Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. Nick named the city of sails, because of the amount of boats here. 1/3 of the country’s total population live in the city which makes it such a rich and diverse place.

We visited the city only for a few days and stayed with family nearby. There’s so much to do and here’s a list of what we did.

The harbour

The marina/harbour has so many restaurants, bars and shops in the area. Here you can also choose one of the many boat tours that are available.

We chose a cruise that took about 1-2 hours. Heading out of the harbour we sailed by Rangitoto island. A volcanic island which last erupted 600 years ago.

Next sailing past the Bean Rock lighthouse. This Lighthouse was built in 1870 and is the last one of its type left in New Zealand.

The cruise carried on to and under the Auckland harbour bridge. This is the longest bridge on the North island, and is a popular spot for bungee jumpers.

The Sky Tower

The Sky Tower opened in 1997 and is the tallest freestanding tower in the southern hemisphere. There are 4 observation levels, three restaurants and cafes. The main observation level has 360 views and is on level 51. The Sky deck is on floor 60 and has a glass floor. We went up to the observation level and the views from up there were incredible.

For the brave souls you can put on a full body harness and walk on 1.2m wide platform outside of the tower. This is called the Skywalk. If that’s not enough the Skyjump may be for you. You jump off the tower at a height of 192m to the ground below only attached by a wire.

Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium

Kelly Tarlton had a vision and in 1985 he succeeded. He created an innovative marine aquarium that at the time was four times bigger than any in the world. He sadly died shortly after opening.

The aquarium has a clear tunnel which you can walk through. Sharks swim around and above you. There’s an Antarctic adventure with a colony of penguins. Also a replica of Captain Scott’s hut from his expedition to Antarctica 100 years ago. It’s also the only place in New Zealand that rehabilitates rescued Turtles.