Auckland’s $20 tour
From today, Hop card users will pay no more than $20 a day. Mina Kerr-Lazenby put it to the test.
As someone who didn’t pass their driving test until the age of 26, I’m relatively au fait with the inner-city buses and trains of the City of Sails. I don’t mind them, the latter bring nostalgia for my England home, but whenever I suggest the idea of travelling sans-car to others I’m met with upturned noses and unfettered grimaces.
Generally, the relationship most have with public transport is akin to those they have with distant relatives: you lean on them in dire need (financial woes or vehicle loss) but as a last resort.
There’s long been calls for more incentives to get Aucklanders out of their cars and onto public transport. If reducing traffic congestion, and saving the planet and money won’t do the trick, perhaps being able to travel the breadth of the expansive city on $20 will.
I decided to put it to the test by pushing the $20 cap to its extremes, travelling as much of Auckland as possible in one day.
It began with a 25-minute, direct train from my Ellerslie home to Manurewa, for a morning walk through the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Having not been awakened by the concentration required to drive or the frustration of morning traffic, I realised how much more relaxed I could be in a morning if I took the train.
I went back to the station in search of something edible, heading to Newmarket via another simple, direct journey on the southern train line.
Newmarket’s shopping scene is everexpanding and there is ample opportunity to indulge in a good brunch. I chose a quaint spot close to the station, Bambino’s, enjoyed hotcakes and mused on the fact I’d traversed more of the city in one morning via public transport than most would probably manage in a week.
My next adventure took me out west for a riverside walk and a winery visit. Given Waiheke was off the list – the $20 cap system excludes the far pricier outerharbour ferries – I settled for the next best thing, Kumeu¯ .
One train and two buses later, and I pulled into a street side bus stop, conveniently next to Kumeu¯ River Wines.
The journey had been easier than expected, but then I was met with an unexpected problem. I had been hoping to explore the jewels in the western region’s crown – Piha, Muriwai, and the Waita¯ kere Ranges– but after scouring Google Maps and a call to Auckland Transport I was made aware the AT Hop card would only get me so far. Most journeys out that way require a car or ride-share service for the final leg, say from Waimauku down to Muriwai gannet colony (a 12-minute drive
at roughly $15), or from Oratia or Waita¯ kere towns to the beginning of the ranges’ walking tracks.
To keep it as public-transport-fuelled as possible, I avoided the most western spots in favour of an eastern gem: O¯ rewa Beach. I would not recommend the route from Kumeu¯ to O¯ rewa via only public transport. There were a lot of buses to catch. A lot.
A short car ride to a nearby train station would be much simpler but given my task was to fully test AT Hop card $20 cap via various routes, I chose to tackle the plethora of buses.
It was dark by the time I arrived. I managed a brief moonlit stroll and a walk along it’s already bustling strip, resisting the temptation of the beckoning bars, and hopped back on the bus – Devonport bound. Several buses later (I had truly lost count by this point) I pulled into Devonport. Sleepier than O¯ rewa but boasting bars with the same level of charm, it was the perfect spot to round off an exhausting day.
Much like my morning of calm train trips, the final leg of my journey was spent mulling just how simple, quick and cheap the Devonport cruise to the CBD is.
There are several conclusions to be made following my cross-city day trip.
First, the $20 AT Hop card daily limit could be a game-changer for tourists. The cost of my day traversing the city would have been more than $40, although most people not on a deliberate mission to reach the four corners of the region may struggle to reach the $20 limit – particularly commuters going to and from work.
Second, attempting a full day of travel on public transport is not enjoyable during winter. A chain of buses, many in the post5pm darkness, aren’t half as enjoyable as the sunlit journeys.
Finally, the bus routes could do with a little work in the more rural areas of Auckland, but the rail network deserves some praise.