It's nice to be back and writing again! For the last two weeks it's been my mid-semester break so I've been traveling and exploring with very little downtime and now classes start up again tomorrow....sigh. Soooo as the title suggests I traveled to the beautiful Auckland, New Zealand as one of my stops during break!
When I was accepted to study abroad in Australia, I knew I wanted to see as much of Australia as possible, but I also had a desire to travel to New Zealand. I only stayed in Auckland due to money reasons and lack of a car, but I would love to travel through the North and South Island of New Zealand in the future! I chose Auckland over other NZ cities (Wellington, Christchurch) because it's the biggest and most well known city in NZ and it also gives a good balance of city and nature! I had three full days in Auckland which was the perfect amount of time to explore the city and the outskirts of Auckland. Auckland offers SO much to do so continue reading to find out about my trip :)
**Because I was traveling solo I stayed at a hostel which was called Base Backpackers. This was my first time ever staying at a hostel and staying at any hostel is PERFECT if you're backpacking or on a budget. I have to be honest Base (you can read my full review here) wasn't the cleanest and quietest hostel, but the staff were helpful, I had good roommates for my four nights, and I loved how centrally located Base was to everything in Auckland!
Sights and Activities
Sky Tower- One of the most recognised buildings in Auckland is the Sky Tower standing at 1,080 feet. From the observation desk ($32 pp) you can see 360 views of the city, Auckland Harbour Bridge, Rangitoto Island in more! In addition to the observation deck there is a cafe that can be accessed by the observation desk visitors, a restaurant, or if you're feeling like a dare devil you can do the Sky Walk or Sky Jump which is definitely no bueno for me! If you don't want to spend the money to go up to the observation deck, you can see the Sky Tower from many beautiful sights around the city!
Cornwall Park- Cornwall Park is a beautiful, expansive park in Epsom which is out of the city, but still a quick bus ride or train ride! Cornwall Park is rich with history, nature, and farm life and is a great escape from city life with its many trails and stunning views.
Devonport- Devonport is a quiet neighbourhood north of Auckland and you can get there by quick 10 minute ferry ride for $15 round trip (Fullers Ferries). Devonport has great views of the Auckland Harbour and skyline as well as upscale cafes, pubs, and many fish and chips shops! I came here for dinner on a Sunday night and it was a little too quiet with all the shops closed so I definitely recommend visiting this quaint, seaside village during the day.
Waiheke Island- Waiheke Island is a MUST if you're visiting Auckland! The 45-minute ferry ride ($40 round trip) takes you to the lush island with beautiful beaches, cute little seaside towns, and expansive vineyards. Once the ferry dropped me off to the Matiatia Bay terminal, I took a bus to the town of Oneroa – the biggest settlement on the island – and I spent the day in and out of the shops and at Oneroa Beach that has mountain views. From Oneroa, I walked to Cable Bay Vineyards which is the closest winery from the ferry terminal for a magnificent glass of rose and I saw some sheep along the way! Waiheke is perfect for a day trip, but I could honestly spend a whole week on the island...there was so much more to see!
Viaduct Harbour- This is one of Auckland's prime waterfront locations with many great restaurants and cafes which makes the perfect location for a night out.
Auckland War Memorial & Museum- The Auckland War Memorial and Museum is one of the most expansive museums I've ever been in with vast collections concentrating on New Zealand history, natural history, and military history. Admission for non-residents is $25 NZD which almost turned me away, but the collections of art and exhibits in this museum really make up for it! I learned so much about New Zealand's history and the Maori people which really made me appreciate NZ even more!
Auckland Art Gallery- This is the principle art gallery in Auckland with an extensive collection of New Zealand and international art! There is also an admission fee for this museum too which varies.
Albert Park- I wandered upon this park after exploring the Auckland Art Gallery and there are many beautiful trees scattered around the park (some looking hundreds of years old) with a fountain and a wide open green space. I wish I had more time to relax in this beautiful park, but I was limited on time.
Domain Wintergardens- This is such a wonderful and FREE gardens that will transform you to another time with its rustic courtyard and there are so many beautiful and unusual plants on display! Surrounding the main courtyard and fountain are two greenhouses: one with flowers and the other with more tropical plants. It was such a nice place to walk through and take some photos– there was even a bride and groom taking wedding photos. The Wintergardens are right down the road from the Auckland War Memorial and Museum so I recommend doing these on the same day.
Britomart- Britomart is the main transportation hub right in Auckland CBD, but it also has a wide array of restaurants and boutiques with beautiful flowers and plants lining the walkway and twinkling lights overhead. This is a great place to take photos!
Bites
Giapo- Prepared to be blown away by this innovative ice cream shop right in Auckland CBD! While planning for my trip to Auckland, I came across Giapo multiple times and even had to search them up on Instagram to see how photogenic their ice cream designs really are! And this place is far from your typical ice cream shop with ice cream that can be made into an octopus, lips, and even the Sky Tower! With these adventurous designs comes a little bit of price tag, but sometimes it's good to indulge in their unique flavours and designs. Additionally, each customer gets to taste each of their flavours before they order– I ordered the ice cream sandwich (I forget the technical name) with a coconut flavour and passionfruit flavour and it was delicious!
Queen's Rise- Queen's Rise is a food court right on Queen Street boasting a wide variety of eateries! I visited on two seperate occasions to a dumpling cafe (I forget the name of) and Lowbrow. Lowbrow is definitely worth a visit with it's tasty foods and fun atmosphere! But overall Queen's Rise is great to eat at if you're in a rush while still wanting to have delicious food– oh and the bathroom is pretty damn nice too.
Mexicali- My first night in Auckland I was walking around trying to find a place to eat and this place instantly caught my eye on one of the wharfs! Service was a little slow, but it had a nice atmosphere with good Mexican food and drinks!
**I didn't eat out at nice places all too often in Auckland as I usually took to having McDonalds for breakfast or Dunkin' (yes there's Dunkin' all this way in NZ!!!!) so these above were my favourite bites in Auckland!
This was the first solo trip I've ever planned and went on so I was a little anxious, but overall I learned so much about myself while traveling solo and I'm proud of myself for going outside of my comfort zone and traveling to the beautiful New Zealand all while trying to navigate at times when I had no wifi.
New Zealand is such a beautiful country and SO different from Australia. While flying into Auckland, I couldn't help but marvel at the scenery below with its rolling green hills and dazzling coastline. I really wish money and time allowed me to explore all of NZ, but Auckland was a nice taste of the New Zealand spirit!
Sarah, xo