Get to know my Auckland
What I love most about Auckland...
It's close to the water, the restaurants and parks are all brilliant, and with having a young family there are so many places we can go with the kids all within a few minutes of home.
In the space of any given weekend, I can meet friends at The Postman's Leg in Glenfield and soak up live music while having a bite to eat and watching our kids play on the playground there.
Living in Auckland is also a sport-lovers dream — throughout the season you can watch live sport at Eden Park, Mt Smart or North Shore Events Centre.
We live on the Shore and so we love to catch a ferry to Waiheke or the CBD and make an adventure of it. However, my absolute favourite thing about Auckland is that there's a real energy about the region because there is so much to see and do.
My local hidden gem...
The walk between Milford and Takapuna is awesome. You start by grabbing an ice coffee from the Swiss Cafe & Bakery in Milford (truly — the BEST ice coffees I've ever tasted!) and then it's an easy wander along the beach towards Takapuna with the kids and the dog. There's a pathway all the way so it's easy to work your way around rock pools and the tides, and there's also the famous "Giant chair". It's a chair made from rocks that sits at the base of a castle — and it's iconic. Lots of people get their photo in it, and because my wife grew up on the Shore (and remembers often playing on the chair as a child) I
actually proposed to her there.
Where I’d go in Auckland for a daytrip with friends or family...
Omaha beach. We'd leave at sunrise on Saturday and stop at Matakana for the Farmer's Market before heading on to the beach for the rest of the day. The scenery is beautiful, we'd have stocked up on delicious food from the markets and then as the sun sets, we'd head home again. Bliss.
We also love to visit Waiheke Island for the brilliant choice of restaurants like the Oyster Inn, Three Seven Two and Vino Vino for the fantastic views. The locals are also a real highlight, and if you're lucky you might just bump into Sir Graham Henry or Sir Peter Leitch!
Who knew you could…in Auckland
See Beauden Barrett in a Blues jersey!? See Dan Carter in a Blues jersey!?
You can visit a working farm! Ambury Farm park in Mangere has a woolshed, milking shed and good tracks and pathways which means it's an easy walk in the "countryside" just a few minutes’ drive from the CBD. And if you’re in the city centre you can catch a ferry that will take you under the Auckland Harbour Bridge and into the sheltered waterways of Auckland’s upper Waitematā Harbour to have lunch at a historic tavern, named The Riverhead.
You can also "meet" the stingray that hangs out around Swashbucklers bar by the Marina. Apparently fishermen feed it when they come in to the dock, so it swims around and gets an easy feed. Legend has it you can see it most days.
Where I’d go on a staycation in Auckland...
Castaways Resort. It overlooks the rugged and stunning West coast beaches, so you can see the most amazing sunsets! It also has a fantastic restaurant and lots of things to do if you like a little adventure (Blow-Karts and archery etc). If relaxing and pampering is more your style, there's a day-spa there too. You can go "glamping" or stay in an "executive chalet" looking out over Kariotahi Beach and it's literally called "Auckland's best kept secret".