What can you do on a stopover in Auckland?
Have a stopover in Auckland
After writing our last article about how if you only have a short time to travel you should just pick the South island to visit when you come to New Zealand, we wanted to give the North Island some love.
Auckland
There are so many reasons we really like North Island. Beautiful beaches, glow worms caves, Raglan surf beach, active Volcanoes, geothermic activity and plenty of Maori cultures. However, those on a short time limit may not be able to see everything. Here we let you know what to do if you have only around 5 days in New Zealand and are using Auckland it as a stopover on your way to Australia, Fiji, or the USA.
The largest city in New Zealand is in the North, Auckland. Contrary to popular belief, Auckland is not the capital (that belongs to Wellington also in the North Island) but it is the biggest city. Its most iconic sites are the bridge and the Skytower. Most travelers do not stay too long in Auckland, but it’s a great spot to fly in and out of. so spend a couple of days before your tour and explore.
There are some great beaches not far from the city; Piha to the Northwest is a great Surf break and Waiheke Island is a fantastic day trip. Devonport is the ferry ride across the harbour and is a quaint little harbour town. One of the main activities to do in Auckland is to go up the sky tower.
Whilst in Auckland we always use the link bus, its the cheapest and easiest way to get around the city.
If you only have a short break in New Zealand, for example, 5-7 days, see Auckland for a couple of days and then head on out. The Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Waitomo and Coromandel, all can be done in short trips from Auckland.
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is like New Zealand’s version of the Whitsundays Islands. It's perfect for a quick visit from Auckland and makes you feel like you have seen the real New Zealand and not just ticked off another city.
With 144 islands enclosed in a protected bay, only one of these can be stayed on, that is Urupukapuka (Uroo pukka pukka). This area is home to a great amount of marine life including hundreds of bottle-nosed dolphins and often gets visits from Orcas. At the top of the bay is the famous Hole in the Rock, which is big enough for boats to sail through. There are protected marine and fishing reserves as well as two shipwrecks the Canterbury and The Rainbow Warrior for divers.
Only a 4-hour drive from Auckland its an easy little run to Paihia which basically translates to 'good here' which is how the first settlers named it. Though small and with only a handful of bars it is a little party town with some great bars and restaurants. A short ferry ride is Russell, which was New Zealand’s first capital and has some of the oldest pubs in NZ including the famous Duke of Marlborough. The Bay of Islands is also really culturally significant because it is home to Waitangi which is where the treaty between the whites and the Maori’s was first signed. Every year on February 6th NZ has a public holiday and celebrates Waitangi Day.
Trips to the Bay of Islands:
3 DAY BAY OF ISLANDS TOUR
