| Albert Park |
Wellesley St. W, Kitchener St., Waterloo Quad
These 15 acres of formal gardens, fountains, and statue-studded lawns are a favorite for Aucklanders who pour out of nearby office blocks and the university and polytechnic to eat lunch on sunny days. The park is built on the site of a garrison from the 1840s and 1850s that was used to protect settlers in their conflicts Maori tribes. There are still remnants of its stone walls (with rifle slits) behind university buildings on the east side of the park. |
| Alberton |
100 Mt. Albert Rd., Mt. Albert
09/846-7367 Fax 09/846-1919.
Wed-Sun 10:30am-noon, 1-4pm
Admission charged. |
| Auckland Art Gallery |
Wellesley and Kitchener Streets
09/307-7700 Fax 09/302-1096.
www.akcity.govt.nz/attractions/artgallery/
Daily 10am-5pm both galleries
Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday
Admission to main gallery free; fees for some touring shows.
New Gallery
09/307-4540.
Admission charged; children under 12 free. |
| Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku |
Auckland Domain
09/309-0443; 09/306-7067
Fax 09/379-9956.
www.akmused.co.nz.
Daily 10am-5pm Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday
Bus 635 from Downtown Bus Terminal; Explorer Bus stops every 30 min. past the hour at museum door; Link Bus every 10 min. weekdays, every 20 min. weekends with a 5-min. walk from its Parnell Rd. stop to museum.
Admission Permanent Collection by donation
Maori Concert and Discovery Center : Admission charged. |
| Auckland Zoo |
By car, take Karangahape Road (which turns into Great North Road west out of the city, past Western Springs. Take a right onto Motions Road.
Motions Rd., Western Springs,
09/360-3805; 09/360-3819
www.zoorainforest.co.nz.
Daily 9:30am-5:30pm (last admission 4:15pm Closed Christmas Day
Explorer Bus. Free parking
Admission charged. children 5-15; under 5 free; family tickets. |
| Cathedral Church Of St. Mary |
Holy Trinity. Parnell Rd. and St. Stephen's Ave
Daily 8-6. |
| Ewelme Cottage |
14 Ayr St., Parnell
09/379-0202
Wed-Sun 10:30am-noon, 1-4:30pm Explorer Bus to Parnell Village
Admission charged.
This house was built for the Rev. Vicesimus Lush and named for Ewelme Village in England. The roomy kauri cottage is authentically preserved down to its 19th century wallpaper. |
| Great Barrier Island |
This island at the mouth of the Hauraki Gulf has acres of long, white sandy beaches on its eastern shore, deep-water sheltered inlets on its western shore, and a rugged spine of steep ridges running down the centre. The 80,000 hectare reserve has a number of walking tracks that combine old logging trails and tramways. Natural hot springs, towering kauri forests and a peaceful setting make it a perfect escape. Flights and ferries operate from Auckland, 88km south. |
| Highwic |
40 Gillies Ave., Epsom
09/524-5729
Fax 09/524-5575.
Wed-Sun 10:30am-noon, 1-4pm
Admission charged.
Highwic is one of New Zealand's finest Gothic Revival houses. Built in 1862 from an American pattern book, its distinctive architecture and large gardens offer a glimpse into the lives of a large, wealthy Victorian family. |
| Kelly Tarlton's Antartic Encounter & Underwater World |
23 Tamaki Dr., Orakei Wharf
09/528-0603 Fax 09/528-5175.
Daily summer (Nov 1-Mar 31 9am-9pm; winter (Apr 1-Oct 31 9am-6pm. Christmas Day 10am-5pm.
Take Mission Bay city bus, Explorer Bus, or Fuller's Harbour Explorer.
Free parking.
Admission charged. free for children under 4. Special rates for families and seniors |
| Museum of Transport Technology and Social History |
825 Great North Rd., Western Springs
09/846-0199
Fax 09/846-4242.
www.akcity.govt.nz/attractions/motat/
Daily 10am-5pm Closed Christmas Day
Bus 045 from Customs St. E.; Explorer Bus
Admission charged. |
| National Maritime Museum |
Eastern Viaduct, Quay St.
09/358-3010.
Oct.-Easter, daily 9-6; Easter-Sept., daily 9-5.
Admission charged. |
| Parnell Rose Gardens |
Gladstone and Judges Bay Rds.
09/302-1252.
Free.
Daily dawn-dusk. |
| Rainbow's End Theme Park |
Great South and Wiri Station Rds., Manukau City
Free parking
09/ 262-2044 ;09/262-2030
Fax 09/262-1958.
Take the Manukau motorway exit 15 min. south of Auckland City and drive 1,312 ft. to the end of the Rainbow |
| Rugby Hall of Fame |
Eden Park on Sandringham Road
849-5555
Buses 23 and 24
Provides a comprehensive display of the game and its star players. |
| Side Trips from Auckland |
Waiheke Island is just 35 minutes from downtown Auckland by ferry and of its permanent population of about 8,000, nearly 1,000 commute to the city each day to work. In summer the island's population swells to over 30,000 as people come to enjoy its winning combination of white sand beaches, lush native bush, green farmland, top wineries and vineyards, and excellent cafes and restaurants. |
| Sky Tower |
Skycity, Victoria and Federal Sts.
09/912-6400
Fax 09/912-6032.
Daily 8:30am-late Underground parking for small fee.
Admission charged. Reservations suggested. |
| Whangaparaoa Bay |
A succession of picturesque bays leads to Whangaparaoa Bay (Cape Runaway, at the very tip of the North Island's East Cape.) The beaches are deeply shelved and littered with driftwood, and the old Anglican church, nestled under Norfolk pines on a lone promontory, should not be missed. Cape Runaway can only be reached by foot, and it's advisable to seek permission before going on private land. |
