Auckland: Getting there & around

Orientation

Administratively, Auckland consists of a number of cities forming one vast urban sprawl. Auckland City proper lies between the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours. North Shore City, including the suburbs of Takapuna and Devonport, is just over the harbour bridge. Manukau City is to the south of Auckland proper, Waitakere City is to the west.

The lively waterfront, with its stylish Viaduct Harbour and Princes Wharf development, is a good place to start an exploration of the city. The commercial heart is Queen St. It runs from Queen Elizabeth II Square near the waterfront uphill to cosmopolitan Karangahape Rd (K Rd), passing Aotea Square.

Parnell, just east of the city centre, is a fashionable area of renovated wooden villas crammed with restaurants and boutiques. Tamaki Drive (sometimes called Waterfront Drive) starts from here and continues east all the way to St Heliers Bay, passing the swimming beaches at Okahu Bay and Mission Bay en route. Offshore, the Hauraki Gulf is dotted with islands. Southeast of the centre is the huge green expanse of Auckland Domain, one of 22 parks in the city. To the west are the fashionable cafe district of Ponsonby and upmarket Herne Bay. And visible from just about everywhere in Auckland is the Sky Tower, which soars above the city centre.

Getting There

• bus

  The major bus lines offer discount travel passes valid for 14 days to three months.

• car

  If you're planning on hiring or buying a car, bear in mind that a valid, unrestricted driver's licence from your home country is required, and don't forget that Kiwis drive on the left.

• train

  Trains arrive at and depart from Auckland train station on Beach Rd, about 1km (0.6mi) east of the city centre.

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Getting Around

• bus

  There is an excellent public bus service called the Link, which travels around the interesting areas of the city centre.

• car

  Some good deals can be had for long-term car hire, but be warned that the cheapest is not necessarily the best. Parking in the city can be a headache, too.

• train

  The Tranz Metro train service has three routes running from Britomart station: one to Waitakere and two to Pukekohe.

• Disabled Travellers

  Auckland's accommodation generally caters fairly well for disabled travellers, with a significant number of hostels, hotels, motels and B&Bs equipped with wheelchair-accessible rooms and disabled bathrooms; rooms that are truly barrier-free, however, are few and far between. Many tourist attractions similarly provide wheelchair access, with wheelchairs often available at key attractions with advance notice.

  Some tour operators have accessible vehicles - call ahead for more information. Some of Auckland's buses are kneeling buses and taxi companies have wheelchair-accessible vans.

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