DESTINATIONS AUCKLAND AUSTRALASIA RIGHT: SkyJump


FAR RIGHT: Waiheke Island


BELOW:


Auckland harbour


It has a few beaches – albeit none that would be regarded as world-beaters – and a seaside town vibe to match. It’s a place for idling around, and it manages to pull off timelessness rather than dated or decaying. The restaurants and cafes, which range from Greek to Vietnamese, feel like old favourites rather than desperately trying to attain coolness. And for shoppers, there’s a nice combo of galleries and bookshops.


FIND OUT MORE


l aucklandlive. co.nz


l auckland museum.com l bushand beach.co.nz l explore


group.co.nz


l fullers.co.nz l hilton.com/ auckland l quest


apartments. co.nz


l skycity


auckland.co.nz l skyjump. co.nz


l skywalk.co.nz


◗ WAIHEKE ISLAND A 40-minute ferry ride across the Hauraki Gulf, Waiheke Island is close enough to the city centre for many people to commute from there. Coming the other way are day-trippers intent on enjoying the good life. The island has some spectacular beaches


Devonport is a place for idling around, and it manages to pull off timelessness rather than dated or decaying


and clifftop walks, but its key role is as a vessel for all things dolce vita. Thanks to a microclimate that is


often warmer, sunnier and drier than the city centre, it has sprouted dozens of vineyards. Most of these specialise in reds – unusual for New Zealand – with the syrahs being lighter and more complex than their Australian


shiraz counterparts. There are several destination wineries: Mudbrick is big for weddings, Stonyridge is a regular in lists of the world’s top wines, and Casita Miro has a quirky Spanish flair. Elsewhere, the island has the food to


match the wine – there’s a glut of good restaurants, especially around main settlement Oneroa. Ferry company Fullers offers a nifty


Taste of Waiheke package, which includes visits to three wineries and an olive-oil maker, as well as lunch at Stonyridge. The £77 price tag also includes return ferry tickets and use of buses on the island if you want to hang around after the tour has finished.


◗ WAITAKERE RANGES AND WEST COAST Head west out of the urban sprawl and you end up in the Waitakere Ranges, which are thickly forested and give spectacular views on both coasts. The Arataki Visitor Centre is the best spot for learning about the landscape, and several walking trails lead from there. Keep going beyond the Ranges, though, and a steep descent brings you to the absolutely staggering black-sand beaches of Karekare and Piha. Karekare is arguably the more moody and magnificent, while Piha is very much a surfers’ hangout, backed by a couple of cafes. Both feel a world away from the city of 1.5 million people they belong to, though. Bush and Beach runs excellent


half-day tours taking in the Waitakere Ranges and the black-sand beaches for £79.


76 travelweekly.co.uk 13 September 2018


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