Auckland Stories and Tips

Quote: Though I realize Matamata and the home of the famous 'Hobbiton' Shire isn't in Auckland, and is in fact several hours drive away - it was the last little travel excursion I made in my year long stay in New Zealand, and in many ways…

Quote: New Zealand was abuzz with stories of Matakana when I arrived. The wine-producing village an hour north of Auckland was the cover story in Air New Zealand’s in-flight magazine, and I kept hearing about the village’s initiatives to become the country’s first Cittaslow, or slow…

Quote: Are you into the one of the latest sports out--kite boarding? Well, Auckland is a great place to pursue this pastime. There are plenty of bays and beaches, with varying types of water conditions to select from, so long as the wind conditions are right.…

Quote: Devonport, one of Auckland’s oldest suburbs, was founded in 1840 by European Settlers. It sits on the North Shore on the end of a peninsula that juts out into the Waitemata Harbour. A regular ferry service runs from the CBD (Central Business District) of Auckland…

Quote: Two hikes at parks costing $5 and $7 respectively were Waitopo and Waimunga. I spent a little over an hour at each place. The geothermal parks were fascinating with colors of purple, green, orange and more. Signs indicated the mineral each color…

Quote: Since we only had a limited time in New Zealand before moving on to Australia for our study abroad orientation, we had pre-booked all accommodation, major transportation and activities before making it to the country. This was good in that we knew exactly what was…

Quote: I arrived in Auckland on February 14, 2003. It was 10:30pm, and I was so tired from the flight over that all I wanted to do was get a hotel. I didn’t book one ahead of time because I wasn't suppose to be in Auckland…

Quote: The little town of Russell is often mistaken for an island, but in reality it is positioned on the tip of a peninsula connected to the mainland. It is much easier and quicker to access Russell by Ferry from either Paihia or Opua. From Paihia…

Quote: This entry isn't so much a travel diary, but more of a guide on getting started in Auckland, as it occured to me that some people reading this may be thinking of doing the same as me - using Auckland as a base to travel…

Quote: In the many months I stayed in Auckland, I stayed in several hostels, most of which were pretty dire. A couple, however, were great, so don’t think that if you go to Auckland you'll end up living in the gutter! Rather than use a separate…