Auckland Pre-Cruise

We'll be in Auckland for two or three days pre-cruise in November (I know that's not enough time to see NZ or even the Auckland area) and are looking for suggestions as to where the two of us might stay and what sights/activities we should try in our limited time. We are both in our early 50's, fairly active and have travelled a fair bit (but never to NZ). We like "outdoorsy" sorts of things like snorkling, kayaking (sight seeing not racinig), strolling around an old town (Santa Fe to Vsiby to Augsburg), and even enjoyed our visit to the Hermitage. One of our favorite trips was two weeks in England and Scotland with a rental car, a RAC B&B book and only a general idea of where we wanted to go.

So, if anyone who lives or been there has any recommendations we'd be most appreciative.

Thanks,

Greg

Rent a car and go to the Rotorua area.

On the way you can detour and visit the glow worm caves.

I agree with BCHappyGal,

I don't remember how far the drive to Rotorua was, but it's a lot more interesting than Auckland, which honestly, isn't all that interesting.

If memory serves me right, the Glow worm caves are perhaps midway between Auckland and Rotorua and I agree that they're very worthwhile seeing.

Also the Kiwi House in Otorohanga is on the way and is an interesting place to stop.

Jane

oh gee that was a bit unkind Jane....i think Auckland is one of the prettiest pacific cities Ive ever seen...certainly stands up against Sydney...but in my opinion Aucklands harbour is better and the habitants are freindly and helpful. Its a great place to speand a couple of days...sure, do the tour to Rotorua., its 3 hours from Auckland and there is a lot of the Maori cultural things to do there...but there is pleanty to do in auckland .... the islands in the harbour are amazing..there is a Volcanoe to climb..(Auckland is built on 11 of them) which is a great ferry ride then a great walk to the crater... Waiheke Island which is also about a 20 minute ferry ride., full of Vineyards and great beaches and natural Bush. There is a lot of natural scenery and beautiful native walks around the area. IF you want, Ill look up our tour albums and give you some more indepth details. roscoe

Roscoe,

I would appreciate some in depth info. We will be there in February and probably staying with some friends for a couple days before the cruise. Since we port in Taurnaga, we will be going to Rutura from there; so we will be wanting to tour those things around Aukland that are worthwhile.

will look up some stuff when i get home...but in the meantime.. Rangitoto is the volcanoe in the middle of the harbour... you get a ferry ride in the morning over from the terminal where the ships dock. It take 3/4 an hour to walk up it...through natural grottos and over volcanic rocks and natural vegetation. Bring some good walking shoes and some lunch...there is an amazing view of the city and harbour from the top....then catch a ferry early in the afternon back to Devonport..a suburb across from the port. This is a really pretty village and shouldnt be missed for its amazing old quant house. Waiheke island has a jazz festival in feb. You get a ferry there from the same terminal where the ships dock....its a short 20 min ride thru a pretty harbour and you can easily speand the day if not more exploring the town which is set above a beautiful beach let alone the many vinyards there. A lot of the vineyards you can eat at...as well as do some sampling! There are a lot of bush walks and hyking you can do around the island...they have a good information bureau from memory...and the ferry terminal in auckland is also very good for information. They call auckland the city of sails....they are a great boating nation....just about everyone is a sailer and you could think they all have boats by the amount of them on the harbour on a fine weekend. Pleanty of opportunities to sail yourself if you are inclined. In fact if you are interested you can sail an actual americas cup racing boat....most of the water based activitites can be reached close by to the port terminal...which is sit right in the heart o the town. Oh...there is also a red bus thing...you pay so much for a day and it does a circuit around get on and get off.....but an alternitive is the Link bus....this also does a circuit around some good shopping precents and some museums and stuff for only $2 per ride. Were you looking for anything in particular....ill get some more information pertinant to what you want when i get hom....

Have to agree with Roscoe I am an Aucklander so pretty biased it is a beautiful diverse city with heaps to do. We have a wonderful harbour great beaches on both coasts amazing surf beaches and a gannet colony on the West coast if you are interested. Waiheke Island has wonderful beaches wineries and cafes and is only a forty min fast ferry ride.

I have to say Rotorua is different I guess when you live in a country you don't appreciate somethings as you should . Where ever you go I hope you enjoy.

Roscoe,

Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately with only a two day pre-cruise we won't be able to see as much as we would like. We have been looking at books and videos from the library, as well as watching some of the wonderful shows on the HD television channels that show many of the beautiful sights in NZ. Aukland does look like a lovely city. We like to see things that are unique to a city. Since most things in NZ are unique, that doesn't help narrow down the list. The on/off bus would probably be a good way to make sure that we would see the key spots around town. Anything else that you consider a "must see" in the area, particularly those with natural beauty would be helpful.

must see..hmmm... auckland war museum which has a large polynesian exhibit and colonial history exhibits., as well as the war stuff....its set in a park with a great view of the harbour and is a really must see.....auckland art gallery has some interesting kiwi art., including some amazing Oil paintings by a NZ icon "Goldie" and some also by "lindauer" they show NZ and its inhabitants in its colony years....both of these are accessable on the red bus. It will continue around a circuit to newmarket which is a nice shopping precent.... Ponsonby road...which is easily accessable from the port has some great restaurants for tasting NZ food..... I really do recommend Waiheke Island....as i said the jazz festivle is on late february and the wine on the Island is internationally known and a great drop.

A drive to a West Coast Beach such as Murawai or Piha will give you a distinctly nz feel., there is an amazing Fish and CHip shop at Murawai....the fare is world famous in NZ and it has a Ganet COlony that BlueKiwi mentioned which is a must see....the coastline is rugged...similar to around Montery and Carmel but uniquely NZ because of the native bush around it.

If youre into sailing....as I said before., next to the port is an area called the Viaduct., there you can go out on one of the Americas Cup racing boats., thats a great experience., they put you to work if you are willing..... finally....if you get time for afternoon tea in Devonport., which is a ferry ride from the port., you wont regret it. Its a really quant suburb set by the harbour and the houses are architecturally interesting as you can see how the old Auckland looked..... Havent done a search...but if you did a search under "fullers" ... they are the ferry service., they will probably have information about waiheke and devonport that may be useful.....roscoe

ooooops sorry about all the spelling mistakes...

roscoe,

Thanks again. Your info is very helpful and will help us to experience some of the great sights in this lovely city.

roscoe39, Bluekiwi, etal,

Thanks for all the great information! My wife and I are excited about walking up the volcano (I presume it's pretty close to "get lost" proof). Is there, by any chance, a web link for either or both of hte Bus Lines (Red and Link). I think we'll be staying at a B&B in Devonport so glad to hear the ferry ride is a snap.

Greg

This is a link to the on/off Explorer Bus that goes around to the different sites: http://www.explorerbus.co.nz/

We'll be in Auckland for two or three days pre-cruise in November (I know that's not enough time to see NZ or even the Auckland area) and are looking for suggestions as to where the two of us might stay and what sights/activities we should try in our limited time. We are both in our early 50's, fairly active and have travelled a fair bit (but never to NZ). We like "outdoorsy" sorts of things like snorkling, kayaking (sight seeing not racinig), strolling around an old town (Santa Fe to Vsiby to Augsburg), and even enjoyed our visit to the Hermitage. One of our favorite trips was two weeks in England and Scotland with a rental car, a RAC B&B book and only a general idea of where we wanted to go.

 

So, if anyone who lives or been there has any recommendations we'd be most appreciative.

 

Thanks,

Greg

Hi GD Lambeth

Sounds like one of the must do things for you two would be to visit Goat Island just north of Auckland on the east coast. Its NZ's first marine nature reserve and the fish which can be see right up to shore are amazing. You could either snorkel [or just swin] try a kayak trip etc. This could be included in bit of 'out of the city' stuff and the do the city tour on your other day. Yes, Rotorua is great but it would mean 6 hours in a bus or car for the return trip. What other ports of call does your cruise take in here in NZ. We can probably help with advice for other regions as we travel throughout NZ pretty extensively and can offer some assistance from a local point of view. Just let us know how we can help, November is not far away you know.

Hi GD Lambeth

Sounds like one of the must do things for you two would be to visit Goat Island just north of Auckland on the east coast. Its NZ's first marine nature reserve and the fish which can be see right up to shore are amazing. You could either snorkel [or just swin] try a kayak trip etc. This could be included in bit of 'out of the city' stuff and the do the city tour on your other day. Yes, Rotorua is great but it would mean 6 hours in a bus or car for the return trip. What other ports of call does your cruise take in here in NZ. We can probably help with advice for other regions as we travel throughout NZ pretty extensively and can offer some assistance from a local point of view. Just let us know how we can help, November is not far away you know.

We depart Auckland for the Bay of Islands then on to Los Angeles via the Cooks, Societies, Marquessas and Tuamotus. We do plan on doing a "land version" trip to New Zealand in the next couple of years. So this trip is meant only to offer a "hint" of NZ. We know we'll need to come back.

We will be in Auckland for 4 nights before our Princess cruise next April 2nd. We're flying on business class miles - so we go when they have a seat - I thought we could fly down to the south Island for two nights and go to the Glacier. Any thoughts?

Thanks

roscoe39, Bluekiwi, etal,

Thanks for all the great information! My wife and I are excited about walking up the volcano (I presume it's pretty close to "get lost" proof). Is there, by any chance, a web link for either or both of hte Bus Lines (Red and Link). I think we'll be staying at a B&B in Devonport so glad to hear the ferry ride is a snap.

Greg

Greg,

Which B&B are you staying in? We stayed in the Chevron Chalet and were very disappointed with it.

Jane

I have just found your link and would like to ask a few questions, we are going on the diamond princess next feb from Sydney to Auckland and have five nights post cruise in NZ, through my lonely planet guide We am looking at hiring a car for three days, hoping for a trip to the coramondel peninsular and the bay of islands and would like to spend the last two nights in Auckland, any advice would be welcome.

http://www.nz-homestay.co.nz/

Jane, here's the link to the website of the B&B we're booked into. Sorry to hear about your experience with Chevron Chalet. I hope we have better luck. If anyone has any experience with Brian nad Jay, we'd love to hear.

Greg

I have just found your link and would like to ask a few questions, we are going on the diamond princess next feb from Sydney to Auckland and have five nights post cruise in NZ, through my lonely planet guide We am looking at hiring a car for three days, hoping for a trip to the coramondel peninsular and the bay of islands and would like to spend the last two nights in Auckland, any advice would be welcome.

Hi, heres a link to a great accommodation site for the higher end of the market here in NZ. They features 500 of the best Hotels, Lodges, B&B's etc. www.friars.co.nz

If you arte looking for assistance with shore excursions for the Port Of Tauranga then we can help with that. There is a lot to see and do locally to Tauranga as well as further away in Rotorua etc. Waitomo caves are within a pleasant drive and also the Hobiton movie sets from the Lord of the Rings are here in Matamata a 45 minute drive.

Try jet boating or white water rafting as well, all just a 20 minute drive from the port.

If you are to visit the Coromandel you must tale in Hot Water Beach [hot [really hot] springs that you can use to fill your self dug beach spa pool. Also Catherdal Cove close by for some breathtaking views and beach/cove walks.

When we did our Auckland -Sydney cruise a couple of years ago we had a very nice stay in Auckland at the Peace and Plenty B&B in Devonport (just across the harbor by ferry) http://www.peaceandplenty.co.nz.

Happy cruising!

Janet

I have just found your link and would like to ask a few questions, we are going on the diamond princess next feb from Sydney to Auckland and have five nights post cruise in NZ, through my lonely planet guide We am looking at hiring a car for three days, hoping for a trip to the coramondel peninsular and the bay of islands and would like to spend the last two nights in Auckland, any advice would be welcome.

Hi there,

Good destinations to visit but allow at least 2 days for Coromandel and same for the Bay of Islands. Don't be fooled by relatively short distances as these are not expressway roads you are travelling on for the most part. I would tend to spend more time in Coromandel / Bay of Islands rather than Auckland given the choice.

If you have any questions let you can contact me on tim.clark@xtra.co.nz

cheers

Tim

PS I live in Tauranga but Ian have covered most of that info. :)

We will arrive in Auckland on March 23rd and board the MV Discovery on March 25th for our Grand Pacific, Galapagos and Panama cruise. :D I don't think we will do a lot since we are flying Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Dubai and then finally Auckland directly. With the time difference, the long flight, we probably need a lot of sleep to catch up. But no problem. I have read enough info on this board to keep up busy. Especially the walk to the vulcano sounds fun. My question is, does anybody know in which harbour the Discovery will stay. We are looking for a hotel in the neighbourhood. I have no idea if the Discovery has been there already. Thank you for your help

If you mean which harbour in Auckland, then all the cruise ships tie up right in the centre of town, alongside the new Hilton Hotel on Princes Wharf and i mean alongside so this is the closest to the ship berth, there others. Either Google "Auckland Hilton" for the website or email auckland@hilton.com for info. Another hotel close by is The Copthorne mailto:copthorne.harbourcity@mckhotels.co.nz just over the road from the wharf [great harbour views. Then theres the Stamford Plaza about 10 minutes walk up Queen Street. mailto:sales@spak.stamford.com.au If you need any more specific info let us know, either via the CC or direct to ianjohnholroyd@yahoo.com

"If you arte looking for assistance with shore excursions for the Port Of Tauranga then we can help with that. There is a lot to see and do locally to Tauranga as well as further away in Rotorua etc. Waitomo caves are within a pleasant drive and also the Hobiton movie sets from the Lord of the Rings are here in Matamata a 45 minute drive."

We are taking the Princess cruise on Jan 8th from Sydney to Auckland. You said that you could help with an excursion at Tauranga. We are 4 adults and would be interested in hearing what you have to offer and what the cost would be.

Thanks