developing infrastructure between the larger residential areas. It became as expected, and today about a third of New Zealand’s 4.5 million people live in Auckland.
In recent years, Auckland’s commercial success has continued, and countless unfolding opportunities have been developed for the city’s citizens and tourists.
A clear sign of the country’s and city’s success and ability was the inauguration of the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest building, Sky Tower, in 1997.
In recent years, several of the old industrial port areas have been sanitized, and thus new residential areas, culture and other activities have come closer to both citizens and visitors. The area around the Viaduct Basin is a good example, and after many years without trams, they are now riding again on a loop in the Wynyard neighborhood, where the former gas station is also being transformed into a cultural asset for Auckland.
Overview of Auckland
The New Zealand capital of Auckland is beautifully situated between the Pacific and the Tasmanian Sea, and taking advantage of the sea on both sides of the city is one of the central elements of the city’s development, sights and activities. There are many great things to do, places to eat, museums to enjoy and points to look at Auckland’s modern skyline.
In the center, the skyscrapers are abundant with the Sky Tower as the highest construction, and the many hills forming the horizon are former volcanoes. It is a magnificent panoramic view that can be enjoyed from several places in the city, and the view from the Sky Tower observation deck is of course also unforgettable.
About the upcoming Auckland travel guide
About the travel guide
The Auckland travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the New Zealand city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Auckland is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Auckland and New Zealand
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Auckland you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
Old Arcades • Docklands • Fine Architecture • Sky Tower • Domain
Overview of Auckland
The New Zealand capital of Auckland is beautifully situated between the Pacific and the Tasmanian Sea, and taking advantage of the sea on both sides of the city is one of the central elements of the city’s development, sights and activities. There are many great things to do, places to eat, museums to enjoy and points to look at Auckland’s modern skyline.
In the center, the skyscrapers are abundant with the Sky Tower as the highest construction, and the many hills forming the horizon are former volcanoes. It is a magnificent panoramic view that can be enjoyed from several places in the city, and the view from the Sky Tower observation deck is of course also unforgettable.
About the upcoming Auckland travel guide
About the travel guide
The Auckland travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the New Zealand city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Auckland is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Auckland and New Zealand
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Auckland you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
Auckland Ferry Terminal is the name of Auckland’s central harbor for passenger ferries to and from, for example, North Shore City. The terminal consists of an old and a new building.
The old building is called The Ferry Building, and it was built 1909-1912 in Edwardian Baroque to Alex Wiseman’s design. The foundation was created in granite from the Coromandel, while the rest was built in sandstone and brick. The beautiful building with the central tower is today furnished with shops and eateries, and with modern high-rise buildings as neighbours, it remains one of the harbourfront’s most characteristic buildings.
Auckland Ferry Terminal’s new building is where the ferry departures have now moved to. It is located immediately outside the terminal’s old building, and from here there is busy traffic and many boats with locals and tourists.
Immediately to the east of the ferry terminal you can see some barricades. These were imported from Great Britain and set up in the years 1912-1925 to divide Auckland’s passenger port and industrial port.
The district around and immediately south of Silo Park is called the Wynyard Quarter, and in the old harbor area you can try a trip on the charming Auckland Dockline Tram. The wagons run a loop that lies a short distance east of the silos.
The loop is 1.5 kilometers long and was built as a monument to the otherwise defunct trams in Auckland. The original tram network opened to traffic on 17 November 1902 as the first of its kind in New Zealand. A total of 256 trams were added to the fleet of carriages that ran until December 1956, when the traffic was stopped and taken over by not least cars and buses.
There are two trams operating on the Auckland Dockline Tram; an X1 Class with number 257 which was built in 1926 and a W2 Class from 1927. Both trams were built and ran in Australia.
Strand Arcade is a shopping arcade that opened its doors in 1900 in a distinguished Edwardian-style setting. In its day, the shopping arcade was referred to as undoubtedly the finest shopping venue in New Zealand, and it was naturally where Auckland’s elite shopped.
The arcade was equipped with lifts, ventilation and a lighting system that made it a very modern building technically speaking. In addition to shops, there was a dining hall for 700 guests in the basement.
By and large, the arcade remains unchanged, and it is therefore a fine and atmospheric example of the classy construction of the time in the expanding Auckland.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral in Auckland. Its history started when, on June 1, 1841, the Crown gave the land to the city’s first Catholic bishop; Jean Baptiste Pompallier.
The first church on the site was built of wood and was erected for the predominantly Irish congregation of the town. In 1848, a stone building was erected, and the church was repeatedly remodeled and expanded. The current Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was completed in 1908.
In the middle of Auckland’s many modern high-rise buildings in the central business district is the small and low house Bluestone Store. The house was built in 1861 with walls in volcanic stone. It is the oldest surviving commercial building in Auckland, having originally been built as a warehouse for businessmen Bernhard Levy and Nathan Goldwater.
Today, the house is set up as the restaurant and reception The Bluestone Room, and thus you have plenty of opportunity to experience the old and atmospheric setting during a good meal and drink.
The University of Auckland was founded in 1883 and is today New Zealand’s largest university. In its time, the institution was established as a college under the University of New Zealand, which from 1874 was the credit-granting institution in the country. The university campus is mainly around Princes Street and Symonds Street and there are several notable buildings to enjoy while strolling around the university campus.
The Clock Tower Building is the most significant construction, and it was completed in 1926 according to the designs of architects Roy Lippincott and Edward Billson. In the middle of the building you can see the 54 meter high Clock Tower, which today is one of Auckland’s best-known landmarks and is the symbol of the university. The Clock Tower Building is also known as the Old Arts Building, and for a number of years it housed all the university’s faculties.
Symonds Street Cemetery is a cemetery that tells part of Auckland’s 19th century history. It was the city’s primary burial ground from 1842 to 1886. In this way, several of the significant personalities of the time from the New Zealand development are laid to rest here. This applies, among other things, to Governor William Hobson and some of Auckland’s mayors.
The street Symonds Street and thus also the cemetery was named after William Cornwallis Symonds, who came to New Zealand in the 1830s. He became one of Governor William Hobson’s most effective officials. Symonds became part of the work on the founding of Auckland and the drafting of the Treaty of Waitangi between the Maori in the country and Great Britain.
Auckland was the capital of New Zealand in the years 1841-1865, and therefore the parliament and the British governor had their seat in the city during this period. Old Government House was the second governor’s residence to be built in Auckland. It happened in 1856, after the first one had burned, and it was as a measure to ensure Auckland’s continued status as New Zealand’s capital.
However, in 1865 Wellington became the capital, and after that Old Government House was only used sporadically. It has happened sometimes when visiting the British royal family; for example, Queen Elizabeth II gave a Christmas speech from here in 1953.
It was the architect William Mason who designed the building, and in the design wood was used to imitate stone. Mason wanted to use real stone, but Governor Hobson decided on wood, considering the building to be temporary. In 1969 the house was taken over by the University of Auckland, which has used it for various purposes since its acquisition.
Aotea Square is Auckland’s central square, and various cultural events are often held here. On the square are several buildings worth seeing, such as the city’s town hall with its characteristic bell tower.
The name Aotea comes from the Maori name for the island of Great Barrier Island, located approximately 100 kilometers northeast of Auckland. They call it Motu Aotea.
There are quite a few works of art and statues in the square. Among other things, you can see a statue of George Eden, who was the first earl of Auckland and who gave the city its name. The statue, which originally stood in Calcutta, India, was erected in front of the City Council Administration Building, considered the first high-rise in Auckland.
As a town hall, Auckland Town Hall is the city’s political center with the mayor’s office and council chamber. The Town Hall was opened after two years of construction on 14 December 1911 by the Governor Lord Islington. The building was designed in the Italian Renaissance style by architects from Melbourne, Australia. The building’s bell tower stands as a special feature.
Auckland Town Hall is known for the concert hall Great Hall, which is considered to provide one of the world’s best acoustic experiences. The hall was built with strong inspiration and partly as a copy of the concert hall in the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany, and there can be 1,600 spectators in the Great Hall.
Holy Trinity Cathedral is Auckland’s Anglican cathedral and New Zealand’s leading church. It was built on the site where a number of churches previously stood, and next to the current cathedral you can see the former Saint Mary’s Church.
The current Holy Trinity Cathedral was built in the years 1957-1995 with consecration in 1973. The architecture is a peculiar mix of styles, where the classic Neo-Gothic European church style was mixed with inspiration from buildings from the South Pacific region.
Collectively, the styles and design create a very exciting church space, where the light wood and plaster together with the large and colorful window sections create an atmosphere that cannot be found in many other large church buildings.
Albert Park is a Victorian park that was laid out in 1881 on an area that had previously housed part of the Albert Barracks. Already in 1870, the Auckland City Council had reserved the area for the purpose of establishing a public park, and the winners of the printed construction competition received ten pounds for their proposal.
In the park there are lawns and many flower plants, fountains and statues. They form a lovely setting for a stroll in the surroundings of Auckland University’s many buildings, and along the way you can see preserved elements from the Victorian era.
The pavilion The Band Rotunda was built as an open venue in 1901. At the time, such band concerts were quite popular, and at the first concert there were over 5,000 spectators in the park. Since 1882, there had been a pavilion on the site, where today you can see the park’s large statue of Queen Victoria. The statue was erected to mark the 60th anniversary of Victoria’s reign, and it was dedicated on her 80th birthday on 24 May 1899. It was the first statue of Queen Victoria in New Zealand.
In Albert Park you can also see a monument to George Grey, who was governor of New Zealand in the years 1845-1853 and 1861-1868. The statue was prepared 1902-1904 by the Englishman F.J. Williamson, who had also produced the city’s statue of Queen Victoria. Originally, Grey’s monument stood at the intersection of the streets Grey’s Avenue and Queen Street, but due to increased traffic in the city, the statue was moved to its current location in 1922.
In 1953, the park’s electric flower clock was established. It was realized as a donation from Robert Alexander Crookston Laidlaw to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to New Zealand.
Auckland Domain is Auckland’s largest park and is 75 hectares in size. Beautifully laid out in a former volcanic area, the park covers most of Pukekawa’s crater and crater ring.
Today, the park, with its lakes, avenues and flower gardens, is somewhat more peaceful than its historical origins, when the park was a lava lake. After the arrival of the Europeans, the area was drained and used for, among other things, sports and other recreation.
The entrance from Park Road was built in Art Deco, while in the park you can see both greenhouses in the Wintergarden complex and other buildings such as the cricket pavilion from 1898. Of course, there are also a multitude of different plants and lawns following the English model.
The Auckland Art Gallery is considered to be New Zealand’s leading art museum. The collection consists of more than 10,000 works, and the museum is housed in two exciting combined buildings; an older castle-like museum building and a modern extension.
At the museum you can see historical New Zealand and European art dating back to the 14th century. Caspar Netscher and William Blake are two of the many artists represented. You can also experience modern art and the works of new experimental artists. A good example is the collection of the renowned New Zealand artist Colin McCahon.
The museum was established in 1888. The original museum building is in the French Renaissance, and it was built as a combined museum, library and the town hall, which was located here until 1911. The building is distinctive with the six-storey high bell tower, which was one of the elements with which Melbourne architects D’Ebro and Grainger won the construction competition.
Ewelme Cottage is a wooden cottage that was built in 1863-1864 as a residence for the vicar Vicesimus Lush and his wife Blanche. The cottage was extended in the 1880s and despite Lush’s descendants living here until 1968, it is a largely original cottage including the furnishings that can be seen today. You can thereby experience the living conditions and daily life in 1880s Auckland and New Zealand by visiting Ewelme Cottage.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a well-known bridge that also stands as one of Auckland’s landmarks. The eight-lane motorway bridge leads traffic over the Waitemata Harbour, thus connecting Auckland itself with, among other things, the suburb of Northcote.
At 1,020 metres, the Auckland Harbour Bridge is one of New Zealand’s longest bridges. The longest clear span under the bridge is 243.80 metres, and the clear height is 43 meters at high tide.
The first plans for a bridge on the site emerged as early as 1860. However, it would take almost 100 years for a connection, because the Auckland Harbour Bridge was only built in the years 1954-1959, and before its opening on 30 May 1959 was the fastest route from Auckland to North Shore by ferry.
Originally, there were four lanes on the bridge and about 50,000 people lived in the rural North Shore. However, development of the area was rapid after the opening of the Auckland Harbor Bridge, and in 1969 two-lane sections were added to both sides of the bridge, bringing the number of lanes to eight.
Traffic on the bridge varies with rush hour, and in the morning traffic there are five southbound lanes and vice versa in the afternoon. As the first place in the world, a physical barrier was set up between the directions that could be moved by special machines. It happened in 1990 and the move took 40 minutes. Today, new machines have reduced the time.
From the Auckland Harbour Bridge, you can also take a bungy jump approximately 40 meters high, and you can also climb on the bridge’s iron girders on a so-called bridge climb. There are some special experiences with adrenaline and great views.
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