New Zealand offers an exciting
travel destination any time of the year. Travelers need to remember that the seasons are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere, so while the United States is having the cold winter months, New Zealand is experiencing summer. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, having a population of over one million. Auckland is well known for its nightlife, but there are plenty of other activities to keep tourists busy whether night or day.
The Sky Tower in downtown Auckland is the tallest tower found in the Southern Hemisphere and stands at more than a thousand feet in height. The view from this tower is nearly fifty miles in any direction the eye can see. An activity from this site, definitely not for the faint of heart, is the 630 foot jump from the tower. This is a base-jump by wire, unlike a bungee jump because there is no bouncing, just a smooth fall that lasts for sixteen seconds of breath-taking excitement. For more quiet entertainment, try the restaurants and casinos of the "Sky City" area of Auckland, found near the tower. This so-called "city within a city" also offers hotels and a theater.
Near to the Sky Tower is the Victoria Park Market. The market is open at 9 a.m. every day and offers an international food court, cafes, and three restaurants. The shopping at Victoria Park Market features shops offering arts and crafts, jewelry, and fashion. There is live entertainment here often on weekends and during the lunch time hours.
Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World, located at 23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland, is a fun stop for young and old alike. A moving walkway takes visitors through the underwater world, and other attractions include a penguin colony, a replica of the hut of a South Pole explorer, and an Amazon tank. Get up close and personal with a Broadnosed Sevengill Shark. Be very glad that "up close" has a sturdy acrylic divider between the visitor and those tremendously strong jaws . . . sharks can have thousands of teeth at any given time! Over two thousand sea creatures reside in these two aquariums. Leave the underground setting for an Antarctic adventure with the penguins. To share space with the penguins, visitors will be in a heated snowcat for this part of the tour, and will not have to experience the freezing temperatures the penguins need to thrive.
The Auckland Zoo is located at Motions Road, Western Springs. In the Pridelands section, visitors will see Zulu huts, lions, giraffes, and other prideland animals such as white rhino and zebra. Visit the wetlands of Geddes Dental Hippo River to watch hippos and baboons. Other areas of the zoo include the NewstalkZB Rainforest with monkeys and other rainforest creatures, and the Asian Elephants area. Take a moment to relax in the NZ Native Aviary section of the zoo. If you still desire more zoo fun while visiting here, look for the Kiwi and Tuatara House, the Just Juice Primate Trail highlighting orangutans, lemurs, and chimps, and the Bluebird Sea Lion and Penguin Shores area.
One of the most unique things about Auckland is the Auckland Volcanic Field with about fifty inactive volcanoes. Two of the more well known are Mount Eden (the highest volcanic peak here) and One Tree Hill (the second highest volcanic peak). Mount Eden is impossible to miss . . . it rises from the center of Auckland! Look for a few parks at the volcano locations such as One Tree Hill Domain, Cornwall Park, Auckland Domain, and others.
In the same area, the Stardome Observatory is also located on the slopes of the One Tree Hill volcano. The 360 degree planetarium theater shows thousands of stars, nebulae, comets, and galaxies. Those visiting the Observatory are given an incredible tour of the universe.
Howick Historical Village is a living history museum covering the history of New Zealand's European settlement from 1850 to 1890. The drive from Auckland takes about 35 minutes. Costumed guides dress as the colonial inhabitants of old. The village opens at 10 a.m. More than thirty colonial buildings are located here. The guides demonstrate the work that was done and skills that were perfected by the early settlers. Be sure to see the Heritage Gardens and the Village Shop while here. The shop sells products that compliment the time period of the village, and the gardens grow the produce that the settlers grew.
Ferries carry tourists to some of the nearby islands and nature reserves for exploring. Be sure to be prepared for these journeys, however. One can explore lava flows and caves, see breathtaking views, explore craters, and participate in other unusual explorations, but you need to remember that some of these places have no supplies. If you will be visiting one of the spots without supplies, be sure to carry water with you. Wear good hiking boots or shoes, and be sure to use sunscreen. Waves of heat from the sun when joining with lava are tremendously hot.
If museums are an interest to the Auckland visitor, there are a number of museums of various types found here. Among these are the Museum of Transport, Technology and Social History; the New Zealand National Maritime Museum; the Hobson Wharf National Maritime Museum; and the Auckland Museum, offering a Children's Discovery Center.
