Hotels in Auckland

The Skytower is a must .... 2 floors for viewing and a café on another. Loved walking around exploring the developing Viaduct Harbour area. Some good eating places on the other side of the viaduct bridge. The ferries are a great way of visiting places around the harbour .... Devonport provides a lovely day out. Walk up through the shops in Victoria St once you get off the ferry and ascend up to the top of Mt Victoria (can take the road or the walking track) for a magnificent view of Auckland. If you have your walking shoes on, you can make your way across to Cheltenham beach then up to the top of the military base area on the North Head. At the base is the naval museum (free and worth a visit). Great little café at the museum, then walk back to the ferry along the coast road (10 min). Waiheke Island is another ferry boat ride (40 min). I took a bus trip with Fullers (1 1/2hrs ) which provided a good overall perspective of what the island has to offer. The tour price $57 includes the ferry, bus tour and all day local bus ticket so you can continue to explore the island at your leisure on the public bus or head off to one of the wineries. The Art Gallery is free (good to wile away a wet day) and the Maritime Museum will easily keep you entertained for 2-3hrs, although does cost around $28.The Elliot Stables (in Elliot St) looks like a good place to eat if you are travelling with another person. Because I was travelling alone, I tended to go the "Food Alley" down the lower end of Albert St which offered a variety of Asian meals at a good price (eat there or take away).

Definitely go to the Sky Tower - amazing! Viaduct Harbour - stunning! Didn't eat there but there were many places I'd like to have tried but just didn't get a chance to go back. They also have happy hour. Auckland Zoo - very busy. Go early to get a park nearby otherwise at the end of the day you will have to walk a fare distance back to your car. We had to walk up a very steep road. It opens at 9.30am. Rainbows End - my kids had a blast although they did wait half an hour at the go karts for nothing as the man wouldn't let my younger boy on as his height was borderline. Parnell Baths - salt water One Tree Hill - stunning in the evening. Park the car at the bottom and walk up. Syliva Park - varied shopping We didn't use public transport as we had our car. Definitely use a GPS! We also walked alot as we stayed in the city (Beach Street). Our favourite eatery in Auckland was Bar Vino in Parnell. Awesome atmosphere, delicious food - thank goodness they have a tasting plate (dessert for two) as you want to try everything! Staff were excellent - great way to end our last night in Auckland.

car hire is recommended, dont rely on public transport because its expensive, routes arent extensive and travel times arent very flexible or frequent. great city during summer for its beautiful sun, blue skies and fresh air. beautiful beaches and parks to lay down and enjoy the outdoors and greenery. visit auckland city for its diverse food culture, a spot of shopping and visit the waterfront and harbours. north shore and rodney offers great long clean beaches, cafes and outdoor activities. south auckland offers history, culture, sports, food and shopping. plenty of great authentic foodcourts and restaurants from all over the world to choose from, you wont be disappointed! wake up early to start your day as most places close early and avoid travelling during peak hours, the traffic jam could last forever especially in a car. travelling alone is ok in auckland but avoid being out too late and stay nearby your hotel/motel after dark. the number of street and homeless people have increased over the years. our favourite eateries are burgerfuel (superfresh burgers), muffinbreak for great coffeees, fresh sandwiches and enormous muffins, glenfield sunday night market is a must visit, fresh and cheap fruits and veges from any local green grocers and pak n save is so cheap and affordable.

I was only there for a wedding really so didn't do too much tourist stuff but the people are awesome! Pretty much spent the entire time eating & drinking around city! Must go to Giapo ice cream - best ice cream in the world. Good places to go out around the wharf end of Queen street. If your looking for a party pub with free live band go to Danny Doolans. At the end of the night, find the White Lady to get a burger/steak sanga/toastie fix and soak up the booze. For a good brunch and coffee next day head to High street / Vulcan street. (Le Chef had a lovely breakfast & Cafe Melba next door had great coffee). If you need a book, go to Unity Books on High Street. kinda exy but an excellent selection! Then head to Albert Park for chilling. For a nice place to eat near Britomart, there is great Vietnamese at Café Hanoi.

We loved being at Bucklands Beach. We would definitely go back. It has a lovely relaxed feel with a café around the corner, and city shopping about 5 minutes away. This is a great place to stay if you're from the country. You can swim or go for a walk on the beach, or just enjoy the view from your living room. Later in the week we went to Auckland city. The city is full of character. We enjoyed looking at the old architecture and walking through Albert Park. The buskers on Queen Street were very talented. We also visited the zoo. We really enjoyed this. Auckland zoo is well worth the trip. Breakfast at the Winter Garden Café at the Auckland Domain is a must! The coffee is superb. The one thing I found tiring was the traffic noise. But the bus drivers are very helpful, and will tell you when your stop comes up if you tell them you're from out of town. Overall, we had a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to returning sometime soon.

the crabshack was well worth a visit with good water views and good food, skytower was amazing but if you plan to eat in the revolving restaurant you need to book well in advance. we missed out as we hadn't booked it before we got to Ackland. the Botswana Buthchery was a highlight for food and cocktails. we went to devonport on the ferry and had a great day in this quaint old town. it was very eay to get around Ackland without a car. we hired a car and did a day trip up north to Snells beach. a stunning location we did the hop on hop off bus which was a wealth of information and take you to some fantastic locations. we did the sea life aquarium which was really good for everyone. young and old alike. we got off at Parnell and had a lovel thai lunch in the main street. we had a 4 night stay in Ackland and saw and ate at some great spots