Exploring Auckland CBD: From Waterfront Vistas to Sky-High Adventures!

Auckland Central Business District (CBD) was the perfect base for us to explore most of North Island. CBD itself is much more beyond just business. It is the hub of activities, be it an adrenaline-pumping adventure atop the Sky Tower or a more relaxed walk along the coast. It is the place to be when you are in Auckland :)

Day 1:

Viaduct Harbour:

After settling in our AirBnB, we headed out for dinner to Viaduct Harbour. It was a short 10-minute walk from our residence on Queens's Street. The harbour side was full or restaurants and takeaways, and had even an enclosed fish market selling fresh produce from the sea. It was a happy, vibrant gastronomic set up. We particularly enjoyed the greenery of the place and its energetic vibes.

Dinner was simple but totally drool worthy. Being vegetarians, we had a no-fuss cheese enchilada and veggie tacos from a takeaway joint behind the harbour-side promenade. A few ingredients it had but just so so delicious! Maybe its the taste of the rich soil of this land. The vegetables were bursting with flavour and fresh. The colour of the sky fascinated us no less. It felt pure and light as if it is not carrying the weight of any wordly taint in it.

Note: Usually the takeaways are priced at around NZD $15 each and is much cheaper than sit-down restaurants. It is an economical way to enjoy great food on the go.

Sky Tower:

Another thrilling destination, especially for the daredevils, in CBD is the Sky Tower. It is the tallest tower in Auckland and offers thrilling adventure activities that utilises its verticality to the fullest. I absolutely refused to be a part of this insanity called Sky Walk where one is supposed to walk around the edge of the tower at some 192 metres height without any railings or hand support. There is another adventure called Sky Jump where you are supposed to jump off the tower taking in the beautiful views of the city! I wonder what views would one get while they are falling freely embracing gravity with all their heart.

I simply took pictures of this beautiful Sky Tower from various places in CBD to my heart's content. It actually was perpetually visible from all corners of this charming CBD.

Victoria Park:

Our AirBnB was right opposite Victoria Park, a lovely green space within the heart of CBD. This well-maintained park is a testament to the fact that New Zealanders know how to dwell in harmony with nature. The park is well located with walking distance to the Sky Tower, Viaduct Harbour, Wynyard Quarter and Ponsonby.

While heading back to our apartment for the night, we walked down this park hosting a community food event. Scores of tuck shops selling varieties of food simply tempted us. From starters, main courses to desserts and from Middle Eastern, Indian to Far-away Eastern, it had all the cuisines on plate. We could not resist our temptations and ended up relishing an iconic NZ special - hokey pokey icecream. Do try it out when you are there.

Maungauika/North Head

We wanted to end the day by taking in sweeping views of the isthmus city that Auckland is, being bounded by harbours on two sides - The Waitemata harbour on the Pacific ocean and the Manukau harbour on the Tasman sea. Maungauika or North Head is a fantastic place to enjoy some great vistas from a vantage height. We planned our visit at the golden hour to experience the classic Kiwi coastal sunset and see all that Auckland is…

North Head is actually is a volcanic hill formed over 50,000 years ago. Maunga means 'mountain' and the name stands for Mountain of Uika in Maori. It is a beautiful location blending history with nature. It also served as a strategic defence site especially during WWII because of the views it offers. There are still several tunnels and a canon that are preserved as a part of their heritage.

The name North Head is due to the fact that this hill is located at the northern end of the Waitemata harbour - and is one of the earliest settlement sites of the Maori who inhabited NZ some 800 years ago. Maungauika is very close to CBD in Devonport and is a short 10-15 min drive from it. In NZ, if you want to drive 15kms to any place, then just convert the distance to minutes and that is the amount of time you take to drive to that place…yes…the traffic here is so smooth and is an impossible wish to be replicated in my country :)

Facing the Rangitoto island and Hauraki gulf. Wonderful place to bask in the golden hour.

This is the Cheltenham beach as seen from Maungauika.

These are the 3 colourful Victorian-style town homes on Cheltenham beach. Look pretty, don't they!

The walking path from near the parking lot on Maungauika

Views of Auckland skyline and Cheltenham beach from the other side of Maungauika

Day 1 ended well with glorious views and great food. Stay tuned for more. The trip has just begun… :)