what a wonderful day! Darryl Digs did a wonderful showing us the CHOICE places. we limited on…read moreSnapper within the first HOUR! IF and ONLY IF you are looking #1 enjoy a scenic boat tour #2 camaraderie #3 Catch a BUNCH of Fish! #3 ) have a great time! Call Darryl! MegaBites Fishing Charter. -Joe McMurray

From the owner: Auckland's leading fishing charter company that provides fishing trips for individuals and groups…read moreoperating from Z Pier, Westhaven Marina in Auckland. We fish for Snapper and kingfish and for the more adventurous we can also organize marlin and Hapuka trips. Our fishing charters in Auckland run on quality charter boats that are fast, clean and comfortable and designed to get you to the best fishing locations and spots quickly. We do not take more than 8 persons on the boat on our fishing trips to give everyone enough space to fish unless specifically requested. Come aboard and join us for an action packed day or evening fishing trip. it does not matter whether you have fished before or have no experience in fishing, Our friendly and professional skippers will give you all the help required to ensure that you have a great day on the water.

People in New Zealand -- the West Pacific -- think that water is "really cold" and requires a…read morewetsuit when it is somewhere in the mid 70s F -- but for me -- that's the perfect temperature. Over here in the East Pacific, we have MUCH chillier water. I brought my own snorkel gear, found a nice family who were not leaving any time soon and deposited my stuff near the non-swimming grandfather to watch, though, being NZ, I had little to worry about. Then - I hopped in the water and swam off to circumnavigate Goat Island, solo and without (gasp!) a PFD or lifeguard. I saw heaps of rays and even some reef sharks. The current between the island and the shore is a bit pushy, so I recommend checking the currents and swimming anticlockwise on an ebbing tide. Total swim was about 2200 meters, and very doable for a strong swimmer. If you're not a strong swimmer - bring a SUP or a kayak and have fun!

The golden beach at Goat Island is the place I completed one of my bucket list items : to skinny…read moredip. It all happened on a sunny afternoon when my boyfriend and I decided to get away from the hustle and bustle of Auckland. We got to Goat Island beach, parked the car and sat on one of the grass patches overlooking the beach and other spectacular views while we munched on some home made goodies. After lunch we decided to walk around, we had no plans to swim as we had dinner plans later on that evening. We walked in the water and soon found ourselves in another area where there is a fountain, I stripped down to my under garments and went in the water. The water was clear, had that green marine colour to it. It wasn't too cold and it felt so good against my skin. Next thing you know I had one less item on my bucket list. Goat island the perfect place to shorten your bucket list, swim, have a picnic and snorkel.

Mum and I tried stand up paddle boarding with Blue Adventures, and it was fantastic! We signed up…read morefor 5 paddle boarding lessons with a fitness focus. The tutor, Michel, was very patient with us newbies as he taught us the basics. The actual paddle boarding bit was really fun and wasn't too hard to master (granted we were in very flat water in Omaha Estuary). Once we had the hang of it Michel put us through a bunch of exercises on the board; crunches, squats, wobbles etc. This might sound a little hard, but you are locked onto a buoy and trying to stay out of the water keeps your mind off the actual fitness. The exercises aren't too demanding but it's nicely surprising the muscles that you feel the next day. Being out on the board is relaxing and a great way to work out on the water. It's suitable for everyone, we had everyone from 15 - 55 in our class, I would highly recommend it!

My wife and I were on a week long vacation to Auckland and we saw many good reviews for this tour…read more We boarded and took a 40 minute trip to Waiheke Island for some scientific readings and then it was off to see some dolphins and birds and whales. They told us if you find these cool Gannett birds, it should tell you where the dolphins are. They divebomb the fish as the dolphins rile them up. We saw at least 400 dolphins on this trip and then we saw a whale, and they kept us out for an extra hour to check out a dolphin in the harbor. Great crew, that was very fun and you can order beer on the trip. Plus!

We had the most fabulous time today! We saw manta rays, wholes, dolphins and even a shark! Zara…read moretaught us a few things about phytoplankton, tiny plants living near the surface of the ocean, that are responsible for producing the oxygen we breathe for 3 of 5 breaths ! If we do Ty take care of our oceans, we'll have a hard time breathing! My 5 yo and 8 yo said it was a great day that they will never forget.

As a group of six (6) we walked up and asked if there was any room on the jet boat for us. Luck was…read moreon our side as with no booking and a bit of a discount as we were from the cruise ship we were given front row seats on the last ride of the day. Sometimes the best laid plans are no plans. Our jet boat driver was a crack up and a pretty good photographer when it came to taking pics and movies with a gopro. We paid an extra $20 for the digital versions and these were uploaded to a dropbox so we could download them when we got back home. The thrill of 360s was good fun; watching and cheering the bungee jumpers from the bridge was crazy and seeing the harbour from water level was excellent for a change. You will get wet but your laughter will dry you off pretty quickly!

Eleven of us did a thrilling jet boat excursion in the South Island last Christmas and it's…read morereminded me to look into doing this amazing fun activity in my own town. Auckland Jet Boat Tours would be the place I'd book. I passed by their offices at Auckland Viaduct last week and witnessed a boat load of satisfied passengers, grins as proof, stepping off "Ruby Red Lips" the vessel having just been out on the glistening Waitemata Harbour for a ride of a lifetime. Great value if you book the Jet Boat Bungy combo.

I ran a training course here. Great location. Great venue. Great staff. They offered for us to dine…read morein the restaurant and what a smart decision to do so. I ordered a burger with limited expectations but I'd be hard pressed to think of a better burger I've had in recent memory. Similar reports from the rest of my trainees. Highly recommended!

I've been going to RNZYS since I was a wee tike. My parents are sailing enthusiasts and…read moreconsequently some of my earliest memories are hanging out in the member's lounge drinking raspberry lemonades and modeling the kid's clothes in the Line 7 fashion show! These days the squadron is a lot fancier - there's a full service restaurant upstairs (you can make reservations on their website) and a members only bar that has fantastic views of the harbour. There's a trophy room, where the America's Cup once was, and a huuuge hall appropriately decorated with nautical knick-knacks. Definitely worth considering if you're organizing an event - there's rooms of every size and they have a specific event coordinator.

A little gem just 5 min away from CBD. If you want to take your dog for a walk - definitely give it…read morea go

Being from Christchurch and hence afraid now of every variance on the potential natural disaster…read morescenario, I am not a fan at all of finding out that the place I am enjoying having a walk around is actually one of the volcanoes in the Auckland Volcanic Ring. (I tend to put it to the back of my mind that Auckland was in fact settled upon 55 volcanic craters) luckily this one is no longer active and last erupted 85,000 years ago. The tidal lagoon this eruption spawned is now used for everything from various outdoor pursuits to water sports by a wealth of Aucklander's in the know. The walking track itself is 2.88k so is a great distance for people of all fitness levels and inclinations and short enough that you won't have any complaints from even the hardiest of exercise dodgers.. I love the fact too that most of the walkway itself is over boardwalks!

Alberton was definitely in the running when I was choosing a wedding venue as it is just so…read morebeautiful. It's one of those places that is constantly used for fashion, film and even music video shoots because its historic character is so well preserved. It is grand, old and beautiful but there are some rules and regulations that apply to keeping it that way so keep that in mind if you are thinking of using it for an event. The great thing is that it's open to the public so all you have to do is wander on in and explore all its nooks and crannies at your leisure. You will have to pay for the pleasure but that's as it should be in order to keep preserve places like this for future generations. The grounds are stunning as well and a visit here can take you back in time for some romantic day-dreaming. Great for kids too - history is so much more interesting when it's tangible.

Auckland's got a bad track record of hanging on to our historic buildings. Noteworthy architecture?…read moreImportant cultural heritage? Nah, let's tear it down and put up a featureless grey box full of leaky apartments. Sigh. At least we've got it right here though. Alberton House is from the mid 1800s, and it's a pretty neat place. It's a good venue for events (I was here for a wedding), but even without that it's cool just to have a wander around looking at the building itself, with its rabbit-warren servants' quarters and wooden everything. Also if you go upstairs (I say stairs, it's more like a ladder built for elves), they've got a few rooms set up with period furniture, and some of the creepiest dolls I've seen in a long time. This place is worth a visit, especially if the weather is good.