Auckland is for adventure
Move over Queenstown, there’s another adrenaline junkies’ playground in town. New Zealand’s biggest city offers plenty of big thrills, writes Brett Atkinson.
Island escapes, an urban volcanic landscape, and a spectacular location framed by the Manukau and Waitemata¯ harbours combine for experiences that are only possible in our country’s biggest and most diverse city. Here are 10 things you can only do in the City of Sails.
Challenge yourself on top of the Sky Tower
Not only a handy landmark for navigating around the sprawling city, the Sky Tower also packs plenty of thrills into its 328 metres. Take on the SkyWalk, a knee-trembling negotiation of a 1.2m-wide, openair walking platform almost 200m above the ground, or experience the 11-second controlled leap of faith of the SkyJump. More gentle is the 40-second lift to the viewing platforms with the exciting option of strolling across the tower’s glass floor panels.
Sky Tower, on the corner of Federal and Victoria streets, entry adult/child $32/$13, skycityauckland.co.nz/sky-tower.
Auckland Bridge Climb and Bungy
Who said Queenstown was the capital of scareyourself-silly adventures? Options for up close views of another Auckland landmark include guided walking tours of the Harbour Bridge’s graceful arch, and an exciting bungy jump from a platform suspended 40m above the Waitemata¯ Harbour. Enjoy 360-degree views of the city while undertaking the Bridge Climb, and the option of touching the water at the bottom of your bungy. Auckland Bridge Climb and Bungy, 105 Curran St, Westhaven, bridge climb adult/child $91/63, bungy adult/child $115/95, bungy.co.nz.
Sail on an authentic America’s Cup yacht
Preliminary racing for the next America’s Cup in the city begins late next month, and all through summer there will be the opportunity to experience your own yachting magic by helping to sail NZL41 or NZL68, both part of previous America’s Cup campaigns. Yachting technology may have evolved to produce today’s multi-hulled foiling thoroughbreds, but helping sail a single-hull boat in a match race is still loads of fun. Bring your own polo shirt and boat shoes.
Explore, Viaduct Harbour, adult/child $190/135, exploregroup.co.nz.
Discover Auckland’s maritime history
From the Pacific voyaging canoes of early Ma¯ori to the America’s Cup, Ta¯maki Makaurau/Auckland has long been the City of Sails. Located on the waterfront near the bars and restaurants of Viaduct Harbour and the Wynyard Quarter, the New Zealand Maritime Museum showcases the nation’s seafaring history. The Blue Water Black Magic gallery is a tribute to America’s Cupwinning yachtsman, the late Sir Peter Blake, while harbour sailings are offered on the Ted Ashby, a heritage scow, and the SS Puke, a cute and compact steam-powered tug.
New Zealand Maritime Museum, 149-159 Quay St, free admission for Auckland residents, visitors adult/child $10/$5, maritimemuseum.co.nz.
Tackle the Coast to Coast Walkway
Where else can you walk across an entire country in a single day? Linking the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean, the Coast to Coast Walkway meanders for about 16 kilometres from the raffish waterfront suburb of Onehunga to the bars and restaurants of Viaduct Harbour. Optional detours to ascend Maungawhau/Mt Eden and Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill are included on a leafy route taking in Cornwall Park and the Domain. The recommended route is to catch public transport from Britomart to Onehunga, and finish with a cold beer at Dr Rudi’s Rooftop Brewing Co at the Viaduct.
Coast to Coast Walkway, aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
Explore Auckland’s unique volcanic field
More than 50 extinct and dormant volcanic cones punctuate Auckland’s urban environment, a landscape so special that it’s been shortlisted on Unesco’s ‘‘tentative list’’ for inclusion as a World Heritage Site. Summits to explore – some with the historic echoes of Ma¯ori pa¯ – include Maungakiekie and Maungawhau, Auckland’s highest point. Maungawhau’s new boardwalks provide excellent access and 360-degree views of Auckland’s unique isthmus location. En route to walking to the summit, stop at the Te Ipu Ko¯rero o Maungawhau/Maungawhau Visitor Experience Centre to learn about Auckland’s geological history and Ma¯ori heritage.
Te Ipu Ko¯rero o Maungawhau/Maungawhau
Visitor Experience Centre, Whau Cafe, Puhi Huia Rd, aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
Kayak to Rangitoto Island
Dominating the Hauraki Gulf’s near horizon, forested Rangitoto Island was only formed around 600 years ago, and is the largest and newest cone in Auckland’s volcanic field. Sunset trips with Fergs Kayaks take about 1 hour, 15 minutes to paddle across Waitemata¯ Harbour to the island, before embarking on a 45-minute guided walk across the lava-strewn landscape to the summit crater. Look forward to a clear night sky on the paddle back to kahu Bay, completing an experience lasting around six hours.
Fergs Kayaks, 12 Tamaki Drive, rakei,
$160 a person, fergskayaks.co.nz
Penguins, sharks and more at Kelly Tarlton’s
Constructed in a subterranean space that was once part of Auckland’s stormwater system, Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium is now an innovative place to observe some of Auckland’s more surprising residents. Sharks, stingrays and other aquatic life swim and surge to surround visitors protected by transparent tunnels, while behindthe-scenes Penguin Passport experiences offer encounters with the aquarium’s king and gentoo penguins. For another adventurous Auckland thrill, sign up for a Shark Cage Adventure.