Coast to Coast...

Auckland, New Zealand

April 24, 2007

S 36.51.035
E 174.46.074

Shelby and Dustin arrived a little after 6:30 AM on the same flight we took the day before from San Francisco. Luckily they were able to check right into their room, shower and refresh quickly before we headed out on the town. I recommended a walking tour to rejuvenate their legs and help them adjust to the new time-zone after the long flight.

The Coast to Coast walking tour went from the Waitemata Harbor to Manukau Harbor, covering a total of 16 KM of Auckland, and hitting the main highlights including several parks and an incredible 360 degree vista from Mount Eden.

I should note, we didn’t have high expectations for Auckland since several friends and reviews we read recommended to get in and out as quickly as possible. We heard Auckland was an industrial city without a lot of beauty, but we kept an open mind before landing in New Zealand’s largest city. We had two nights planned, but only because Shelby and I had a slight miscommunication regarding flights—thus, the reason Shelby and Dustin arrived a day after us.

The majority of businesses in New Zealand operate out of buildings in the center of Auckland with companies such as Oracle, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Microsoft, Sun, HP and Vodofone doing business here. The downtown area is reminiscent of the San Francisco financial district. You can wander around the chilly streets in the shadows of the corporate towers and simply slide a few blocks towards the waterfront and enjoy the intense southern equatorial sunshine.

When we were all ready to go, we made tracks to Albert Park, located a stones throw away from the hustle and bustle of the financial district and next to Auckland University. The park has the perfect number of trees, providing a nice combination of shade and sun, a picturesque fountain in the middle and perfectly manicured lush green lawns. Albert Park also provides stunning views of the Sky Tower, the largest building in Auckland at 1000 feet.

Albert Park was only a warm-up for what was to come on the Coast to Coast tour. We weaved our way through the complex layout of streets and parks of Auckland all afternoon. Every single park we strolled through was perfectly manicured, free of trash, and almost looked like something out of Pleasantville (a make believe world where everything is perfect). The fall colors added shades of orange, red and yellow to the scenery. Simply stunning…

We’re positive we wouldn’t have discovered gems like, Auckland Domain, Mount Eden, or One Tree Hill Domain if we didn’t jump right into the walking tour with Shelby and Dustin. Every single one of the nearly empty parks was immaculate, each with its own character, but all very inviting whether it was for running, walking, cricket, rugby, dog walking, or simply checking out the amazing views of the city.

If we missed these spectacular parks, we would have missed something very special within Auckland and would have likely departed Auckland with the same sentiment as others; it’s just a big industrial and corporate city.

The glorious parks definitely made Auckland worth the stop. For those who make it to Auckland, we suggest you get out of the city center, pack a picnic, grab your Frisbee, and enjoy the lush green, open-space.