Walking above Garden Cove on Waiheke Island
An insider’s Auckland
Recommendations and insider tips from local resident Annabelle White will ensure your next stay in Auckland is varied and deliciously colourful.
Some visitors to Auckland want to head straight to the city’s very high Skytower and leap off it, attached to a rope; or climb the bridge, clad in a grey boiler suit; or cure their jet lag with a brisk sail on the harbour or a surf off a rugged West Coast beach. But if you asked me, an Auckland local who’s lived here for 22 years, here’s what I would recommend.
Auckland is a very spread-out city, so instead of concentrating on the CBD, you’ll need to get around, and a rental car is the best option. No trip to the city of sails would be complete without your getting out on the water. So book ahead online, get a well-priced Fuller’s ferry ticket to Waiheke for around NZ$25 return, and enjoy the delightful 45-minute trip to and from the island. From the ferry terminal in Matiata Bay, Waiheke, there are taxis and rental cars available for those wanting to explore further.
Fresh fish, Auckland style
If you are wearing a good pair of walking shoes, head from the car park on your right up the hill, taking a short, attractive bush walk as far as Cable Bay Vineyards. Here, you’ll want to stop and sample the well-made wines, then have lunch and savour the winery restaurant’s superb fare – line-caught fresh snapper, tender duck, home-made pasta, chilled soups with prawns and crab – washed down with more wines, naturally. Bread, water and the winery’s own award-winning olive oil come quickly to the table.
After lunch, you can meander down to the Oneroa beachfront and back, a loop that leads you to the ferry. A regular ferry services the little township of Oneroa, just 15 minutes walk directly from the ferry terminal, though taxis are available.
The hamlet of Oneroa has a charming village atmosphere, some great coffee outlets and an excellent local produce supplier, specialising in organics. Stay on the island overnight to capture the charm of an early morning on Waiheke, where a dawn walk on the beach comes accompanied by a full bird chorus with the sight and scent of tropical flowers on the side. There’s a lovely calmness here – except in January, when holidaymakers make it a busy place – and it’s a welcome respite from a frantic city schedule.
Fine dining at Partingtons inside The Langham Auckland
If your time is limited and you want a hotel in the city, there are plenty of fine options, many just a walk from colourful Karangahape Road, one of my favourite dining spots in the city. Sri Pinang is known for its cheap, excellent food and its charming owner, known to everyone as Angie. Bring your own beer or wine, order a chicken curry with roti, or stir-fried noodles, and leave room for the sago pudding with palm sugar and coconut cream. All this should set you back around NZ$20 at the most per person.
For an elegant, romantic and very special place to dine head to Mollies, a small boutique hotel in Herne Bay. Favoured by international opera stars such as Andrea Bocelli and fashion icons such as Rachel Hunter, Mollies has an intimacy and a colour scheme you’ll never forget, and the staff and atmosphere are top-class. It’s like being on some sumptuous opera set, with fun (though utterly professional) staff and excellent food. From here, it’s a short stroll to cafés and shopping in the trendy suburb of Ponsonby.
If you prefer to get out of the city and don’t mind driving, three recommendations come to mind. A 10-minute drive or ferry ride from Auckland’s centre brings you to Birkenhead Point, a leafy city suburb with very friendly locals and parts of its colonial heritage still intact. Flavour Café is not to be missed, and 8.2 has excellent food and an innovative wine list: its owner and patron, Lindsay Swannack, will amaze you with his warm, professional welcome.
Auckland Harbour Bridge and the city skyline
While you’re on the North Shore, a walk along the iconic Takapuna Beach is a must, as is a light meal at the Takapuna Beach Café: try their delicious egg custard tarts or Anzac biscuits. Arrive early for dinner at Wine and Roses, a few minutes’ walk away – it has great food (the schnitzel is especially good), excellent wines and some delectable desserts. Save some space for a slice of the Russian chef’s caramel cake. Don’t even think of asking for the recipe, but imagine layers of sponge with a delicate caramel centre, drizzled with more caramel but remarkably, not too sweet.
Another North Shore culinary hot-spot is The Engine Room on Northcote Point, for which you’ll need to book in advance. It’s worth the effort, though: the atmosphere is convivial if a tad noisy, and you’ll soon feel like a local. The movie house over the road usually screens a good selection of films, and a short post-prandial walk down the road brings you to the wharf, and a spectacular view of Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Before leaving the North Shore, make a pit stop in Devonport, another popular visitor destination a quick ferry ride from the city. Take time out here for a coffee, wander around the water’s edge and have a look at my favourite Auckland sandstrip, Cheltenham Beach. The extra-energetic might want to explore the delights of North Head, with its World War Two military gun emplacements.
Tarts straight from the oven at Takapuna Cafe
On the opposite side of the island from these North Shore destinations lie the gloriously unspoilt beaches of the wild West Coast that have made Auckland famous on the silver screen – notably, in The Piano – and continue to charm international guests.
Head out to Muriwhai and have a hokey-pokey ice-cream at the dairy: vanilla ice-cream studded with honeycomb bits. Kiwis are proud to call this place their own, and often drive up here to check out the local gannet colony. Even if the birds are not present, the view from the lookout is spectacular. Travel back down the road towards Waimauku, then head out to Matua Winery: its former owners were the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties in New Zealand, and the rest is history. Enjoy a wine tasting, then perhaps do lunch next door at the Hunting Lodge. On your way back to the city, if time permits, stop off at Bees On Line for an informative and delicious lesson in local honey with a strong hint of rose.
Back in Auckland, pay a visit to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World on the waterfront: it’s easy to find and enjoy. The Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Domain is also a worthy, if standard attraction. Shopping in The Chancery area just off Queen Street in the city’s heart and at Elliott Stables in Elliott Street should satisfy the most worldly shopper, and the gentrified, boutique-laden inner-urban area of Newmarket will appeal to fashionistas.
Bars and restaurants along Viaduct Harbour
Leave time for my favourite, free and restorative city experience: a stroll along the Round the Bays walking path. Every March, thousands of Aucklanders run or walk along its 10-kilometre stretch from the CBD to St Heliers, and anytime, the path is a terrific, level walk flanking the water’s edge. It’s impossible to get lost and, at any point along it, you can jump on a bus to head back into town. If you’re feeling energetic, climb to Bastion Point for great views of the city and its harbour, then reward yourself with a coffee in Mission Bay and finish your self-guided tour in St Heliers.
Take the bus back to town (services run regularly, all day long) and pat yourself on the back. Exercising and seeing the real Auckland: it doesn’t get much better than that.
Photography by Annabelle White and Tourism Auckland
An aerial view of Waiheke Island
Travel Facts
Getting there
Getting around
Where to stay
Where to eat
- Cable Bay Vineyards, 12 Nick Johnstone Drive, Waiheke, phone +64 9 372 5889 or visit www.cablebayvineyards.co.nz
- Mollies, 6 Tweed Street, Herne Bay, phone +64 9 376 3489
- Wine and Roses, 168 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna Beach, phone +64 9 912 9388
- Takapuna Beach Cafe, 22 The Promenade, Takapuna, phone +64 9 484 0002 or visit www.takapunabeachcafe.co.nz
- Engine Room Eatery, 115 Queen Street, Birkenhead, phone +64 9 480 9502
- The Hunting Lodge, Waikoukou Valley Road, Waimauku, phone +64 9 411 8259 or visit www.thehuntinglodge.co.nz
- Sri Pinang 356 Karangahape Road, Auckland, phone +64 9 358 3886
What to do
- Fine though Auckland city is, the best thing about it is getting away from downtown and exploring its magnificent harbour and ocean setting. Here are three top ideas for doing just that.
- Sail Of The Century - How good would it be to sail on an America’s Cup racing yacht, with members of Team New Zealand’s crew, around stunning Hauraki Gulf? Whether you recreate race day or just soak in the stunning scenery and sparkling waters, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience under sail. Contact Sail NZ, phone +64 9359 5987 or visit www.sailnz.co.nz
- Through Maori Eyes - Take in an encounter with a Maori raiding party on a remote west coast beach, or paddle a waka (war canoe) as part of the crew. Take a hikoi, a walk with a purpose, in the company of a Maori guide who will transport you to an Auckland before any European set foot on these shores. Auckland offers genuine Maori experiences in abundance. Contact Potikia Adventures, phone +64 9 845 5932 or visit www.potikiadventures.com
- Escape To An Island - The jewels in Auckland’s crown are the islands dotted about the shining blue waters of the Hauraki Gulf. Some boast world-class restaurants and vineyards (see our main story), others offer rugged beauty and wildlife, but islands that are unpopulated can be all yours. Picnic on a deserted beach, lunch onboard a luxury yacht, or get dropped off by helicopter – there are plenty of possibilities.
Further information
|
Capital Gains