Great places to visit in Auckland, New Zealand

As we wrote in one of our recent blog post, Auckland is a pretty big city, hense you will never run out of places to visit and things to do in Auckland.

In this blog post we will share with you some of our favorite parks, beaches and sites to visit while you are in Auckland. Now this list does not include the must do things. So if you are in Auckland only for few days then definitely read our “Must do things in Auckland” blog post.

After you’ve gone through the must do list and you still have some time to spare we would love to introduce you some more places.

Dove Myer Robinson Park (Parnell Rose Garden)

Oh my….the magnificent trees, the smell of roses and those views over the harbour are just insanely beautiful.

Best time to visit is late spring or early summer when the roses start to bloom and there aren’t that many visitors there.

The first time we visited this park, was the end of October. Most of the flowers had not been bloomed yet then but the air was still filled with divine smell of roses. The second time we went there was at the end of November. Most of the roses were already blooming then and park looked absolutely beautiful🌼🌻. The only downside was the amount of other visitors 😊 that we found overwhelming.

Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington is the youngest volcanic crater in Auckland and its highest peak is 135 meters. This is another great hike/walk in the centre of Auckland. It took us about 10 minutes to walk from the lower car park to the top. Once you are at the summit you can walk around the crater and enjoy 360° panoramic views over the area.

If you don’t want to/can’t or simply are too lazy to walk then you can also drive your car almost to the top of the summit.

Olympic Park

This award-winning park is situated in New Lynn suburb and is only few minutes drive from Auckland downtown. It is an interesting park with many paths, streams, traditional art and sculptures, beautiful bridge, children’s playground and sport facilities.

It also hosts many events throughout the year so make sure to check out what’s on next from eventfinda.co.nz.

Britomart

This, vibrant, 6,5 hectare area at the centre of Auckland waterfront is a great place to spend your day. It’s a place for shopping, dining in world-leading restaurants, enjoying a drink or just admiring how old heritage buildings collide with new modern developments.

It’s also a great spot for your New Year Eve celebrations if you happen to be in Auckland for the time being 😉

Mission Bay Beach

This beach is about 6 km from downtown Auckland. It is a great spot for those who don’t have a car and thus can’t make a long trip out of the city. The water temperature in Mission Bay, during swimming season (from January to April) is around 22°C and the sand pit is long enough for everyone to find a spot.

This beach also has volleyball nets up for those who like to engage in a friendly play. Also if you plan to spend all day then there are few coffee shops and restaurants as well as a playground for children across the street.

Orakei Marina

A walking distance from Mission bay Beach is Orakei Marina. This is Auckland’s Premier Marina with glorious yachts and sailing boats. While you obviously can’t access the vessels you are able to walk all the way to the end of the pier to admire what’s on shore.

Beside the yachts and saling boats you can also enjoy magnificent views over Devenport, Auckland skyline and Rangitoto Island.

This marina also has a funky restaurant/bar with inside and outside sitting area to enjoy the impressive views over lunch, dinner or quick refreshing drink.

Sea Life Kelly Aquarium

This incredible aquarium is located just outside Auckland CBD, between Orakey Marina and Mission Bay. Sea life Kelly Aquarium houses thousands of marine animals from hundreds of species, including sharks, penguins, turtles, stingrays, seahorses, fish and much more.

Among their different zones is the “Antarctic Ice Adventure” zone, that is home to the world’s largest sub-Antarctic penguin colony display. Also, if you are brave enough you could snorkel with sharks, stingrays and other fish from New Zealand’s coastal waters.
Ticket prices vary.

Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo is located just 5 km west of downtown Auckland and it’s easily accessible by public transport as well as private transport. This zoo is a winner of national as well as international awards and is at the leading-edge of wildlife research, conservation work and innovative zoo design. Auckland Zoo has 135 species and over 1,400 animals. It’s home for mammals like elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, red pandas and many more.

Beside the normal opening hours every school holidays season Auckland Zoo has “Safari Nights”. This means that you can experience a personalised guided tour to see what the animals are up to after dark. How cool is that?
Ticket prices vary.

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

Another great place to spend an afternoon in Auckland downtown is the Art Gallery. It’s located only 600 meters from the famous Sky Tower and 2 km from War Memorial Museum.

This art gallery has four floors full of exhibitions and more than 17,000 works in the collection. The collection includes some of the best New Zealand and international historic, modern and contemporary art.
Ticket prices vary.

Auckland Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum is conviniently situated along the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland downtown.

In this museum you can see the largest marine collection in New Zealand. The Maritime Museum holds a collection of over 130 watercraft’s ranging in size and complexity. If the weather is is good then don’t miss a chance to set a sale with one of their heritage vessels along the Waitematā Harbour.
Ticket prices vary.

There are loads of other interesting and beautiful places to see and visit in and around Auckland. If you have time then don’t settle with anyone else’s list and create your own instead 😉

TOURIST. A tourist sees what he has come to see. Don’t be a #tourist, be a #traveler