Auckland is New Zealand’s biggest city and the country’s principal entry point for tourists. It is a dynamic multicultural city centered on two large natural harbors, and it is recognized as one of the world’s most liveable cities. It is located in the warm northern portion of New Zealand’s North Country, on a tiny isthmus that connects the Northland peninsula to the rest of the island.
The popularity of sailing in the area has earned Auckland the moniker “City of Sails.” Auckland has 135,000 registered yachts and launches, and around 60,500 of the country’s 149,900 registered yachtsmen are from Auckland, with almost one in every three Auckland homes having a boat. The Viaduct Basin, located on the CBD’s western outskirts, staged two America’s Cup races (2000 Cup and 2003 Cup). The Waitemata Harbour is home to numerous renowned yacht clubs and marinas, including the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the biggest marina in the Southern Hemisphere, Westhaven Marina. Mission Bay and Kohimarama on the south side of the Waitemata Harbour, and Stanley Bay on the north side, are famous swimming spots. There are great swimming beaches on the eastern North Shore, where the Rangitoto Channel separates the inner Hauraki Gulf islands from the mainland, including Cheltenham and Narrow Neck in Devonport, Takapuna, Milford, and the other beaches farther north in the East Coast Bays region. Popular surf places on the west coast include Piha, Muriwai, and Bethells Beach. To the north of the major metropolitan area, the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, Orewa, Omaha, and Pakiri are also popular. Many Auckland beaches are patrolled by surf lifesaving clubs, such as Piha Surf Life Saving Club, which also serves as the headquarters of Piha Rescue. The Surf Life Saving Northern Region includes all surf lifesaving clubs.
Queen Street, Britomart, Ponsonby Road, Karangahape Road, Newmarket, and Parnell are prominent shopping districts, while the Otara and Avondale fleamarkets provide an alternate shopping experience on weekends. The majority of retail malls are situated in the middle and outer suburbs, with the biggest being Sylvia Park and Westfield Albany.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Auckland hosts a variety of artistic events, such as the Auckland Festival, the Auckland Triennial, the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, and the New Zealand International Film Festival. The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is the city and region’s full-time resident symphony orchestra, presenting its own concert series as well as accompanying opera and ballet. The Pasifika Festival, Polyfest, and the Auckland Lantern Festival, all of which are the biggest of their type in New Zealand, are among the events that celebrate the city’s cultural variety. In addition, Auckland is home to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet on a regular basis.
The Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand Maritime Museum, National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy, and the Museum of Transport and Technology are also important institutions. The Auckland Art Gallery is regarded as New Zealand’s visual arts home, with a collection of nearly 15,000 artworks by famous New Zealand and Pacific Island artists, as well as worldwide painting, sculpture, and print collections dating from 1376 to the present day. Julian and Josie Robertson, New York art collectors and benefactors, offered the Gallery a donation of fifteen pieces of art in 2009, including well-known paintings by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, and Piet Mondrian. This is the biggest donation ever given to an Australasian art institution.