For us, like many of the visitors we encountered on our trip to New Zealand, Auckland was the starting point of an island or country long adventure. We flew into Auckland and spent two days exploring, before setting off on our 3 week long tour covering the length of the country. The first day was spent exploring the city itself and the second, on the nearby island of Waiheke situated in the Hauraki Gulf just 13 miles away.
How to get to Auckland
There are direct flights to Auckland from 23 countries, mainly in Asia and the Middle East. You can’t fly direct from Europe. We flew to Auckland via the USA and Fiji. Auckland Airport is located 13 miles south of the city. There is an airport shuttle bus; the SkyDrive Airport Express bus runs from the airport to Sky City in central Auckland approximately every 30 minutes. The journey into town takes around 45 minutes and costs $20.
At the end of our stay in Auckland, we hired a car for our onward journey, eventually flying out of Christchurch. It worked out a little cheaper to do the journey in reverse, travelling from south to north. But we stuck with our original north to south plan.
Getting around Auckland
We explored Auckland on foot. Our Day 1 itinerary covers around 5 km in total. On our second day, we took a ferry to Waiheke. Here, it is possible to take the Hop-on-hop-off Explorer Bus to various points of interest around the island (for a price of $60). We opted to purchase regular bus tickets to create our own little hop-on-hop-off bus tour, disembarking at a couple of points along the way (price; $2-3 per bus).
Where to stay in Auckland
We stayed in an apartment; Victoria Street Apartments because our original hotel cancelled our reservation. This increased the cost somewhat, but it was very conveniently located and we were glad to have access to a washing machine.
Auckland in 2 Days Itinerary
| Flight to Auckland Accommodation – Victoria Street Apartments | |
| Day 1 | Sky Tower Aotea Square Auckland Art Gallery Albert Park Queen’s Wharf Viaduct Harbour Wynyard Quarter |
| Day 2 | Ferry to Waiheke Island Waiheke Island Bus Tour Picnic on Waiheke Island Goldie Estate Winery |
Attractions
| 1 | Sky Tower |
| 2 | Aotea Square |
| 3 | Auckland Art Gallery |
| 4 | Albert Park |
| 5 | Queen’s Wharf |
| 6 | Viaduct Harbour |
| 7 | Wynyard Quarter |
| 8 | Waiheke Island |
| 9 | Goldie Estate |
Flight to Auckland
I fall in love with New Zealand before we even land. This is a combination of the view out of plane window as we approach, plus the generous amount of wine distributed by the lovely Air New Zealand crew.
Once through the airport, we catch the shuttle bus into town.
Accommodation
Our apartment at Victoria Street Apartments is directly opposite the Sky Tower – opposite the SkyJump area to be more precise. It is quite disconcerting; every now and then a body comes hurtling past the window. This apart, it is a nice apartment with all mod cons and right in the centre of town.
Day 1
Sky Tower
For the less adventurous/foolhardy, it is possible to visit the interior of the Sky Tower. With an official height of 329 metres, it is offically the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest building – although much of this height is courtesy of the pointy bit on the top. The viewing platform is actually 192 metres high and provides views across the city and beyond.
Options for those with more money/less sense include the SkyJump (throwing yourself off the tower attached to a wire), SkyWalk (walking round the edge of the tower) and SkySlide (sliding round the exterior of the tower in a glass tube).
The Sky Tower is in a complex named Sky City, which contains a hotel, casino, restaurants, the All Blacks Experience and Weta Workshop (immersive make-believe film sets). It feels a bit like Las Vegas’ down-and-out cousin. To be honest, in my opinion, the Sky Tower is best viewed from a distance. Especially at night, when it is illuminated.
The Sky Tower is open daily from 9.30 am until 8 pm (8.30 pm at weekends). Tickets for the observation deck start from $38.
Aotea Square
The enormous Aotea Square is a popular location for festivals, parades and music events and is capable of holding up to 20,000 people. At the entrance is a Māori gateway. There is also a fountain and several sculptures of notable New Zealanders.
The square is surrounded by public buildings, such as the Town Hall, the Aotea Centre and the Civic Theatre.
Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland Art Gallery is located in the corner of Albert Park. The building itself is a 19th century château with a modern wood and glass atrium. It houses an extensive collection of national and international art.
When we visited, the ticket prices for foreigners were quite expensive, which seemed unfair as New Zealanders can visit British museums and galleries for free. So, we admired the building and the public sculptures outside and move on to Albert Park.
The gallery is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. Entry is currently free.
Albert Park
Albert Park is a large Victorian park with formal gardens, sculptures and fountains.
and some very impressive old trees.
Queen’s Wharf
From the park, we head towards the waterfront. You can walk along the 350 metre long Queen’s Wharf, past the original 1910 building, Shed 10 and the more recent Cloud (built to house a fanzone for the 2011 Rugby World Cup) to the Lighthouse at the end.
The Lighthouse is actually an artwork by Michael Parekōwhai. Its exterior is a replica of a 1950s family home, while the interior features a light installation.
Viaduct Harbour
The fancy waterfront area of Viaduct Harbour was given a makeover before hosting the Americas Cup in 2000. It is lined with bars and restaurants and buzzing with activity.
Wynyard Quarter
At the edge of Viaduct Harbour, you can walk across the bridge into the Wynyard Quarter. Here, there are yet more bars and restaurants. Or you can just wander round, enjoy the atmosphere and admire the yachts and the various pieces of public art.
Day 2
Ferry to Waiheke Island
Today, we are taking a ferry to Waiheke Island; the second largest and most populated island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. It’s a lovely day out for two reasons; (1) the scenery is beautiful and (2) the island is covered with wineries.
The ferry departs every 30-60 minutes for the 35 minute crossing. Fares star from $44 for an off peak return. Exact details can be found here.
Waiheke Island Bus Tour
The ferry drops you on the western side of the island. It is possible to book tours or Hop-on-hop-off Explorer Bus tickets. But ever the cheapskates, we decide to catch the regular bus. Several buses stop at the ferry terminal, so it is possible to do a circuit of a big chunk of the island from there.
Picnic on Waiheke Island
There are, of course, plenty of great restaurants on Waiheke Island. Or you could just pick up some produce from a store and have a picnic in half an upturned boat with a beautiful view of the island.
Goldie Estate Winery
Stomachs suitably lined, we head for Goldie Estate winery for some tasting. Wine is served on a patio on a hillside overlooking the vineyard.
Goldie Estate claims to specialise in ‘Wine Science’. I think I would be a good wine scientist…
Goldie Estate Cellar Door is open from Wednesday to Saturday between 12 pm and 4 pm.
After our wine tasting, we catch the bus and then the ferry back to the mainland. We buy a nutritiously balanced evening meal; a bag of chips and a bottle of Hawkes Bay sparkling wine and head back to the apartment to pack. Tomorrow, we set forth on our New Zealand adventure.
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
- Trip taken: March 2018
- Updated: August 2024
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