I’d set the alarm for 7 am as there was a lot on my sightseeing list for today. After the rain had stymied some of our plans for yesterday, I’d tacked a few extra items onto the list, so it was going to be a busy one! Luckily, we woke to a much brighter day, so straight after a brilliant hotel breakfast, we set off to explore Auckland’s harbourfront on foot.
Our walk took us along the water, past the wide open space of Queens Square where the Britomart transport hub is housed in a gorgeous old sandstone building that reminded me of the GPO in Sydney. Nearby, the old Ferry building stood like a grand old dame, looking particularly distinguished with the old-fashioned red standard lamps lining its front. We continued on towards Viaduct Harbour, where we had to pause as the entry bridge was slickly raised to allow a small boat to pass into the marina. It really is a city for mariners; there are boats absolutely everywhere, and we even spotted the New Zealand winner of the America’s Cup standing proudly on display, its winged keel on full show.
The furthest point of our walk was Silo Park in the Wynyard Quarter. Had the weather cooperated yesterday, we would have been here for the Sunday Night Markets, but it was much quieter this morning. Still, it was a great area with interesting art installations and wide-open recreational spaces.
We retraced our steps back past our hotel, and then the easy, flat part of our day came to an abrupt end. For the next ten minutes, I was breathing hard as we climbed the steep hill up through Alfred Park. The University of Auckland borders the park, and I’d read that its old clock tower was worth seeing, but when we finally crested the hill, we found it completely swathed in scaffolding! Ah, the joys of travel.
Right next to the park is the Auckland Art Gallery, so we popped inside for a look. They had a lovely historical collection with some beautiful Monets and Picassos, as well as a very interesting Maori Portrait gallery that was fascinating to see. From the gallery, we strolled downhill through the city’s Chinatown area back to the hotel to collect the car and explore a bit further afield.
Our first stop was the huge Auckland Domain, which occupies a massive hill overlooking the city. The grand building of the Auckland War Memorial Museum dominates the top of the hill, and while we decided we didn’t have enough time to do the inside justice, we certainly admired its impressive frontage and the lovely memorial water feature out front. Also in the Domain is the Wintergarden, a pair of beautiful old greenhouses linked by a pretty courtyard. One is a temperate house, which had a surprisingly colourful display of flowers for this time of year, while the other is a tropical hothouse. We really felt the temperature difference in there! It was filled with ferns, palms, and oddities like a Venus Fly Trap, with a large central pond full of spectacular water lilies.
From the Domain, we drove inland to Maungawhau / Mt Eden. The name means ‘mountain of the whau tree,’ and you can feel its history as a sacred place that once served as a fortified pā for Māori communities. We parked the car and began another energetic climb to the summit—my hamstrings were really starting to complain about all the hills! At the top, a boardwalk runs around the rim of a deep crater known as Te Ipu-a-Mataaho, named for the god of earthquakes and volcanoes. It was a breathless climb, but geez, the stunning 360-degree views over the city made it absolutely worth it. The wind was blowing like crazy up there, too; my hair was a complete mess by the time we got back to the car!
Next, we headed for the North Shore, which took us across the famous Harbour Bridge. I’d expected heavy traffic, but it was surprisingly smooth for a major city. We drove through the pretty suburb of Devonport to North Head, another of the dozens of ancient volcano peaks you see dotted all around Auckland. At the summit is Fort Cautley, a military complex dating back to 1885 with an old disappearing gun and observation posts. Neil always enjoys a bit of military history, so I knew this would be right up his alley, and the fabulous views back across the harbour to the city were an added bonus for me.
Our final sightseeing stop took us back over the bridge and along the harbourside to Bastion Point, where we wandered around the memorial for Michael Joseph Savage, New Zealand’s first Labour Prime Minister. The large obelisk, sunken pool, and landscaped gardens commemorate a leader who worked closely with the Māori people to redress land rights issues in the 1800s.
After a couple of hours rest back at the hotel, we decided to check out their rooftop bar. It was surprisingly mild ( or we were just well rugged up!) so we were comfortable sitting on the terrace overlooking the city lights and the harbour.
strolled down to a nearby pub called “Brew on Quay” for dinner. We arrived to find their weekly Trivia Night in full swing, so we tucked into a delicious meal of lamb shanks and enjoyed the entertainment, trying (and mostly failing) to solve the questions. It was a really fun way to end a packed day of exploring. Tomorrow, we head south!
