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Cruise Guide > Australia and South Pacific > New Zealand > Auckland | |
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Auckland Time Zone GMT + 12 (GMT + 13 from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March). Currency New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents. Language English and Maori. Sightseeing Auckland’s main tourist sites are quite spread out, although the Explorer Bus links many of the attractions. The city centre itself is easily explored on foot, starting with the waterfront, which epitomises the lively feel of the city. In the heart of the downtown waterfront, the New Zealand National Maritime Museum explains the country’s age-old relationship with the sea. The Skytower, New Zealand’s tallest building, stands 328m (1076ft) high in the centre of Auckland and offers breathtaking views over the harbour and city. The tower is one part of the Sky City complex, which also has a casino, cafés, bars and a restaurant. The city’s main art gallery, Auckland City Art Gallery, has the largest collections of both native and international art in the country. Anyone spending a minimum amount dining at the restaurant receives a free pass to the very top of the tower. Created in 1845, Auckland Domain is Auckland’s oldest, largest (81 hectares/202 acres) and most attractive park, with gardens and statues, pathways and ponds, a Wintergarden, and the Fernz Fernery, with over 100 types of fern. The nearby Auckland Museum combines the nation’s past and present with the latest in new technology. Shopping Woollen and leather goods are good options, as well as Maori traditional crafts, and items made from greenstone. When buying wines, visitors should look for names such as Cloudy Bay, Montana and Martinborough Vineyards, among others. The best place to buy wine is at the cellar door, so visitors should consider taking a wine tour while in the city. Eating Out Locally produced vegetables, such as kumara (a natural sweet potato), are good. There is also a wide range of fresh fish on offer including snapper, grouper and John Dory. Seasonal delicacies such as whitebait, oysters, crayfish, scallops and excellent venison, lamb and game are also widely available. Cheeses are particularly good. New Zealand’s traditional dessert is pavlova, a large round cake with a meringue base, topped with fruit and cream. New Zealand is also becoming increasingly well known for its wines. Country New Zealand Region Asia Pacific |