World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
Stagecoach Auckland (tel: (0800) 103 080; website: www.rideline.co.nz) operates a reasonable bus network around Auckland, most of which leave from the Britomart Centre (see Getting There By Rail). Buses operate Monday to Thursday 0600-2200, Friday 6000-2330, Saturday and Sunday 0700-2300.

A flat fare in the city centre costs NZ$1.30 and NZ$0.50 innercity, and NZ$1.30 thereafter, for each zone travelled through. A ticket for ‘The Link’, a city centre loop-route bus, costs just NZ$1.30. The Auckland Discovery Day Pass is available for NZ$12 and provides unlimited travel on all buses, trains and inner harbour ferries (see below) to the North Shore (including Devonport) for the day of purchase, while the Auckland Pass at NZ$8 is valid on any buses, link buses and North-shore and downtown ferries. Tickets are available for purchase upon boarding, at stations and at visitor centres. There is a free Auckland Busabout Guide available from newsagents and visitor centres, which lists routes and fares.

Auckland has a small, commuter metro service called Connex Auckland (tel: (09) 969 7777; fax: (09) 969 7700; e-mail: info@connexauckland.co.nz; website: www.connexauckland.co.nz), with three main lines, although it is of little value to tourists as it serves only to link the suburbs with central Auckland for the benefit of footsore commuters. The Eastern line operates Monday to Friday 0540-2100 and Saturday 0740-2030, the Southern line operates Monday to Friday 0550-2100 and Saturday 0710-2100 and the Western Line Monday to Friday 0540-2230 and Saturday 0705-2100 (no Sunday services currently exist).

The fare from the city centre to the end of each line is approximately NZ$7-8. For a single in stage one, the fare is NZ$1.10; there are six stages in total. A Day Rover pass costs NZ$10 and is valid from 0900 Monday to Saturday. A 10-trip carnet and a monthly pass are also available for NZ$10-64 and NZ$96-199 respectively. All tickets and passes are available for purchase on the train (exact change is recommended) or more cheaply at the Britomart.

Ferries, operated by Fullers (tel: (09) 367 9111; e-mail: enquiries@fullers.co.nz; website: www.fullers.co.nz), link the ferry terminal on Quay Street with some of the further suburbs, such as Devonport, Bayswater, Birkenhead and Stanley Bay. Ferries operate Monday to Thursday approximately 0615-2300, Friday and Saturday 0630-0130 and Sunday 0700-2200. Ferry fares vary and fluctuate with the price of oil - the main Auckland Devonport Ferry currently costs NZ$9. Tickets are available for purchase on board, at the terminals and in visitor centres.

Auckland’s Rideline (tel: (09) 366 6400; website: www.rideline.co.nz) provides further information on all public transport services. The main service that visitors will find useful is the Explorer Bus (tel: (0800) 439 756 or (09) 571 3116; website: www.explorerbus.co.nz), with one bus running every half hour from 0900-1600 (October to April), hourly for the rest of the year (see Tours of the City), linking up all the major tourist attractions. The hop-on hop-off bus starts and terminates at the ferry terminal on Quay Street. Tickets are available from the driver, for NZ$30 (one day).

Taxis
There are several private taxi companies in Auckland, with ranks situated around the city. Taxis can also be hailed in the street, although booking by telephone is the usual option. One of the biggest companies is the Auckland Co-op (tel: (09) 300 3000; website: www.cooptaxi.co.nz). Alternatively, visitors could try Alert (tel: (09) 309 2000; website: www.alerttaxis.co.nz), Corporate (tel (09) 377 0773; website: www.corporatecabs.co.nz) or Discount (tel: (09) 529 1000). Taxis are metered, with a minimum charge of NZ$3. Tipping is not expected.

Limousines
Limousines are not common in laid-back Auckland. Regency Limousines (tel: (09) 307 0374; website: www.chauffeurs.co.nz) and Corporate Cars (tel: (0800) 733 833; website: www.corporatecabs.co.nz), both of which provide a variety of limousines with chauffeurs. Rates start from NZ$200 per hour. The Auckland Co-op (tel: (09) 300 3000; website: www.cooptaxi.co.nz) offers business-class cars for hire from NZ$65 per hour.

Driving in the City
Auckland is as big and busy as any other major city but driving is not the stressful experience it can be elsewhere. Drivers in New Zealand are much more courteous out in the country and reasonably tolerant in the city. A car is useful, because of the sprawling nature of Auckland and the fact that the roads are in good condition and fairly well signposted. However, the Downtown area gets very congested, especially in the morning and evening rush hours and, in particular, on a Friday afternoon. Parking Downtown can also be a problem. Central 24-hour car parks include Albert Street (to the west of Queen Street and close to the waterfront), Customs Street West and Beresford Street, near Karangahape (K) Road. Metered parking is generally NZ$2-4 per hour and approximately NZ$2-5 per hour in a secure car park.

Car Hire
All the major international car hire companies have offices in Auckland, as well as several domestic companies. Drivers must be over 21 years of age – some companies add on a hefty surcharge if the driver is less than 25 years. A valid national or international drivers licence is required – in some cases, if the licence has been held for less than three-five years, an extra insurance excess may apply. Fully comprehensive insurance is not compulsory but is advisable and often included as part of the car hire deal, as many local drivers in rural areas take a very relaxed attitude to driving regulations and may not be insured themselves. However, extra insurance is not really necessary, as with each hire, there is a refundable accident bond – a credit card slip for anything from NZ$500 to NZ$1000 – which goes toward the cost of repairs (either part of it or in its entirety), should the driver have a prang. Drivers will probably find, when hunting around, that the best deals are available from mid-range domestic firms and that money can be saved by booking a car upon arrival in New Zealand, rather than beforehand.

The main car hire companies include Ace Tourist Rentals (tel: (09) 303 3112; website: www.acerentalcars.co.nz), A2B (tel: (0800) 222 999; website: www.a2brentals.co.nz), Avis (tel: (09) 275 7239; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (0800) 283 438; website: www.budget.co.nz), Hertz (tel: (0800) 654 321; website: www.hertz.com) and Maui (tel: (0800) 651 0800; website: www.maui-rentals.com), which only hires out camper-vans. In the high season, rates start at approximately NZ$60 per day, for the short-term hire of a small car.

Bicycle & Scooter Hire
Cycling is popular in New Zealand and Auckland is a pleasant city in which to practise this pastime – away from the centre and the rush-hour traffic. A signposted cycle route runs for 50km (31 miles) along the waterfront and around the city. There are several bicycle hire companies, including Adventure Cycles, 36 Customs Street East (tel: (09) 309 5566; website: www.adventure-auckland.co.nz), which hires out a sit-up-and-beg bike for NZ$18 per day, or a mountain bike from NZ$25. The company also hires out bikes for a month-long period, for those who fancy a quick pedal around the North Island, costing around NZ$180. Most companies offer similar hire rates.

Auckland has many motorcycle hire companies, with the minimum size of bike usually being 250cc, which requires a full motorcycle licence. Smaller scooters and mopeds, where an ordinary car driving licence is all that is required, can be hired for short trips but are of limited value when touring the city and no value at all on longer trips. Motorbikes cost NZ$115 per day for a minimum of seven days and NZ$140 a day for a minimum of three days; scooter hire starts at approximately NZ$40 for two hours or NZ$70 for a day. Providers include Bike Adventure New Zealand, Drury, Pukekohe (tel: (09) 848 6337; website: www.banz.co.nz), New Zealand Motorcycle Rentals and Tours, 31 Beach Road (tel: (09) 377 0663; website: www.nzbike.co.nz), and Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours, 54 Barry Point Road, Takapuna (tel: (03) 372 3537; website: www.motorcycle-hire.co.nz), although, of these, only New Zealand Motorcyle Rentals and Tours hires out scooters (at NZ$75 per day). Waiheke Island Rental Cars, Waiheke Island (tel: (09) 372 8635), the only place a scooter comes into its own, offers a similar deal as those available on the main land.