Queens Wharf in Auckland is a cool mix of old and new right on the waterfront. It's a great place…read moreto walk around, with nice views of the harbour, especially when cruise ships are in. I walked around for an afternoon and went to the shopping area and some of the speciality shops while checking it out.

If you arrive by smaller cruise ships to Auckland you dock here…read more Larger ships dock in the industrial area and a bus takes you to Queen's Wharf. You can't walk through the commercial area. You'll be dropped off at The Cloud on the wharf. Public restrooms are available inside. The wharf is located Quay Street and Queen Street right in the heart of Auckland. The area is a mix of beautiful historical buildings and new. You can shop or dine along the waterfront. Wander in and out of the buildings and enjoy the architecture too. Passenger ferries can be caught here also. Leave the wharf through the stunning red brick gates and enjoy the high end shopping of CBC of Auckland. Know that days a ship is docked, the area is quite congested with foot traffic.

We spent a day on Waiheke Island, one of the highlights of our trip. The island has over 9,400…read moreresidents and is a popular tourist destination. Just 40 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland, it made for an easy day trip. Our plan was to visit various wineries and have a nice dinner in the evening. We did wine tastings at Wild Estate, Stonyridge Vineyard, and Cable Bay Vineyard; lunch at Heke Kitchen, Brewery & Distillery; and dinner at Mudbrick. Unfortunately we missed the bus we needed to take us form the ferry terminal to the first winery, and the next one wasn't departing for another half an hour or so. However, the bus driver of another bus route suggested we hop on his bus, which, while it would not take us to our destination, he could drop us off in an area with some shops where we could look around while we wait for our bus. It was a good suggestion, because waiting half an hour in a cute village is much more enjoyable than waiting half an hour at a ferry terminal with nothing to do. Also, while in the village, we had just enough time to stop into a store where my husband found a great rain jacket. So perhaps it was a good thing that we missed the bus! The first winery we went to was Wild On Waiheke, and we walked between Wild, Heke Kitchen, and Stonyridge Vineyard. We took a cab from Stonyridge to Cable Bay, which was in another area of the island, and from Mudbrick back to the ferry. Despite all the rain we experienced on our trip, we got pretty lucky with the weather while we were on Waiheke Island. If you go to Auckland, I highly recommend a day trip to Waiheke Island, especially if you like wine! [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Wine Time!]

Waiheke Island is a stunning and short ferry ride from Auckland, New Zealand. This serene oasis of…read morethe bluest water has beautiful, world-class wineries, and unique activities, making for a perfect day trip with friends. Once you land on Waiheke, look behind you for wonderful views of the skyline of Auckland. Ready, set, sip wine!

This is a great place to visit when you need to just be by the sea. You can drive right out onto…read morethe wharf and get up close to the water without having to get your feet wet or get sand everywhere. They're slowly doing it up so there's loads to look at around the wharf and sometimes there's even a beautiful Kokako coffee cart there! This means you can enjoy the sea even better while enjoying one of Auckland's top coffees. You can walk out onto the new wharf they've built and read heaps about the area, the history and plans for the future. Eventually they want to turn into it into a Wynyard Quarter like place so I'm really excited to see where this heads. It'd be awesome to have a whole lot of bars on the Shore! Go check it out if you have a chance.

Our hotel was a walking distance from the ferry terminal. Really nice to stroll around. We boarded…read morethe Fullers 360 to Waiheke Island. The information and ticket offices was just in front of the terminal. Very easy to find.

The Auckland Ferry Terminal is a beautiful Edwardian Baroque building. It was built in 1912. Its…read moredesign is similar to the San Francisco Ferry Building in California. The terminal connects Auckland with ferries going to the North Shore, West Auckland, South Auckland and the surrounding islands. It is centrally located at the end of Queen Street. It was the principal way to reach the North Shore until the Auckland Harbor Bridge was opened in 1959. Nice place to sit and enjoy the view on a sunny summer day in Auckland.

I used to run to this wharf when I lived in the city, and it is one of my favourite places to enjoy…read morethe view of Auckland's CBD. If you can get to this place for a sunrise or sunset, it truly is a magical place to be. Whenever the stress of Auckland life is pissing you off, come here and all will be fixed (well until you have to leave and get back to reality). A lot of people fish off the end of this extremely long wharf, and while I have only ever caught one eel and a small shark off here, I think it has some potential. But even if you don't care much for fishing, just walk out to the end of the wharf for some fresh air and beautiful views.

Like so many Aucklanders I've seen the wharf heading out past that function centre that never seems…read moreto be doing very well but driven or walked on by. On my last big sweaty walk round the bays though we decided to walk out on it, really with nothing other in mind than adding to our total steps. Wow, who'd have thunk a wee wooden walkway could create such a fresh and gorgeous new perspective on our city? There's a lot of quiet fishing going on here and you have to pick your way around bait boxes and beer coolers but most people are really friendly which is such a nice surprise in Auckland. There's the obligatory bunch of kids bombing at the end which can't help but make me smile and you feel like you are right out in the water, halfway to Rangitoto. Beautiful. SO worth a wander.

We went here during the summer in order to relive my husband's golden memories of his youth but…read morefound it somewhat lacking. Only in New Zealand could you say that about a beach that looks this good but hey, we can't help it, we're spoilt for choice. It's roomy but busy and the shade provided by the overhanging pohutakawas is in hot (literally) demand. Like most of the beaches in this west coast chain, there's a large grassed area as well if you don't want to get down on the sand. We squished in under a spot of shade, a little too close to another family but that was the only protected spot that was left. The kids climbed the tree a bit but the swimming was muddy, slimy and sludgy which was ok but didn't engender repeated dips. I'd say try one of the more quiet ones further down the road.

Summer is my favourite season and I have a dream that one day it every day will be summer. I love…read moresummer because of the beach, I like to think of myself as a beach babe even though I don't necessarily swim. I tend to do the Baywatch thing and walk in water and casually stroll along the beach. After a recommendation from my father, I went to Cornawallis with my boyfriend for a picnic and a waddle in the water. The view was breathtaking and the beach itself was beautiful, the flowers and the trees had blossomed. We sat under one of the trees, opened a cider and munched on our food while the soft breeze tickled our skin. I loved it! You could enjoy the sun under the trees but still have some shade. We actually had a nap under the tree which was refreshing.

Great wharf for fishing and viewing. Directly across from Auckland so you can see the city scapes!…read moreStunning views.

We took the 807 bus here & walked along the beach. Here we saw the entrance to the Torpedo Bay…read moreNaval Reserve that is stationed here to protect Auckland. There was a monument to the officer in charge who was murdered along with his family here in 1847. The murderer was caught & hung here too.

I f you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city for a weekend afternoon, Duder…read moreregional Park a few kilometres past Maraetai could be just the place for you to visit. Situated on the Whakakaiwhara Peninsula looking out towards the Coromandel, the park offers a choice of walking options. The farmland option provides expansive views of the Hauraki Gulf, with one walk taking about 1i/2 hours and the otherabout 1 hour. However the day we went we chose the short walk soft option along the coast line. The peace and tranquility we encountered, with hardly another soul around made the 50 min drive from Auckland well worth while. There are public toilets at the park entrance, and clearly marked maps available. There are signs warning about leaving valuables in the car, which is a useful reminder.