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Top Places:
Auckland city - includes,
The Sky Tower, Viaduct
Harbour & Auckland's
beaches, Mt Eden, One Tree Hill,
Devonport and
Takapuna. Hauraki
Gulf including Rangitoto
and Waiheke Islands. Waitakeries,
Piha.
The
Auckland region stretches from the wild and expansive west coast beaches of
the Tasman Sea, to the white sand coastline of the mighty Pacific Ocean to
the east. This region represents only 2% of New Zealand's land area but the
population is bigger than the South Island, the biggest island in New Zealand.
This region is a marine playground, a gateway to New Zealand, a centre for
commerce, entertainment and education.
Auckland city in the Auckland region contains one third of the country's population. The city also has the largest Polynesian
population in the world, so it is a unique blend of Polynesian and European culture,
with an increasing Asian influence.
The
Auckland region is made up of four cities (Auckland, Manukau, North Shore
and Waitakere) and three districts (Franklin, Papakura and Rodney). Within
this boundary there are 48 volcanic cones, 22 regional parks and 50 islands,
all set against two magnificent harbours, the Waitemata and the Manukau.
In addition to the beautiful
setting, there is fantastic shopping, more than 900 restaurants, 50 adventure
activities, 45 picturesque vineyards and 500 km of walking tracks.
Auckland
was the home of the Americas Cup (the worlds greatest yachting trophy,
but has recently moved to Switzerland, but you can still visit the America's
Cup Village. Other Yachting Berths in the Hauraki Gulf are populated by some
of the worlds most expensive yachts. In fact Auckland has the world's highest
proportion of boats per person in the world. This is why Auckland is called
the "City of Sails".
Auckland's
east coast has many white sandy beaches suitable for swimming. The west coast
is much more rugged and favours surfing. The sand here is a grey to black
colour. The west coast's most famous beach is Piha which has some huge surf
at times and there are many good walks through lush native bush in the surrounding
area.
Auckland
city comprises only a small but important part of this region. The city is
located on a spectacular harbour which contains many islands like 'Waiheke',
a popular holiday area. The island is accessible from downtown Auckland by
a 20 minute ferry ride, from the city centre. This island is continually in
holiday mode and there are many fine beaches and beautuful holiday homes nestled
amongst the bush clad hills. Other islands in the harbour or further out in
the Hauraki Gulf include Great Barrier Island, Little Barrier Island and Rangitoto
Island. Rangitoto is a famous Auckland landmark, and can be seen from many
vantage points in the city. This island is actually a young volcano, and is
a protected wilderness area.
The region attracts many
Film Makers. Productions such as the famous Xena & Hercules series were filmed
here, while other productions such as Lord of the Rings were filmed close
by.
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