Auckland Region
Awarded Best in Travel 2022
The greater Auckland region encompasses the city proper and the gorgeous surrounding towns and landscapes.
It's rare that visitors restrict themselves solely to the city area. And why would you? There's plenty to see and do right in the heart of the city, but travelling further afield opens the opportunities considerably. You can't miss getting out onto the waters of the Hauraki Gulf and exploring its many islands. One of the closest to the mainland is Waiheke Island, home to emerald waters and world-class wineries. Further north lies Goat Island Marine Reserve, a thriving and accessible aquatic ecosystem.
The natural delights on offer go beyond the area's beautiful waters. Rainforests, thermal springs, sprawling parks and volcanic cones are just the start.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Auckland Region.
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One Tree Hill
Maungakiekie was the largest and most spiritually significant Māori pā (fortified village) prior to British arrival. At the top of this volcanic cone (at 182m high) there is an obelisk and epic 360-degree views of Auckland and its harbours. It is also the site of the grave of John Logan Campbell (the ‘father of Auckland’) who gifted the 230-hectare area to the city in 1901. He also requested that a memorial be built to the dispossessed Māori people at the summit. The 'one tree' cut down Today there is only a stump of the last ‘one tree’. The original tōtara tree was cut down in 1852 by a Pākehā (white) settler, either because it was significant to the Māori people or because he needed firewood – depending on which account you believe. In response, John Logan Campbell planted a stand of Monterey pines of which only one lone tree survived. That tree was felled in a chainsaw attack in 2000 by a Māori activist who wanted to raise awareness of the government's fiscal envelope policy – a target to settle all historic Treaty claims for NZ$1 billion – on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In 2015 new native trees were planted on the site, with a view to one day having a single pohutukawa or tōtara. Walk As well as visiting the summit, allow time to explore the surrounding Cornwall Park with its mature trees and historic Acacia Cottage (1841). The Cornwall Park Information Centre has fascinating interactive displays illustrating what the pā would have looked like when 5000 people lived here. Near the excellent children’s playground, the Stardome offers regular stargazing and planetarium shows (usually 7pm and 8pm Wednesday to Sunday, with extra shows on weekends) that aren’t dependent on Auckland’s fickle weather. History The Māori name Maungakiekie means the mountain where kiekie (a native vine) grows abundantly. The mountain and its surrounds were home to the Te Wai ō Hua iwi (tribe) although other iwi also trace their ancestry to the mountain. One Tree Hill and U2 Yes, that U2 song from the 1987 album Joshua Tree is about this place too. It was dedicated to the memory of a New Zealander, Greg Carroll, who Bono became friends with after they met in Auckland in 1984. Carroll joined the group as a roadie, moving to Dublin with the band after touring with them in New Zealand, Australia and the US. He was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dublin. The song is referring to the first night in Auckland when he took Bono to One Tree Hill. Planning your visit To get to One Tree Hill from the city, take a train to Greenlane and walk 1km along Green Lane West. By car, take the Greenlane exit off the Southern Motorway and turn right into Green Lane West.
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Mt Eden
From the top of Auckland’s highest volcanic cone (196m), the entire isthmus and both harbours are laid bare. The symmetrical crater (50m deep) is known as Te Ipu Kai a Mataaho (the Food Bowl of Mataaho, the god of things hidden in the ground) and is considered tapu (sacred). Do not enter it, but feel free to explore the remainder of the mountain. The remains of pā terraces and food-storage pits are clearly visible. Until recently it was possible to drive right up to the summit, but concerns over erosion have led to vehicle access being restricted to travellers with limited mobility. Paths lead up the mountain from six different directions and the walk only takes around 15 minutes, depending on your fitness. A network of boardwalks was established in mid-2020 to help protect the historical and cultural significance of the site. Catching bus 27 from Britomart to stop 1870 near Tahaki Reserve is recommended. Start and finish your exploration of Mt Eden at the nearby Maungawhau Visitor Experience Centre. Opened in late 2019, this excellent visitor centre showcases the geological and Māori cultural history of Maungawhau/Mt Eden. Highlights include an interesting 10-minute video about Auckland's volcanic field, and there's a good cafe with innovative brunch fare and fine views of the city's isthmus location.
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Auckland Museum
This imposing neoclassical temple (1929), capped with an impressive copper-and-glass dome (2007), dominates the Auckland Domain and is a prominent part of the Auckland skyline, especially when viewed from the harbour. Admission packages can be purchased, which incorporate a highlights tour and a Māori cultural performance ($40 to $55). The displays of Pacific Island and Māori artefacts on the museum's ground floor are essential viewing. Highlights include a 25m war canoe and an extant carved meeting house (remove your shoes before entering). There's also a fascinating display on Auckland's volcanic field, including an eruption simulation, and the upper floors showcase military displays, fulfilling the building's dual role as a war memorial. Auckland's main Anzac commemorations take place at dawn on 25 April at the cenotaph in the museum's forecourt. Check the website for details of interesting, one-off local and international exhibitions.
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Goat Island Marine Reserve
Only 3km from Leigh, this 547-hectare aquatic area was established in 1975 as the country’s first marine reserve. In less than 40 years the sea has reverted to a giant aquarium, giving an impression of what the NZ coast must have been like before humans arrived. You only need step knee-deep into the water to see snapper (the big fish with blue dots and fins), blue maomao and stripy parore swimming around. Excellent interpretive panels explain the area’s Māori significance (it was the landing place of one of the ancestral canoes) and provide pictures of the species you’re likely to encounter. There are dive areas all around Goat Island, which sits just offshore, or you can snorkel or dive directly from the beach. Colourful sponges, forests of seaweed, boarfish, crayfish and stingrays are common sights, and if you’re very lucky, you may see orcas and bottle-nosed dolphins. Visibility is claimed to be at least 10m, 75% of the time.
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Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland's premier art repository has a striking glass-and-wood atrium grafted onto its 1887 French chateau frame. It showcases the best of NZ art, along with important works by Pieter Bruegel the Younger, Guido Reni, Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin and Matisse. Highlights include the intimate 19th-century portraits of tattooed Māori subjects by Charles Goldie, and the starkly dramatic text-scrawled canvases of Colin McCahon. Free 60-minute tours depart from the foyer daily at 11.30am and 1.30pm.
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Wallace Arts Centre
Housed in a gorgeous 1879 mansion with views to One Tree Hill and the Manukau Harbour, this arts centre is endowed with contemporary NZ art from an extensive private collection, which is changed every four to six weeks. Have lunch on the veranda at the excellent Homestead Cafe and wander among the magnificent trees in the surrounding park. The art is also very accessible, ranging from a life-size skeletal rugby ruck to a vibrant Ziggy Stardust painted on glass. Bus 305 or 295 (Lynfield) departs every 15 minutes from Queen St – outside the Civic Theatre – and heads to Hillsborough Rd ($5.50, 40 minutes).
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Man O' War
Settle in with a tapas platter and a glass of Man O' War's Valhalla chardonnay at Waiheke's only beachfront tasting room. If the weather is good, go for a swim in beautiful Man O' War Bay. Options to reach the bay include private vehicle, a short but spectacular flight with Auckland Seaplanes, or by prior reservation on Man O' War's summer-only bus from the Matiatia Wharf. See www.manowar.co.nz/book-a-bus.
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Auckland Zoo
At this modern, spacious zoo, the big foreigners tend to steal the attention from the timid natives, but if you can wrestle the kids away from the tigers and orangutans, there's a well-presented NZ section. Called Te Wao Nui, it's divided into six ecological zones: Coast (seals, penguins), Islands (mainly lizards, including NZ's pint-sized dinosaur, the tuatara), Wetlands (ducks, herons, eels), Night (kiwi, naturally, along with frogs, native owls and weta), Forest (birds) and High Country (cheekier birds and lizards). Check the website for the times of zookeepers' talks, Behind the Scenes experiences and ongoing progress of the zoo's new South East Asia display (scheduled to open in late 2020). Catch the number 18 bus (adult/child $5.50/3) from bus stop 1362 (corner Victoria and Albert Sts) in the city to bus stop 8124 on Great North Rd, from where it's a 700m walk to the zoo's entrance.
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Tawharanui Regional Park
A partly unsealed road leads to this 588-hectare reserve at the end of a peninsula. This special place is an open sanctuary for native birds, protected by a pest-proof fence, while the northern coast is a marine park (bring a snorkel). There are plenty of walking tracks (1½ to four hours), but the main attraction is Anchor Bay, one of the region’s finest white-sand beaches. Camping is allowed at two basic sites near the beach (adult/child $16/6.50) and there's a six-person bach for hire ($188).
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