AUCKLAND's POPULAR ATTRACTIONS - NEW ZEALAND

AUCKLAND TOURISM AND TRAVEL OVERVIEW:
Known as the city of sails, Auckland is the main gateway of New Zealand with spectacular views and breathtaking scenery. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and a big tourist destination. Half urban and half marine, it is a cosmopolitan experience wrapped up in a fascinating water. Auckland’s blend of harbor, islands, Polynesian culture and modern city environment has created a lifestyle ranked amongst the best in the world.
Auckland has amazing beaches, when the sun comes out, Aucklanders head to the beach. With seas both to the west and the east, few people in the city live more than 15-minutes drive from the coast. The population is also crazy about boating and any other recreation associated with sea.

LOCATION:
In the northern part of North Island of New Zealand.

POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND SIGHTSEEING:

Mount Eden and One Tree Hill:
You can get the two best views from Mount Eden and One Tree Hill. Both are volcanic cones that were once the site of Maori pas, or fortified villages. This is a fairly popular tourist attraction of Auckland.

Auckland Domain:
The Auckland Domain is a large park near the center of the city full of trees, flowers, gardens and playing fields and famous for tourism. Within the Domain, domed Winter gardens house a collection of tropical plants and palms and seasonally displayed hothouse plants.

Museum- Auckland Tourism:
Dominating the domain on top of a hill, the Greek revival museum is known especially for its Maori artifacts, the largest collection of its kind. The museum is worth visiting in Auckland. It has the world's largest collection of Polynesian artifacts, as well as a great display of objects relating to New Zealand's natural history.

Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World and Antarctic Encounter:
This is the creation of New Zealand's most celebrated undersea explorer and treasure hunter. A transparent tunnel, 120 yards long, offers a fish's-eye view of the sea with Moray eels, Lobsters, Sharks and Stingrays.

Sky Tower - Auckland Tourism:
This is the first place that Aucklander's take friends and family visiting from overseas, in order to give them the best view. Up at the main observation level, the most outrageous thing is the glass floor panels - looking down at your feet, you can see the street hundreds of yards below.

Parnell Rose Gardens:
This beautiful garden has a collection of some 5,000 rosebushes. The main beds contain mostly modern hybrids, with new introductions being planted regularly. Also, this garden has some oldest trees in Auckland.

Parnell Village- Auckland Tourism:
The pretty Victorian timber villas along the slope of Paranell Road have been transformed into antique shops, designer boutiques, street crafts and restaurants. This village of trim pink-and-white timber facades is among the most delightful parts of the city.

Auckland Zoo:
This zoo is among popular travel and tourism attraction and has always focused on providing its animals with the most natural habitats possible, as well as on breeding and conservation. You will get a chance to see a large variety of animals here, including - Sea Lions, blue Penguins, the big Cats, Giraffes and several other animals and beautiful Birds.

Beaches - Auckland Tourism:
Auckland has the best beaches in New Zealand, attracting a large number of people. The beaches are commonly categorized by area - East, West and North. The eastern beaches are closer to the city and don't have heavy surf. Beaches are truly the popular tourist attraction here.

Sailing and Dining Cruises:
This is a very good option to enjoy the beautiful Views of Auckland. Take a cruise and enjoy the views along with dining.

Other popular tourist attractions:
Some famous places to see in Auckland are - Aotea Square, Auckland University, The Auckland Harbor Bridge, Albert Park, Auckland Art Gallery, Cathedral Church of St. Marys, Civic Theatre, Ferry buildings, Ewelme Cottage, Lionzone and National Maritime Museum.

DINING:
Auckland tourism is also famous as a great dining city of the Pacific Rim, with a cosmopolitan mix of cafes, restaurants, brasseries and bars spreading from the city center to the closest suburbs. Some good dining places are - Kermadec, Cin Cin on Quay, Stream Biscuit Factory, Mexican Cafe, Harbor-side Seafood Bar and Grill, Burger Wisconsin, Number 5 Wine Bistro and Vinnie's.

HOTELS:
Some of the good hotels in Auckland are - Castle Spencer on Byron Hotel, City Garden Lodge, Crown Plaza Auckland, Bankside Waldorf Serviced Apartments, Aachen House, Sebel Suites Auckland, Mollies Boutique Hotel, Quay West Suites Auckland.

SHOPPING:
Smith and Caughey Ltd.
This is a comprehensive department store with a conservative bent.

Ponsonby:
This known for its antiques shops and fashion boutiques.

Dress-Smart:
This is a whole mall of factory outlets and is the place to go for quality, low priced goods.