4 Packed and Amazing Days in Auckland for Newbies

Auckland gets a lot of heat from the rest of New Zealand. While I’m not a Kiwi and don’t want to get into the politics of it all, based on my visit, Auckland is awesome! It’s the largest city in the country, so it receives substantial funding and resources. The harbour is amazing, and there’s a ton to keep you busy! This is how I spent four (ok, more like three and a half) days in this city, and I hope it will inspire you to plan your adventure.

The Auckland Harbour is super nice, and I was lucky enough to stay in a hotel within walking distance. Even during the winter, it was such a beautiful view. You can also take some time to pop in and check prices for visiting some of the islands! Because yes, Auckland has islands!

A very cute boutique shopping and dining street! You can pop into some shops or just walk around. We grabbed lunch from Sushi Train.

Get a post-lunch treat! If you’re looking for some fun twists on classic flavours or want to try the New Zealand specialty hokey pokey in a wacky cone, this is your spot. This was a recommended spot on some other travel blogs, and I see why. You can get flavours like Tatuanui mascarpone and Nutella, ruby lychee strawberry, Hawkes Bay kiwi fruit, or their weekly kitchen experiment!

I tried their matcha hokey pillow, which was matcha ice cream with pieces of hokey pokey and meringue (the pillow part). Put it on one of their normal cones, but you can get one like a colossal squid cone, a selfie frame cone, or the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Cone… and no, I’m not kidding. Those are all real, and there are more.

The ice cream is pretty soft, so take your photos quickly! Otherwise, I really enjoyed it.

Neighbourhood just west of the CBD with a bunch of fun shops and food! I loved walking around here just for its character. The most interesting spot I saw here was an American-themed restaurant called Jolene. It was all decked out for the Fourth of July, with a small petting zoo near the front and a tractor outside bearing a big US flag. It was quite the sight.

Auckland’s oldest neighbourhood! It’s also known to be one of its most affluent areas, with beautiful Edwardian and Victorian architecture. I enjoyed simply walking the streets and getting a feeling for a place outside of the CBD. We also grabbed dinner at 269 Parnell, which features multiple restaurants with outdoor seating. Great spot if everyone wants something different!

Only a two-hour drive away is the Hobbiton Movie Set! Yes, the actual one built for the films and where all the scenes for The Shire were shot. It’s on a family-owned property and has been running as a tourist attraction since 2012. It’s an absolute cannot-miss for fans of the movies or film fanatics in general.

I’d book a mid-morning tour (mine was about 10:10 am), so you have enough time to get there and still have time afterwards to return to Auckland and enjoy your evening.

About 8.3 km outside the CBD, it’s just a really nice, clear beach with great views and restaurants just across the street. Perfect for swimming in the warmer months. I loved just walking along and soaking up the sights.

You can take a nice walk here from St. Heliers Beach! Mission Bay is a lovely beach with a great view of Rangitoto Island and is perfect for watching the sunset. Afterwards, you can grab some dinner! We went to Sumthin Dumplin.

Part of the SkyCity Hotel, the Auckland Sky Tower is an observation deck with some cool views 328 metres (1,076 ft) above the city! The highest observation deck on level 60 is 220 metres (722 ft) above street level. I particularly loved the view of the giant sign that reads “Whatever”. My assumption is this is how Aucklanders feel when the rest of the country hates on them. Entry to observation decks can be purchased online and in person.

If you want to go a little bougie, you can make a reservation at the Orbit 360° Dining Restaurant. Here you can enjoy a nice meal while you slowly spin around, getting views of the city! Your reservation doesn’t include entry to the top observation deck.

This is definitely not for everyone. Honestly, it’s not even for me, but somehow I did it. If it weren’t for my friend I was travelling with wanting to do it, it would have never even crossed my mind.

Modern bungee jumping was actually invented in New Zealand, and they take safety extremely seriously. I did this through AJ Hackett, who has bungee jumping in Auckland, Queenstown, and Taupo. My jump was just my friend and me, so they played a song of our choice, which helped a lot, but you still basically need to overcome your natural instinct not to jump. Thankfully, all the photos and videos are included, since this isn’t a cheap activity! You also get a complimentary t-shirt at the end if that’s any incentive. Who doesn’t love free merch??

Never doing it again, but it’s a cool story to add to my lore.

The sister experience to Weta Workshops in Wellington! This is entirely different, as it focuses on projects that haven’t been developed, so there are no copyright concerns over filming or photography.

You’re taken through three movie concepts: a horror film, a fantasy film, and a sci-fi film. Each section highlights different parts of the movie-making process, from prosthetics and models to sets and animatronics. This tour lasts 90 minutes, and I found it generally entertaining. From an informational standpoint, I preferred the Wellington tour.

This location also has hands-on creative workshops where you can learn worldbuilding and simple prosthetics.

A 40-minute ferry ride away from Auckland, you can visit this amazing island, well known for its vineyards! You could definitely spend a whole day here, but unfortunately that didn’t fit into our itinerary this time around. There is a bus system that makes getting around very easy. It’s also in sync with the ferry to get you back 15 minutes before it leaves, which is every 30 minutes to an hour, but that time does increase the later into the evening you get.

We enjoyed seeing the town of Oneroa and grabbing dinner on the island.

Another tour by one of my favourite providers, I’m Free Walking Tours! The Auckland tour doesn’t run every day as it does in Sydney, so check when you can fit it into your schedule. I would have preferred to do this in the beginning, but I had already booked Hobbiton on the other day it was running, so better late than never!

I really loved how much Māori and early settler history this tour covered. We got to see a ton of cool places, like the Auckland Art Gallery (free entry!) and the Women’s Vote Memorial! Did you know New Zealand was actually the first place to give women the vote? Back in 1893!!

Like the others, this is a pay-what-you-can model.

For a final view of pretty sights before leaving, walk back along the waterfront to see the harbour. You can also go along Westhaven Marina to see boats and yachts and then continue all the way to the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Maybe you can see some people bungee jumping from it!

I generally liked Auckland! My first time in New Zealand was on the South Island, and I primarily stayed in rural areas, so seeing the country’s biggest city was an entirely different experience. I’m always a sucker for a good harbour and spent quite a bit of time there. The city has a ton of cute neighbourhoods and beaches, so make sure to get out of the CBD to explore those.

The only thing I’d never repeat is the bungee jump. Otherwise, it was a great trip!