I went here yesterday for the first time, suggested by some friends from Auckland (who I hadn't…read moreseen in 15 years) as a nice place that would be child friendly. Driving up from Hamilton with two sets of directions (printed from Google maps and navigation from my phone) and we still got a little lost... I'll take some credit for that, but also to forewarn you that the signing up to the park isn't that great and it's a little out of the way. There was plenty of parking when we arrived around 10:15 on a Saturday morning. There were already a lot of people there, appeared to be many birthdays and parties, rented jump houses and the like. There are lots of picnic tables around. It would be friendly for strollers/prams/push chairs. We also brought our son's little balance bike, and he enjoyed riding around on it there. Mostly, it's flat gravel areas for walking, flat grassy areas and very little paved area. The park was free to enter and to view the animals. It didn't appear to be staffed during the time we were there. You just walk around the various animal areas. We saw some rabbits, chickens, sheep, cows, goats, horses and a pig. My son (3-years-old) liked it, but wasn't blown away. Maybe we've been to too many animal parks lately. After walking through the animal areas (took about 30 minutes at a very slow pace), we grabbed a picnic table and chatted until my friends had to leave. One, somewhat bizarre thing, is that we couldn't find any garbage cans/rubbish bins here. So, if you are planning to generate trash, bring some bags with you. There appears to be some camping areas and some walking tracks. We didn't go around any of these, so I don't have any comment about those. Overall, I thought this place was fine, but not amazing. It's free, so you can't complain too much :)

Except for the rain, I had an excellent Ambury Park experience. You go through it as part of the Te…read moreAraroa trail (hiking trail that spans the length of NZ) so it makes an excellent place to stop for the night. I bumped into a park ranger as I arrived and she was really awesome, and since I was hiking the TA, allowed me to camp free of charge. The grass is flat, the toilet facilities are clean, and there's water available: everything a tramper could ever want. I didn't spend much time wandering the rest of the park (after walking in the rain all day I was kind of over it) but it's a nice outdoor area and a great place to take the family.

Stopped by for afternoon tea. The estate had quite the view of the rolling tropical hills and of…read moreAuckland at a distance. Tea and food was very nice- our bellies were full by the end. The hotel portion seems to be high end and even has a helipad for guests. Parking was free and the drive was about 30 min from downtown. If you need a bit of an escape, this would be a good option.

As the Maid of Honour, I organised high tea for my sister-in-law this past weekend. I changed the…read morebooking a number of times during the process (why are groups of ladies so difficult to organise??) but the staff at Waitakere Estate were always lovely and obliging. The location is lovely with breath-taking views and at $32 per person, their high tea is the best value in Auckland AND even available during winter! The food was great, I had my own vegetarian stand with lovely sandwiches (that focaccia though) and sweet treats. Their tea menu could be a bit more varied and intensive, but everything else was great. The girls and I had a wonderful time and even wandered through the lawn after our meal for some epic photos. I'd definitely return again!

Although we arrived at the international terminal from the US, we flew out of the domestic terminal…read moreto Queenstown on Jetstar a few days later. We took an Uber from Hilton Auckland to the domestic terminal. It was clean and organized but it was hard to find a water fountain. There were a few food options to grab a bite. Security was incredibly efficient. Compared to the US, the process was smooth and the staff were friendly and welcoming. The signage was clear, and getting through security took less than five minutes. In the US, we're used to arriving at least two hours early for domestic flights, but in New Zealand we were told to be there one hour beforehand and even that felt generous given how quick everything was.

The Domestic side of the Auckland Airport is smaller because it's just basically Air New Zealand…read moreand Jetstar. Everywhere was clean, organized, and spacious. Check in was easy and efficient with self service machines. Airport staff were friendly, and works fast. Gates were spread out with a decent amount of seats. Not too many options for shopping and food, but you don't need to be spending a lot of time here anyway since checking in is so quick. This terminal has self service luggage lockers you can use while the international terminal does not. Will definitely be returning to this terminal on my next New Zealand adventure!

Travel days can be hectic and stressful…read more.. Since this was our first time arriving in Sydney, Australia, and departing from New Zealand, we arranged our pre- and post-cruise air and land transportation through Oceania Cruises. We were more than impressed with the itineraries that they scheduled for our foursome. Our New Zealand driver picked us up from our hotel, Sudima Auckland City, at precisely at 5;30 PM, allowing us an uninterrupted 30-minute drive or 24 miles to Auckland Airport (AKL). Along the way, our driver informed us that Auckland Airport (international) is this nation's busiest and largest airport, yet it has only two terminals. One terminal handles international airline connections through Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific, among others, while the other handles domestic airlines such as Virgin Australia and Airwork. He also advised us on navigating the three levels of the International Terminal, since we were unfamiliar with the airport's layout, which helped to make our departure less stressful. From the Air New Zealand drop-off point, we proceeded to the ground-floor check-in kiosks since we needed bag tags for our checked luggage, even though we had checked in for our flight on the app 24 hours in advance. Check-in was very easy, and a friendly agent was available at the kiosks to assist everyone if needed. After attaching our tags, we took our bags over to the agents to weigh and associate them with our flight tickets. We then passed through to the first-floor retail shops, highly efficient immigration and security, and duty-free vendors before reaching the second floor, where the departure gates were located. We also were impressed by the comfortable modern and Māori-inspired designed décor. While negotiating the crowds and making our way to our departure gate, we had allowed for a 3-hour cushion so we calm down and grab something light to eat pre-flight. We couldn't think of purchasing more souvenirs since we had spent the past 20 days in Australia and New Zealand and everything was packed in either our checked-in or carry-on luggage. So, our appetites were diverted to several food vendors, which, amazingly, offered tasty food and beverage options along with quick, friendly service. Before we knew it, time seemed to fly by and we were ready to board our flight home. We boarded stress-free to our selected seats and promptly fell asleep on a smooth and quiet flight thanks to Air New Zealand.

The airport is nice and clean. I did notice that there are far less restrooms available than in…read moreother airports. Also when you arrive you will be checked again and again by customs. Quite strict about bringing any food, animal, plant or soil matter into the country. I get that, but after you get asked the same question at the 3rd or 4th checkpoint it starts to get a bit redundant.

Opened in 1925 but modernized 2021, this is the station closest to Auckland International Airport…read moreand it's where the airport shuttle brings you to get into downtown. Yes, like many cities where the airport is pretty far away from the downtown area (I'm talking to you, NRT, DFW, LHR, CDG, DEN and IAD!). Super easy to transfer from the bus to the train with automated ticket turnstiles that use the same HOP card that you bought at the airport to get to the city. (I don't know how it works for the return - I took a bespoke airport shuttle directly.) Escalators, a lift or stairs to get you from the bus stop through to the overhead bridge and then back down to the platforms. There are two tracks with a single island platform between. It was a little breezy today so you may want to wait in the overhead concourse until the train is announced. [Review 520 of 2024 - 167 in New Zealand - 21552 overall]

We spent a most enjoyable day with Ewald Boss, Director of Milestone Tours on the Rotoura Waitomo…read moreDay Tour. We found it an excellent way to get a feel for the beauty of the New Zealand countryside. Ewald provided great commentary along the way on history, culture, economic and political insights. It was like traveling with a very knowledgeable friend! The Rotoura experience was typically touristy but very interesting and the lunch provided was good. The Waitomo Cave tour is professional and definitely worth the stop.

We went on three tours with Ewald, each delightful, relaxing, fun & informative. Rotorua was a…read morelong but beautiful drive, Glowworm cave a must see! Matakana Escape was relaxing, interesting and fun. Farewell to Auckland sends you off back home with warm regards for NZ and Ewald's Milestone Tours. We highly recommend!

Being a new business we were a little apprehensive, however as soon as we were collected from the…read moreAirport & taken to their depot we felt totally reassured. We were given a modern car with all the features you would expect for an unbeatable price too!

What an amazing time! Learn about the Arataki Pathway to learning, take a Bush walk to a…read morewaterfalls, go to Piha beach, and go on the large Kuri walk. What an adventure. Be prepared for all kinds of weather. Stop in at the Piha Store and get a fresh cup of coffee and a pastry treat before adventuring around. It's absolutely beautiful here. The sand is magnetic on Piha so bring a magnet for the kids to experiment. Highly recommend visiting. Our guide was fantastic for bush and beach she was so informative and fun!

Great place to visit if you want to learn more about the Waitakere Ranges, NZ culture and history…read more Well set up for children. Lots of car parks. Danish icecream (very tasty!) out the front. Includes a small gift shop and art gallery too.