I have approximately 24 hours of layover in Auckland in late May. I will have spent two weeks in Australia on the east coast. I will then have a long flight to Vancouver, Canada. Does anyone have any ideas on must sees for Auckland?
Please Keep in mind the long flight afterward, so i can't really be getting drunk or locked in jail for two days.
Reply to this Jump off the Aukland Skytower. 135metre controlled freefall. I've done some pretty hairy things in my life but stepping out on that ledge the fear hit me like a fist in the chest. YYEEEHHHHAAAAA aaaa aaa aa a
http://www.skyjump.co.nz/
Reply to this Has anyone done the tour bus that drives the city?
http://www.explorerbus.co.nz/
Reply to this Haven't been on it Aaron, but often see it in town :-)
The
Link bus is a local circuit bus, costs $1.80 I think per ride (go round a couple of times while you decide where to get off ;-) ) and covers some of the attractions on the $35 explorerbus.
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- watch the sunset from the skytower
- then watch live entertainment and enjoy a drink or two in the Skycity
- Auckland Zoo is only 20min away from the CBD. I particularly liked their rhinos and giraffes 😱
- Mission Beach is only 15min drive or about an hour walk. I drove there with my son Ryan for lunch, but unfortunately it's jam packed and couldn't find any available parking space. It was a very pleasant drive nonetheless.
- Auckland is the city of sails - check out the harbour.
Hope you enjoy your 24hrs in Auckland as much as we did.
cheers,
Jo
Reply to this Hey there,
I am actually an Aucklander and this is what i would suggest...
Hire a car at the airport - you should be able to get one for $25-$40NZ for a day hire. Considering the cost to get into Auckland itself from the airport, and the fact our public transport isnt great it will mean you can really maximise your 24 hours and save yourself some money and hassle.
So from the airport I would drive into Auckland central and my first stop would be driving to the top of one of our extinct volcanos - Mt Eden (5mins drive from CBD). You can get up high and get a really good view of Auckland and its harbour without having to pay to go up SkyCity Tower (not worth it).
From there i would drive into town - but wouldnt stop - not much to see that you cant see from the car. I would then drive down around the waterfront around the bays to Mission Bay - maybe have an icecream or sandwich.
An guessing all the above would take about 1.5 or maybe 2 hours.
Then i would head out to the west coast beaches in the Waitakeres (which are just as cool during winter as they are in summer) - super windy roads, but really cool black sand and wild beaches - i would make sure i stopped at KareKare and Piha beaches. Maybe fish and chips on the beach at Piha. The reason i suggest the west coast beaches, is because it is unique to NZ and all my friends who have visited from overseas have loved it. It takes about 45mins from central Auckland to Piha. So am thinking this little trip could easily use up 4 hours in total. You can do as little or as much as you like out there. There is also a visitors centre in the Waitakeres worth a visit. http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-parks/parks-in-the-region/waitakere-ranges/
If you really just want to hang about in Auckland (and not head to the Waitakeres) - maybe the ferry to Oneroa on Waiheke Island for some lunch with a stop off at Devonport on the way there or back.
I would then end the day with a good pub meal and drinks with friends - whether you know anyone here or friends from the backpackers. Maybe stay here - really cool backpackers - http://nomadshostels.com
Reply to this Thanks all for the help. Got plenty to work on here. I will let you all know how it goes. :-)
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