AUSTRALASIA AUCKLAND DESTINATIONS
N
ew Zealand’s largest city is usually thought of as
a gateway to the rest of the country or a hub connecting to the South Pacific, but thinking along those lines vastly undersells Auckland. It’s a huge city – bigger than
Greater London – and one with huge geographical scope. Islands, ancient forests, volcanoes, beaches and two natural harbours are all part and parcel. Within that hodge-podge,
however, some ’hoods have particularly high appeal.
◗ CITY CENTRE Largely business-like with a few little outcrops of style, Auckland’s CBD is not exactly what people come to New Zealand for. But it is on the up – High Street has several interesting shops, a metro system is under construction and main artery Queen Street has smartened up its act. Aotea Square is the heart of the city and is home to major performance venue the Civic Theatre, while most of the city’s accommodation can also be found in the CBD. This includes the SkyCity Grand (from £148), an ultra-slick five-star hotel surrounded by tempting dining opposite the SkyCity Casino. The complex wraps around the 328m-tall Sky Tower, which dominates the skyline. This is the spot to get that dose of Kiwi adrenaline with the SkyJump (£115), which involves leaping from
the observation deck skydive- style, but attached by a wire. Or try the SkyWalk (£77), a
terrifying walk around the tower’s 192m-high ‘halo’, which is outside, with no handrails, leaning over the edge with just a safety harness preventing your fall.
◗ THE WATERFRONT Split into two parts around the ferry terminal, from where boats depart for the Hauraki Gulf islands, the Waterfront has had a lot of money pumped into it. This is most obvious around Viaduct Harbour, which was given a cash injection when New Zealand hosted the America’s Cup in 2000 and 2003. Expensive apartments, bars and showy restaurants wrap around a marina full of not-exactly-cheap yachts. Two of them have seen serious
racing action, and New Zealand- owned sailing specialist Explore Group has cruise options including the America’s Cup Experience (£92), where enthusiastic novices get to learn the nitty gritty of sailing such a speedy beast. On the other side is the
Britomart, which is essentially a transit centre that has been dolled up. It’s become a place to eat, shop and enjoy public art, as well as to catch a bus. Between the two is the Hilton
Auckland (from £144) which has a bit of character beyond the standard chain hotel, with design and decor that takes its inspiration from the boats
moored in the harbour, continuing the nautical theme inside.
◗ PARNELL There’s a slightly old-money, mildly snooty vibe to Parnell, which flanks the city centre to the eastern side. But it also has an endearing collection of quirky shops and quality restaurants, plus some marvellously maintained Victorian architecture. It looks very pretty, and is a pleasant place to mooch around. It’s next to the city’s oldest park, the Auckland Domain, which covers 75 hectares and is home to duck ponds, grandiose winter gardens and some spectacular old trees. The star of the show, however,
is the Auckland Museum (£13). Inside are spectacular traditional Maori buildings, plus riveting sections on the culture of the Pacific Islands and New Zealand’s rather tempestuous geology. The Quest Parnell (£97), which has spacious monochrome apartments with kitchenettes and a lap pool, is a good option if staying in the area.
◗ PONSONBY
On the other side of the city centre, Ponsonby offers a cooler, more inventive take on Parnell’s strollable dining, drinking and shopping scene. Several of the city’s most interesting restaurants can be found along Ponsonby Road, with the Ponsonby Central complex being particularly
interesting. Here, several bars and restaurants cluster in what is something between a giant food court and a buzzing restaurant district. It spills down Melbourne-esque laneways, with the physical boundaries between establishments blurred. This makes it marvellous for grazing, and it’s where Auckland’s energy is most obvious.
◗ KARANGAHAPE ROAD Arguably New Zealand’s most notorious street, K Road was a major shopping hub before 1960s planning abominations brought in the motorways and killed it off. It then became a red-light district, and while strip clubs still remain, it’s now a good hedonistic all- rounder. Enjoyably raucous gay bars sit alongside restaurants covering the gamut from Filipino to Lebanese, and the signs of gentrification are there. Brunch cafes are spilling over from Ponsonby, the once-forlorn St Kevin’s Arcade has been gloriously refurbished to give pride of place to niche eateries and shops in a handsome heritage setting, and hopelessly bohemian stores try to sell hippy-ware. It’s not totally glossy yet, but Karangahape Road has morphed into Auckland’s heartbeat.
◗ DEVONPORT A 15-minute ferry journey from the waterfront, Devonport dials the pace down considerably.
13 September 2018
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