Tips From a Kiwi: What to Do Around Auckland?
2 minute read
Tips From a Kiwi: What to Do Around Auckland
Kia ora!
My name is Alisha and as a New Zealander I’m very excited that you’re thinking about traveling to, in my equally-biased-and-unbiased opinion, the most beautiful country on Earth!
Despite New Zealand being named after a flightless bird (the kiwi), this Kiwi flew across the world to the U.S. five years ago. I’m lucky enough to have had the chance to go home once a year since moving to the States and the following are a list of places I often go back to and things I love to do.
There is so much to explore in our small country, but here are just a few ideas around the Auckland area.
Some of my favorite day hikes near Auckland:
Mokoroa Falls, accessible by an easy there-and-back hike of about 1 hour and 20 minutes round-trip.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Te Henga Walkway, a cliff top walk along Auckland’s west coast.
*Note: Many tracks are closed or altered in the Waitakere Ranges/Piha/Muriwai area due to Kauri dieback. The Kaori is a tree native to New Zealand that has been suffering from a fungal-like infection, which will ultimately kill it. This is caused by contaminated footwear, disturbed soil, and other things which can be avoided by temporarily closing off certain areas of the hike.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Shopping:
Matakana Farmer’s Market during summer for food, coffee, artisan crafts and more.
Beach it up:
If you are living in the North Shore of Auckland in the Bays, they are for the most part all connected along the shore via the beach or walkways above the beach so you can walk from Browns Bay -> Rothesay Bay -> Murrays Bay -> all the way down to Takapuna.
Pop over to see the white sands of Omaha or go for a surf or swim at Tawharanui Beach.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
A little farther up north is Goat Island Marine Reserve, a great place for snorkeling.
Bayswater Marina is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset with a skyline of the city and the Harbour Bridge
Adventure activities:
Take the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke Island, which is famous for vineyards and ziplining.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Neighborhoods In Auckland City:
- Newmarket and Britomart are the shopping areas
- Ponsonby is a great area for bars and food. Tend to find 20-somethings in Ponsonby
- Viaduct is the place to be if looking for nightclubs.
- Although Kiwis dress very casually for the most part, including often walking around barefoot, bars and clubs can be quite strict with clothing during night hours. Usually men must wear long pants and no sneakers or sandals for everyone.
- Auckland Domain is a nice hangout spot. There are the botanical gardens, our main museum, and parks for picnics.
By Alisha LeeOriginally from New Zealand, Alisha came to the U.S. to study environmental science and policy. She worked with the InterExchange Work & Travel USA team.
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