Last month, our family flew from Edmonton to Auckland, New Zealand for a big family vacation and to attend a wedding. It was incredible!
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Known as the “City of Sails”, Auckland is New Zealand's largest city and one of its most vibrant striking. From volcanoes and waterfalls to five-star restaurants and art galleries, there is no shortage of fun and exciting things to do and see in and around Auckland for the whole family.
Before you travel to New Zealand, be sure to check on the visa requirements for your passports. If you are visiting on a passport from a visa waiver county, such as Canada, you must request a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) prior to boarding your flight or cruise, which will allow you to enter visa-free. The NZeTA is valid for up to 2 years and allows multiple entries. The request process is completely online and can take up to 72 hours to process. Also keep in mind that New Zealand has strict rules and quarantine measures regarding the importation of food, animal products and medications. Be prepared to declare goods to customs on arrival.
Here are our top 8 recommendations.
1. Mount Eden
Mount Eden, or Maungawhau meaning “mountain of the whau tree”, is a dormant volcano and the highest natural summit in Auckland at 196 metres (643 feet) above sea level. Mount Eden last erupted about 15,000 years ago, and in the last of a number of eruptions, the three overlapping scoria cones became a single, huge scoria mound with a central crater. The large, well-preserved crater, some 50 metres deep, is contained within the summit cone.
We learnt all of this at the Maungawhau Visitor Experience Centre, which opened in 2019. This visitor centre showcases the geological and Māori cultural history of Maungawhau (Mount Eden) and has a small café offering snacks and coffee.
From the visitor centre, the hike to the top of Mount Eden was an easy 10, 15-minute walk. The summit offers an incredible panoramic view of Auckland and the harbour.
2. Sky Tower
We love all things skyscrapers so this was a must! At 328 metres, Sky Tower is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand and currently the second tallest freestanding structure in the southern hemisphere. It still held the title of tallest in the southern hemisphere when we visited! It is also pretty impressive no matter day or night.
Sky Tower features two observation levels with the main observation level at 186 metres (51 floors) above street level with panoramic 360-degree views up to 82 km in every direction, three restaurants and cafes including a revolving restaurant and New Zealand’s highest bar, a gift shop, and other paid attractions such as SkyJump where you free fall straight down from 192 metres (53 floors!) at speeds of up to 85 km per hour for around 11 seconds before coming to a smooth landing at the base of Sky Tower.
Travel Tip 1: Save up to 17% on Sky Tower admission when you purchase tickets online. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time).
3. Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the largest art institution in New Zealand, with a collection numbering over 15,000 works. The exhibits are spread over four levels, ranging from historic art to modern and contemporary art alongside outstanding works by Māori and Pacific artists.
I must admit that I don't get the contemporary pieces.
What’s super neat about this art gallery is the Te Aka Matua, The Creative Learning Centre, an immersive family-friendly space with fun, hands-on activities for kids and parents.
Admission is free for everyone including international visitors.
4. Wineries & Vineyards
While the wine industry in New Zealand is relatively new, it has achieved notable success and a great international reputation. This is because New Zealand's cool maritime climate and long growing season creates the perfect environment for grape growing, producing some distinctive, premium-quality wines.
Auckland is one of New Zealand's oldest and diverse wine regions, with around 100 vineyards and wineries. It would be a shame not to visit at least one!
We chose Soljans Estate Winery located in Kumeu Wine Country, New Zealand’s oldest wine regions as it is one of New Zealand’s pioneer wineries founded in the 1930’s. After 80 years, the winery is still proudly family owned and operated. They are the third oldest family winery in New Zealand and the only one to have the fifth generation of family actively involved.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Bistro at Soljans followed by an intimate wine tasting and a short stroll admiring the beautiful vineyard.
Travel Tip 2: A guided wine tasting tour is a great way to visit three to four of Auckland’s wineries over the course of a day. Most of the tours, if not all, include wine tasting at each vineyard, a delicious three-course lunch, and complimentary pick up and drop off at your hotel in Auckland.
5. Piha Beach
Piha is a scenic black sand beach situated some 45 minutes west of Auckland. This beach is also New Zealand’s most famous spot for surfing due to it unforgiving strong tides. The beach backs onto the rugged and heavily forested coastline of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park.
The sand is black for two reasons: 1) it is the eroded remains of volcanic rock from Mount Taranaki and earlier volcanoes in the area, and 2) one of the components is magnetite, a mineral with high iron content, which makes the sand magnetic!
While swimming is permitted within the patrolled area beginning in early spring through summer, we kept our visit on land. We took our time exploring the beach south of Lion Rock, a natural rock formation dividing North and South Piha beaches. Lion Rock got its name from the fact it looks a little like a lying lion from various angles even though it is actually a volcanic plug that dates back 16 million years.
Travel Tip 3: I highly recommend a car rental for large groups and for those who plan on doing a lot of sightseeing beyond Auckland Central. While public transportation is easily accessible within Auckland, it becomes less accessible and problematic the further beyond you go. Additionally, ride sharing companies such as Uber, Lyft and Didi are extremely expensive. A 40-minute taxi or car share ride will cost upwards of NZD$100 so you’re better off with a 4-day car rental for the same. Depending on the jurisdiction that issued your driver’s licence, you may be required to have an International Driving Permit (IDP) to legally drive in New Zealand.
6. Kitekite Falls
Kitekite Falls is a beautiful 3-tiered cascading waterfall in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park not far from Piha Beach.
An easy walking trail leads to the waterfall lookout. The Kitekite Falls Path is an easy, gradual climb, taking you up into a beautiful rainforest, with the spectacular 3-tiered Kitekite Falls as a reward for your efforts. Well made paths and boardwalks provide a smooth hike to the falls.
Kitekite Falls drops a total of 40 metres or 130 feet. From the lookout, the waterfall appears even higher because there is white water running over rocks into a small pool at the top, before falling down into a large pool, then falling to another small pool before an almost vertical descent in the final 3-tiers, making the total height closer to 80 metres or 260 feet.
The walking time is about an hour, encompassing 3,575 steps and a total distance of 2.75 km.
The next set of recommendations are not found in Auckland. They are both located approximately 225 km south of Auckland in the city of Rotorua, which makes for a great day trip or overnight trip.
7. ZORB Rotorua
ZORB Rotorua is an adventure park where visitors jump inside big, wet inflatable balls and roll down Mount Ngongotaha. It was slippery, a little dizzy, a little wild and so much fun!
We went with the two ride combo deal. For the first ride, Radwin and I in one ball raced the kiddos in another ball down the 250 metres Dual Straight track. For the second ride, we did the Sidewinder, the twistiest and longest track in the world, at 350 metres complete with six massive twists and turns. In between the rides and after the second, we made good use of the hot tubs to warm up. Visitors beware, this attraction is not for the faint of heart or those who have motion sickness.
The drive to Rotorua is about two and a half hours from Auckland Central and surprisingly very scenic. We passed through a few quaint small towns like Tirau, home to the giant sheepdog visitor centre, country farmlands full of sheep (so many sheep!), tall hills and mountains ranges, and several heavily forested areas.
8. Rotorua Thermal Hot Springs
Rotorua is renowned for its geothermal activity, bubbling mud pools, shooting geysers and natural hot springs. That is because Rotorua is in the heart of the North Island's Taupo volcanic zone. It is said the geothermally heated water has healing properties and rumored to cure ailments like arthritis and rheumatism.
No matter if you’re venturing to Rotorua for the day or an overnight trip, you must visit one of the geothermal parks and most definitely one of the many thermal hot springs! Our afternoon soaking at New Zealand’s original and iconic Polynesian Spa was the perfect way to relax and unwind after a busy day.
Photo courtesy of Polynesian Spa
Polynesian Spa is New Zealand’s leading internationally acclaimed thermal spa, offering relaxing hot mineral spring bathing, sumptuous spa therapies and picturesque Lake Rotorua views. The therapeutic waters at Polynesian Spa is said to relieve tired muscles, aches and pains, and bless the bathers with ageless beauty.
The Family Pools are, as you guessed it, perfect for families with young children that want to do a little bit of splashing. This section of the facility has one large 33°C freshwater chlorinated swimming pool complete with a hydro slide and two Rachel Spring alkaline mineral hot pools at 37°C and 40°C.
Don’t forget to top off your visit with some delicious gelato at the on-site 88RA Café.
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