Auckland

Auckland's relationship with the sea defines it. The Waitematā Harbour frames the city centre, crossed by the Harbour Bridge (which you can climb or bungy from) and busy with ferries and yachts — the “City of Sails” lives up to its name. The downtown waterfront is the social hub: the Viaduct Harbour and the regenerated Wynyard Quarter, ringed by marinas, bars, seafood restaurants and the maritime museum, buzz day and night, and are the place to feel the city's nautical character. Rising above it all, the Sky Tower — at 328 metres the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere — offers observation decks with sweeping 360-degree views over the city, harbours and gulf, a glass-floor walk, a revolving restaurant, and the SkyWalk and SkyJump for thrill-seekers. The compact city centre, with its shops on Queen Street, the Britomart precinct and the Auckland Art Gallery (with its fine Māori portraits and New Zealand art), is walkable, and the ferries and waterfront make exploring the harbour effortless.

Auckland is built on a volcanic field of around fifty cones, craters and lakes, and these grassy volcanic hills are among the city's defining features and best viewpoints. Mount Eden (Maungawhau), the highest natural point, rises to a deep grassy crater with a 360-degree panorama over the city, both harbours and the gulf islands — an easy walk or drive to the top. One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie), set in the large and lovely Cornwall Park with its grazing sheep and heritage farm, is crowned by an obelisk and offers another superb outlook. These cones are sites of deep significance to Māori, who terraced and fortified many as pā (fortified villages), and several preserve those earthworks. Rangitoto Island, the youngest and largest volcano, rises symmetrically from the gulf and can be climbed for views back to the city. Exploring Auckland's volcanic landscape — its summits, craters and the Auckland Domain park around the museum — is one of the most rewarding and characteristic things to do, and it reveals the dramatic geology on which the city sits.

Auckland's greatest playground is the Hauraki Gulf, the sparkling, island-studded sea on its doorstep, with dozens of islands reachable by short ferry rides. The star is Waiheke Island, 40 minutes away — a sunny island of vineyards and olive groves, beautiful beaches, art galleries and excellent restaurants, where you can spend a day (or longer) tasting wine with sea views, swimming and walking the coastal trails; it's one of the best day trips from any city. The volcanic cone of Rangitoto, a stark lava-and-forest island, offers a rewarding summit hike and lava caves. The predator-free open sanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi is a haven for rare native birds, including the takahē and kiwi. Great Barrier Island, further out, is a wild, off-grid escape with dark skies. Closer in, the gulf is alive with sailing, kayaking, dolphins and whales. With its marinas, ferries and these islands, Auckland offers a maritime lifestyle and a wealth of on-the-water experiences few cities can match.

Auckland's coasts give it beaches for every mood. To the west, beneath the rainforested Waitākere Ranges, lie the dramatic black-sand surf beaches of Piha and Karekare — wild, beautiful and a favourite for surfing and walks (with strong currents, so swim between the flags) — while the bush of the ranges offers waterfalls and hiking. To the east and on the North Shore, the calmer golden beaches of Mission Bay, Takapuna and Long Bay are made for swimming and a relaxed day out. Auckland is also the largest Polynesian city in the world, home to vibrant Māori and Pacific Island communities whose culture infuses the city — celebrated at the huge Pasifika festival, in the food (a Pacific and pan-Asian melting pot, from Otara market to fine dining), and above all in the superb Māori and Pacific galleries of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, with its daily cultural performances and great war canoe. As New Zealand's main gateway, Auckland is also the starting point for the North Island — the subtropical Bay of Islands, the geysers and Māori culture of Rotorua, the glow-worm caves of Waitomo, the Hobbiton movie set and the beaches of the Coromandel are all within reach.