New Zealand: North Island - Itinerary and travel information

Auckland

Like many other travelers, we started off our New Zealand adventure in Auckland as well.

 

 

Read the article "New Zealand - the first days after arrival" to learn more about our beginnings and to get some detailed information useful for your first days in New Zealand.

In this article you can find tips on how to get locally and cheaply from the airport - downtown, how our first accommodation looked like, where and how to request the IRD (social number), what is the most foreigner-friendly bank to open a new bank account, wherein Auckland is the best place to buy a car and what are the obligations associated with such purchase.

 

 

To be honest, I didn't find the city of Auckland interesting at all. As in all of Zealand, you will not see any breathtaking historical monuments here. At least not comparable to those we have back in Europe speaking of quality and age. Anyhow, not to wonder, as the modern history of Zealand dates back to the late 18th century only. Auckland, as the largest city in the country with almost 1.5 million inhabitants, has not, besides a few skyscrapers, much to offer. Don't expect any cultural shock if you're coming from Europe. Instead, prepare your wallet for a great shock. My first adrenaline experience was to see the New Zealand steep prices!

 

 

For your daily grocery shopping, I recommend the Countdown Auckland Metro (19-25 Victoria St.) and New World (125 Queen Street) located right in the city center. If you need to save some bucks - buy some food in the supermarket and cook in your hostel (hostel kitchens are usually equipped for basic cooking). In most of the supermarkets, you can also buy some delicious grilled whole chicken for 10-13 NZD.

There are HEAPS of immigrants who opened numerous cheap bistros in downtown AucklandAuckland and offer pizza, kebab, burgers, fried chicken and much more. For the cheapest Take Out meal expect to pay a minimum of 6-7 NZD (8 NZD for Fish and Chips), for a Big Burger or KFC menu you spend about 6 NZD. Those who want the most Fast Food music for their buck, order XXL Menus BigMac Hunger Buster (12.5 NZD, MacDonalds) or Big Feed (12 NZD, Burger King).

 

 

The city tour will take about one day, at most two. The city dominant Sky Tower found right in the heart of Auckland offers an exaggerated adrenalin experience for tourists. Go jump Bungee Jumping (225 NZD) from the tower or walk on the outer ledge around the Sky Tower - Sky Walk (145 NZD).

If you're an adrenaline lover, you better drive to Rotorua (3-hour drive), where you can have a lot of fun at cheaper rates. A combo of Sky Dive 12,000 ft and Raft trip will cost you as little as NZD 330. (http://www.rotoruacombos.com/combos)

 

 

We left these wannabe adrenaline activities aside and went out to explore the city instead. The center of all events you will find along Queen Street, starting at the harbor / Britomart train station, and stretching itself 2km all the way through the central Auckland up the hill. You will find everything essential in its surroundings.

​

 

It's up to everyone's preferences, but personally, I would not stay in Auckland longer than those few days necessarily needed to settle essential matters related to the beginning of your stay (IRD, bank account, car purchase). Several nights spent in the super smelly and cold hostel room at NZD 20-30 per bed, endless crowds of young Asian students strolling in the streets, countless Arabic fast-food restaurants, eternally drunken unemployed fat Maori guys lying on benches in the city center, hordes of drunk young men and half-naked freezing girls yelling under the hostel windows until dawn, make you do everything you need as quickly as possible and head off to the stunning, tranquil and virgin nature starting beyond the gates of Auckland.