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AUCKLAND

South Pacific | New Zealand

300C FEATURE DESTINATION: Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland is the gateway to New Zealand and its largest city. Almost entirely surrounded by water, and covered with volcanic hills, the city has a spectacular harbor and a population of 1.3 million people.
This is a city of infinite possibilities. Wherever the visitor may be at any given moment, there is the assurance that within 30 minutes or less he or she could be cruising the harbor, playing a round of golf, swimming at a beautiful city beach, or even walking in subtropical forest .

New Zealand consists of two main islands, North and South, as well as some small offshore islands. Auckland is located on the North Island. It has a pleasant subtropical climate with mild winters (June, July and August) and warm, humid summers (December, January and February).

Greater Auckland is actually a fusion of four cities: Auckland, Manukau, North Shore, and Waitakere. Each is reached via a highway network, which crosses the harbor, rivers, creeks, and bays and is used daily by the thousands who commute into the inner city to work.

Auckland has two universities with the accompanying literary and cultural benefits. Many Auckland shops are open seven days, central bars and nightclubs welcome patrons well into the night, and a cosmopolitan mix of Polynesians, Asians, and Europeans all contribute to the cultural milieu.

There is fine music in Auckland: everything from symphony concerts and ballet to rock, jazz and blues. Kiwi bands such the one led by Bic Runga mix contemporary rock sounds with Polynesian influences.

Auckland is known as the City of Sails and has more boats per capita than any other city in the world. It also has 22 regional parks covering 91,521 acres.

This city is a top choice for anyone interested in wide open spaces and physical activities. Above the ground you can go bungee jumping, parachuting and skydiving. On the ground you can go hiking, mountain bike riding, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and ‘zorbing’. Underground you can go surface caving, cave rafting, and hydro sliding; and on the water you can go jet-boarding, white-water sledging, rafting, boogey boarding, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, , and scuba diving. If there is a difficult and challenging way to get from one point to another you can do it in New Zealand.

Of all these activities, the most popular one is still tramping (hiking or trekking). Thousands of miles of marked tracks and an efficient network of trampers’ huts are in place.

Auckland is an ideal vacation destination for families, and, in fact, for travelers of all ages. It is clean, safe, and exciting, all at the same time. Whether you are stopping for a week, or planning to spend a month of in depth exploration of this natural wonderland, Auckland will provide a most fulfilling experience

AUCKLAND CITY INFORMATION

Population: 1,002,000
Elevation: 101 feet
Languages: English and Maori
Government:
Independent member of the British Commonwealth. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. Reigning British monarch is the head of state and is represented by a resident governor-general appointed for a five year term. The governing body is the 120 seat, elected, House of Representatives. The head of the majority party becomes the Prime Minister.

Major industries:
Food processing, wood and paper products, wool, textiles, dairy products, iron and steel
Major trading partners: Australia, Japan, the USA

Passports & Visas
When traveling internationally, carry your passport even if you don’t need one (it is always the best form of I.D. and make two photocopies of the data page (one for someone at home and another for you, carried separately from your passport. If you lose your passport, promptly call the nearest embassy or consulate and the local police.
Entering New Zealand
U.S., Canadian, and U.K. citizens need only a valid passport to enter New Zealand for stays of up to 90 days.

Divers’ Alert: Do not fly within 24 hours of scuba diving.

Health concerns: Nutrition and general health standards in New Zealand are high; drinking water is pure. New Zealand is known for its cleanliness. The major health hazard in New Zealand is sunburn or sunstroke. Even people who are not normally bothered by strong sun should cover up with a long-sleeve shirt, a hat, and pants or a beach wrap. Apply sunscreen liberally and wear a cap or sunglasses.

Time: UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) plus 12 hours (two hours ahead of Australian Eastern Standard Time). When it is noon in New York City, it is 4:00am the next day in Auckland.

Electricity: 240V AC, 50 Hz

Weights & measures: metric
Conversions of weights and measures:

1 hectare 2.471 acres
1 oz. 28.57 grams
1 lb. 0.454 kg
1 cm 0.39 inches
1 meter 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards
1 km 0.62 miles
1 liter 0.26 US gallons
1 inch 2.54 cm
1 foot 0.39 meters
1 yard 0.91 meters
1 mile 1.60 km
1kg 2.2lb
1 gallon 3.78 liters

Weather Information: For Auckland regional forecasts, call 009-9909, a 24-hour service but not a free call.

Average Temperatures:

Month High Low

January

73F 60F

February

73F 60F

March

71F 59F

April

67F 56F

May

62F 51F

June

58F 48F

July

56F 46F

August

58F 46F

September

60F 49F

October

63F 52F

November

66F 54F

December

70F 57F

When to Go
New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, which means that seasons are reversed from those in the US: it is winter in New Zealand during the American and European summer. The ideal months for comfortable all-round travel are October-April, especially if you want to participate in outdoor activities. If possible, avoid summer school holidays (the busiest fall between mid-December and the end of January); other holiday periods are mid-May to the end of May, early July to mid-July, and late August to mid-September.

The climate of Auckland is subtropical with very mild winters and warm, humid summers.

Public Holidays:

Jan. 1, 2 New Year
January 29 Auckland Anniversary (date may vary depending on day of the week)
February 6 Waitangi Day
March or April(varies) Good Friday
March or April(varies) Easter Monday
April 25 ANZAC Day
June (First Monday) Queen’s Birthday
May (Third Monday) Victoria Day
October (Fourth Monday) Labour Day
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day

Telephone: The area code for Auckland is 09. The country code for New Zealand is 64. When dialing from abroad, drop the initial 0 from the local area code. Dialing from New Zealand to back home, the country code is 1 for the United States and Canada.
Directory & Operator Assistance
Dial 018 for New Zealand directory assistance. For international numbers, dial 0172. To call the operator, dial 010; for international operator assistance, dial 0170.
International Calls
To make international calls directly, dial 00, then the international access code, area code, and number required.

Emergencies: Dial 111. Emergency Contacts
Ambulance: 111
Police: 111
Fire: 111
Lost Property: Call the Central Police Station 09/379-4240 or any local police station.

Newspapers/Magazines: The New Zealand Herald is the daily paper. The Sunday Star Times and Sunday News are Sunday morning publications.

Taxes: There is a national 12.5% Goods and Services Tax (GST that’s applicable to everything.

Taxis: Auckland Co-Operative Taxi Society 09/300-3000; Corporate Cabs 09/623-5070.

ATMs: ATMs are widely found in Auckland and the number of machines is growing..

Tipping : Tipping is not widely practiced in New Zealand
Taxi drivers will appreciate rounding up the fare to the nearest $5 amount, but this is not mandatory.

Getting There
Most visitors arrive by air. A few cruise ships visit New Zealand, but there are no regular passenger ship services and working your way across the Pacific as crew on a yacht now seems a thing of the past.

By Air
Auckland International Airport (AKL lies 21 km (13 mi southwest of the city center, about a 30-minute drive.

A free Interterminal Bus links the international and domestic terminals, with frequent departures in each direction 6 -10 . Otherwise, the walk between the two terminals takes about 10 minutes along a signposted walkway. Luggage for flights aboard the two major domestic airlines, Air New Zealand and Ansett New Zealand, can be checked at the international terminal.

Flying time from New York to Auckland (via Los Angeles is about 19 hours; from Chicago, about 17 hours; from Los Angeles to Auckland (nonstop, about 12 hours. Flights from London to Auckland take about 24 hours, either via the U.S. or via Southeast Asia. These are all actual air hours and do not include ground time.

Transfers Between the Airport and Town

By Bus

The Airbus (09/275-9396) leaves the international terminal every 20 minutes between 6:20 and 8:20 . The fixed route between the airport and the Downtown Airline Terminal, on the corner of Quay Street and Albert Road, includes a stop at the railway station and, on request, at any bus stop, hotel, or motel along the way. Returning from the city, the bus leaves the Downtown Airline Terminal at 20-minute intervals between 6:20 and 9 . Travel time is 35-45 minutes.

Newmans Coaches 09/309-9738 arrive and depart from the Downtown Airline Terminal (Quay and Albert Sts..

By Car

Hallmark Limousines and Tours 09/629-0940 operates Ford LTD limousines between the airport and the city for approximately $65.

Super Shuttle 09/275-1234 has service between the airport and any address in the city center. The cost is $18 for a single traveler and $6 extra for each person accompanying them.

Taxi fare to the city to and from the airport is approximately $35.

By Bus

The terminal for InterCity Coaches 0800/802-802 is the Auckland Central Railway Station.

By Train

The terminal for all InterCity train services is Auckland Central Railway Station 0800/802-802 on Beach Road, about 11/2 km (1 mi east of the city center. A booking office is inside the Auckland Travel and Information Centre (287 Queen St)., 09/979-2333.

By Ferry

Various companies serve Waitemata Harbour; including Devonport commuter ferry 09/367-9118. The ferry terminal is on the harbor side of the Ferry Building on Quay Street, near the corner of Albert Street. Boats leave here for Devonport Monday-Thursday 6:15 -11 , Friday and Saturday 6:15 -1 , and Sunday 7 -11 . On weekdays they depart on the hour between 10 and 3, and at half-hour intervals during the morning and evening commuter periods; on Saturday and Sunday they leave every hour.

Ferries also make the 35-minute run to Waiheke Island approximately every two hours, beginning at 6:30. Return ferries leave about every two hours on odd-numbered hours.

By Taxi

Taxis can be hailed in the street but are more readily available from taxi stands throughout the city. Auckland taxi rates vary with the company, but are listed on the driver’s door. Most taxis will accept major credit cards. Alert Taxis 09/309-2000, Auckland Cooperative Taxi Service 09/300-3000, and Eastern Taxis 09/527-7077 are reliable operators with radio-controlled fleets.

Getting Around
By Bus:

The Link bus service runs both ways in a circuit around the attractions of the inner city rim. These distinctive white buses charge a single approx. the equivalent of US 50¢ fare regardless of your destination on the circuit. It operates every 10 minutes Monday through Friday from 6am to 6pm; every 20 minutes weeknights and weekends. For more information, call Rideline at 09/366-6400.

Stagecoach Auckland is the intracity bus system, and offers good service to most city highlights. You can pick up timetables from The Bus Place, on Victoria Street West; the Downtown Bus Terminal, on Commerce Street. For schedules, fares, and routes, call Rideline 09/ 366-6400. Children 4 to 15 are charged half price, and those under 4 ride for free. Exact change is not needed; the bus driver can give change. If you intend to ride the bus frequently, get a 1-day Auckland Pass for unlimited travel. The pass can also be used on The Link and on the ferry services to Devonport, Bayswater, and Birkenhead. There’s also a Family Pass. Buy passes from the driver or the terminals.

AUCKLAND ATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO

Alberton
100 Mt. Albert Rd., Mt. Albert
09/846-7367 Fax 09/846-1919.
Wed-Sun 10:30am-noon, 1-4pm
Admission charged.
This is perhaps the finest of all Auckland’s historic homes open to the public. This once simple farmhouse built in 1863 grew into the magnificent mansion that stands today. Owned by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, it provides an intimate glimpse into Victorian life.

Auckland Art Gallery
Wellesley and Kitchener Streets
09/307-7700 Fax 09/302-1096.
Daily 10am-5pm both galleries
Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday
Admission to main gallery free; fees for some touring shows.
New Gallery
09/307-4540.
Admission charged; children under 12 free.
Recognized as the leading New Zealand art gallery, Auckland City Art Gallery and the New Gallery hold over 10,000 New Zealand and European artworks. The Main gallery emphasizes historical collections with guided tours at 2pm daily, while the New Gallery, opened across the street in 1995, houses an extensive contemporary collection of new ideas, new works, and new artists.

Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku
Auckland Domain
09/309-0443; 09/306-7067
Daily 10am-5pm Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday
Bus 635 from Downtown Bus Terminal; Explorer Bus stops every 30 min. past the hour at museum door; Link Bus every 10 min. weekdays, every 20 min. weekends with a 5-min. walk from its Parnell Rd. stop to museum.
Admission Permanent Collection by donation
Maori Concert and Discovery Center : Admission charged.
Auckland’s imposing museum building stands in the Auckland Domain on the rim of an ancient volcano surrounded by parks and gardens. This Greek Revival-style museum is known for its Maori artifacts, the largest collection of its kind, including Portraits of Maori chiefs by C. F. Goldie. Other exhibits in the museum are dedicated to natural history, geology, and local history, including a reconstructed streetscape of early Auckland.

Also on site is Discovery Center, an interactive children’s activity center that is a perennial favorite.

Maori Treasures Gallery has a new look. Key attractions in this area are the impressive 82-foot war canoe chiseled from one enormous totara trunk and covered with intricate, symbolic carvings. That same artistry is reflected in the 85-foot meetinghouse with its carved and painted walls and rafters, also greenstone weapons, tools, and feather cloaks.
Twice daily at 11am and 1:30pm, Maori concerts by the world-traveled Pounamu Maori Performance Group bring this history and culture to life.

Auckland Zoo
By car, take Karangahape Road (which turns into Great North Road west out of the city), past Western Springs. Take a right onto Motions Road.
Motions Rd., Western Springs,
09/360-3805; 09/360-3819
Daily 9:30am-5:30pm (last admission 4:15pm Closed Christmas Day
Explorer Bus. Free parking
Admission charged. children 5-15; under 5 free; family tickets.
Sumatran tigers snarl, lions roar, and monkeys chatter. Over 900 birds and animals from every continent make their home in this outstanding parkland, recognized as one of Australasia’s leading zoos with an international reputation for its animal management programs. Visit the McDonald’s South American Rainforest, where troops of spider monkeys, bonnet macaques, squirrel monkeys, and siamangs swing from branch to branch. Discover New Zealand’s unique wildlife, including the kiwi and tuatara, or check out Pridelands for giraffe, zebra, lions, and rhino. And visit the zoo’s two most famous residents, Kashin and Burma, in their state-of-the-art elephant house. Children will also love the Adventure Playland, which features fun educational activities.

Albert Park
Wellesley St. W, Kitchener St., Waterloo Quad
These 15 acres of formal gardens, fountains, and statue-studded lawns are a favorite for Aucklanders who pour out of nearby office blocks and the university and polytechnic to eat lunch on sunny days. The park is built on the site of a garrison from the 1840s and 1850s that was used to protect settlers in their conflicts Maori tribes. There are still remnants of its stone walls (with rifle slits) behind university buildings on the east side of the park.

Beaches. Auckland’s beaches are commonly categorized by area : east, west, or north. The ones closest to the city are the east coast beaches along Tamaki Drive on the south side of the harbor, which do not have heavy surf. Of these, Judge’s Bay and Mission Bay are especially popular. The most visited is Piha, 25 mi west of Auckland. Whatipu, south of Piha, is a broad sweep of sand offering safe bathing behind the sandbar that guards Manukau Harbour. Bethells, to the north, is beautiful, but often has heavy surf.

Cathedral Church Of St. Mary
Holy Trinity. Parnell Rd. and St. Stephen’s Ave
Daily 8-6.
A Gothic Revival-style wooden church. Built in 1886, it’s one of a number of churches commissioned by the early Anglican missionary Bishop Selwyn. The craftsmanship inside the church is remarkable. St. Mary’s originally stood on the other side of Parnell Road, and in 1982 the entire structure was moved across the street to be next to the new church.

Ewelme Cottage
14 Ayr St., Parnell
09/379-0202
Wed-Sun 10:30am-noon, 1-4:30pm Explorer Bus to Parnell Village
Admission charged.
This house was built for the Rev. Vicesimus Lush and named for Ewelme Village in England. The roomy kauri cottage is authentically preserved down to its 19th century wallpaper.

Highwic
40 Gillies Ave., Epsom
09/524-5729
Fax 09/524-5575.
Wed-Sun 10:30am-noon, 1-4pm
Admission charged.
Highwic is one of New Zealand’s finest Gothic Revival houses. Built in 1862 from an American pattern book, its distinctive architecture and large gardens offer a glimpse into the lives of a large, wealthy Victorian family.

Kelly Tarlton’s Antartic Encounter & Underwater World
23 Tamaki Dr., Orakei Wharf
09/528-0603 Fax 09/528-5175.
Daily summer (Nov 1-Mar 31 9am-9pm; winter (Apr 1-Oct 31 9am-6pm. Christmas Day 10am-5pm.
Take Mission Bay city bus, Explorer Bus, or Fuller’s Harbour Explorer.
Free parking.
Admission charged. free for children under 4. Special rates for families and seniors
The creation of New Zealand’s most celebrated undersea explorer and treasure hunter, this harborside marine park offers a unioque view of the sea. A submerged transparent tunnel, 120 yards long, makes a circuit past moray eels, lobsters, sharks, and stingrays. In Antarctic Encounter, you enter a replica of explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s 1911 Antarctic hut at McMurdo Sound, then circle around a deep-freeze environment aboard a heated Sno-Cat (snowmobile) that winds through a penguin colony and an aquarium exhibiting marine life of the polar sea. You emerge at Scott Base 2000 for a glimpse of this century’s anticipated Antarctic research and exploration.

Museum of Transport Technology and Social History
825 Great North Rd., Western Springs
09/846-0199
Fax 09/846-4242.
Daily 10am-5pm Closed Christmas Day
Bus 045 from Customs St. E.; Explorer Bus
Admission charged.
MOTAT is the largest museum of transport and technology in the country, covering 40 acres between its two closely linked sites in Western Springs, just 3 miles from the city center. You’ll find trams, trains, steam engines, aircraft, and more. The Museum houses major collections of road transport, early Auckland historical buildings, primary industry, and medical and dental equipment displays. Once that’s explored, you can take a working tram ride (every 20 min. from the Great North Road entrance past the zoo to the aviation displays at the Sir Keith Park Memorial site (small charge). Displays here include interesting military exhibits, rail memorabilia, and one of the most impressive collections of historical aircraft in Australasia, including the only Solent Mark IV flying boat in the world.

National Maritime Museum
Eastern Viaduct, Quay St.
09/358-3010.
Oct.-Easter, daily 9-6; Easter-Sept., daily 9-5.
Admission charged.
New Zealand’s rich seafaring history is on display in a marina complex in Auckland Harbor. Experience what it was like to travel steerage class in the 1800s or check out a replica of a shipping office from the turn of the last century. There are detailed exhibits on early whaling and a collection of outboard motors, yachts, ship models, and Polynesian outriggers. A scow conducts short trips in the harbor. The museum also hosts workshops, where traditional boat building, sail making, and rigging skills are kept alive.
The pride of the museum is the KZ1, the 133-ft racing sloop built for the America’s Cup challenge in 1988.

Parnell Rose Gardens
Gladstone and Judges Bay Roads
09/302-1252.
Free.
Daily dawn-dusk.
Take a leisurely stroll to enjoy this collection of some 5,000 rosebushes. The main beds contain mostly modern hybrids, with new introductions being planted regularly. The adjacent Nancy Steen Garden contains the antique varieties. The garden also contains some incredible trees. There is a 200-year-old pohutukawa (puh-hoo-too-ka-wa) whose weighty branches touch the ground and rise up again, and a kanuka that is one of Auckland’s oldest trees.

Rainbow’s End Theme Park
Great South and Wiri Station Rds., Manukau City
Free parking
09/ 262-2044 ;09/262-2030
Fax 09/262-1958.
Take the Manukau motorway exit 15 min. south of Auckland City and drive 1,312 ft. to the end of the Rainbow
Daily 10am-5pm; during Jan, 10am-10pm closed Christmas Day All-day Super Pass (includes unlimited rides all day); Mini Pass (includes any 3 rides):
This is Auckland’s premier adventure playground, with 23 acres devoted to rides and attractions for children. For those under 10, there’s a Dream Castle with its own mini rollercoaster, a mini carousel, and Ferris wheel. Older children will love New Zealand’s only double-loop rollercoaster, and then there is the log flume, the pirate ship, the Enchanted Forest, and a replica of an abandoned mine. Add go karts, dodgems, bumper boats, virtual theatre, and a special section for the toddlers, and the whole family will be glad you came.

Rugby Hall of Fame
Eden Park on Sandringham Road
849-5555
Buses 23 and 24
Provides a comprehensive display of the game and its star players.

Sky Tower
Skycity, Victoria and Federal Sts.
09/912-6400
Daily 8:30am-late Underground parking for small fee.
Admission charged. Reservations suggested.
In the first 18 months after it opened in August 1997, Skytower attracted over a million visitors, making it New Zealand’s most popular paid attraction. About 1,076 feet, it is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, affording unforgettable views over the sprawling environs of Auckland. It is taller than both the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Sydney’s AMP Tower, and has four observation decks, including an outdoor area, a glass lift and glass floor panels, multilingual audio guides, and a revolving restaurant. Access to the observation decks is via three glass-fronted lifts, which can transport 225 people every 15 minutes, and whizzes up the building in a speedy 40 seconds.
The Main Observation level features the latest technology, with live weather feeds and touch computer screens giving geographical information.

Side Trips from Auckland
Waiheke Island is just 35 minutes from downtown Auckland by ferry and of its permanent population of about 8,000, nearly 1,000 commute to the city each day to work. In summer the island’s population swells to over 30,000 as people come to enjoy its winning combination of white sand beaches, lush native bush, green farmland, top wineries and vineyards, and excellent cafes and restaurants.

Whangaparaoa Bay
A succession of picturesque bays leads to Whangaparaoa Bay (Cape Runaway, at the very tip of the North Island’s East Cape.) The beaches are deeply shelved and littered with driftwood, and the old Anglican church, nestled under Norfolk pines on a lone promontory, should not be missed. Cape Runaway can only be reached by foot, and it’s advisable to seek permission before going on private land.

Great Barrier Island
This island at the mouth of the Hauraki Gulf has acres of long, white sandy beaches on its eastern shore, deep-water sheltered inlets on its western shore, and a rugged spine of steep ridges running down the centre. The 80,000 hectare reserve has a number of walking tracks that combine old logging trails and tramways. Natural hot springs, towering kauri forests and a peaceful setting make it a perfect escape. Flights and ferries operate from Auckland, 88km south.

AUCKLAND FAMILY FUN ATTRACTIONS

Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku
Auckland Domain
09/309-0443; 09/306-7067
Daily 10am-5pm Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday
Bus 635 from Downtown Bus Terminal; Explorer Bus stops every 30 min. past the hour at museum door; Link Bus every 10 min. weekdays, every 20 min. weekends with a 5-min. walk from its Parnell Rd. stop to museum.
Admission Permanent Collection by donation

Maori Concert and Discovery Center
Auckland’s imposing museum building stands in the Auckland Domain on the rim of an ancient volcano surrounded by parks and gardens. This Greek Revival-style museum is known for its Maori artifacts, the largest collection of its kind, including Portraits of Maori chiefs by C. F. Goldie. Other exhibits in the museum are dedicated to natural history, geology, and local history, including a reconstructed streetscape of early Auckland.
Also on site is Discovery Center, an interactive children’s activity center that is a perennial favorite.

Maori Treasures Gallery has a new look. Key attractions in this area are the impressive 82-foot war canoe chiseled from one enormous totara trunk and covered with intricate, symbolic carvings. That same artistry is reflected in the 85-foot meetinghouse with its carved and painted walls and rafters, also greenstone weapons, tools, and feather cloaks.
Twice daily at 11am and 1:30pm, Maori concerts by the world-traveled Pounamu Maori Performance Group bring this history and culture to life.

Auckland Zoo
By car, take Karangahape Road (which turns into Great North Road west out of the city, past Western Springs. Take a right onto Motions Road.
Motions Rd., Western Springs,
09/360-3805; 09/360-3819
Daily 9:30am-5:30pm (last admission 4:15pm Closed Christmas Day
Explorer Bus. Free parking
Admission charged. children 5-15; under 5 free; family tickets.
Sumatran tigers snarl, lions roar, and monkeys chatter. Over 900 birds and animals from every continent make their home in this outstanding parkland, recognized as one of Australasia’s leading zoos with an international reputation for its animal management programs. Visit the McDonald’s South American Rainforest, where troops of spider monkeys, bonnet macaques, squirrel monkeys, and siamangs swing from branch to branch. Discover New Zealand’s unique wildlife, including the kiwi and tuatara, or check out Pridelands for giraffe, zebra, lions, and rhino. And visit the zoo’s two most famous residents, Kashin and Burma, in their state-of-the-art elephant house. Children will also love the Adventure Playland, which features fun educational activities.

Kelly Tarlton’s Antartic Encounter & Underwater World
23 Tamaki Dr., Orakei Wharf
09/528-0603 Fax 09/528-5175.
Daily summer (Nov 1-Mar 31 9am-9pm; winter (Apr 1-Oct 31 9am-6pm. Christmas Day 10am-5pm.)
Take Mission Bay city bus, Explorer Bus, or Fuller’s Harbour Explorer.
Free parking.
Admission charged. free for children under 4. Special rates for families and seniors
The creation of New Zealand’s most celebrated undersea explorer and treasure hunter, this harborside marine park offers a unioque view of the sea. A submerged transparent tunnel, 120 yards long, makes a circuit past moray eels, lobsters, sharks, and stingrays. In Antarctic Encounter, you enter a replica of explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s 1911 Antarctic hut at McMurdo Sound, then circle around a deep-freeze environment aboard a heated Sno-Cat (snowmobile) that winds through a penguin colony and an aquarium exhibiting marine life of the polar sea. You emerge at Scott Base 2000 for a glimpse of this century’s anticipated Antarctic research and exploration.

Rainbow’s End Theme Park
Great South and Wiri Station Rds., Manukau City
Free parking
09/ 262-2044 ;09/262-2030
Take the Manukau motorway exit 15 min. south of Auckland City and drive 1,312 ft. to the end of the Rainbow
Daily 10am-5pm; during Jan, 10am-10pm closed Christmas Day All-day Super Pass (includes unlimited rides all day:; Mini Pass (includes any 3 rides):
This is Auckland’s premier adventure playground, with 23 acres devoted to rides and attractions for children. For those under 10, there’s a Dream Castle with its own mini rollercoaster, a mini carousel, and Ferris wheel. Older children will love New Zealand’s only double-loop rollercoaster, and then there is the log flume, the pirate ship, the Enchanted Forest, and a replica of an abandoned mine. Add go karts, dodgems, bumper boats, virtual theatre, and a special section for the toddlers, and the whole family will be glad you came.

Stardome and the Auckland Observatory
Located on the lower slopes of One Tree Hill
625-6945
Telephone for schedule
Buses 302,305,and 312
Admission charged
The best place to learn about the southern sky, there is a changing program throughout the year with occasional musical programs and a special program for pre-schoolers.

AUCKLAND EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

January
Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta: this annual event attracts local and international entrants. Last Monday in January. Call 09/534-8186 for details.

February
Devonport Food & Wine Festival: Held in Windsor Reserve in late February, this festival offers nonstop entertainment, samples from 20 wineries, and in abundance. Jazz, classical music, and opera all play a part. Call 09/446-0688 or 09/445-3011 for details.

Hero Parade & Party: This is the country’s largest gay and lesbian event, which attracts over 200,000 spectators. An all-night party follows the parade. Held in mid- to late February. Call 09/307-1057 for information.

March/April
Round the Bays Run: This fun event in late March attracts runners from around the South Pacific, who participate in the 8km (about 5-mile run around the central bays. It ends with a barbecue in one of the city’s parks. Call 09/525-2166 for details.

Royal Easter Show:
Held at the Epsom Showgrounds, this show focuses on excellence in agriculture and animal husbandry with fresh produce stalls, commercial, industrial, and educational displays, and the biggest carnival in New Zealand. There are more than 1,000 competitors, and more than 20,000 people in attendance. Call 09/638-9969 for details.

October
People in the Parks: Summer Program run annually by the Auckland City Council with various events. Schedule available from the council at 09/379-2021.

Annual Yacht Race Auckland to Russell in the Bay of Islands, Labor Day.

November
Ellerslie Flower Show: Held at the Auckland Regional Botanic Garden in November, this is New Zealand’s premier garden and outdoor living event. Call 09/309-7875.

December
Coca Cola Christmas in the Park: Family concert in Auckland Domain.

First to the Sun: Auckland to Gisborne bicycle race.

Auckland Cup Horse Racing Ellerslie Race Course

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