Visitor Information There are two centrally located Auckland visitor centers: i-SITE Visitor Centre-Viaduct Basin, Princes Wharf, Quay and Hobson streets, downtown; and i-SITE Visitor Centre at The Atrium, SKYCITY Auckland, Victoria and Federal streets. Both are open daily from 8am to 8pm. They share a phone number and website (tel. 09/367-6009). The Takapuna i-SITE Visitor Centre, 49 Hurstmere Rd., Takapuna (tel. 09/486-8670), is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm; and Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays 10am to 3pm. The Devonport I-SITE Visitor Centre, 3 Victoria Rd., Devonport (tel. 09/446-0677), is open daily from 8:30am to 5pm. All are closed December 25. Other useful resources include the Department of Conservation Centre (tel. 09/379-6476), which has information on walks, campgrounds, the gulf islands, and the national parks. Online, you'll find endless amounts of information on Auckland at the following websites: Tourism Auckland website Events Auckland website: Comprehensive listings of events in the Auckland region. Maxx website: Auckland bus, ferry, and train information. Kids Auckland website: Information for parents and families. AK City website: The Auckland City Council's guide to events in the city. The North Shore NZ website: Information on the North Shore. The Destination Waitakere website: A source of information about the primary wine region of Auckland. The Manukau website: Information on Manukau City. The Great Barrier NZ website: Information on Great Barrier Island. The DOC website: The Department of Conservation's information on the national parks and marine reserves. The Waiheke NZ website: Information on Waiheke Island. Special Events The annual Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta (tel. 09/534-8186) attracts local and international entrants on the last Monday in January. Held in Windsor Reserve in late February, the Devonport Food & Wine Festival (tel. 09/446-0688 or 09/445-3011) offers nonstop entertainment, samples from 20 wineries, and food galore. Jazz, classical music, and opera play a part. The Auckland Festival (tel. 09/309-0117), a premier arts and cultural event held in the last week of September, celebrates Auckland's distinct characteristics -- especially its Pacific style. The next festival will be staged in 2009. Air New Zealand Fashion Week, held in October, presents over 60 New Zealand designers to the world. International buyers and media arrive to check out fashion that is rapidly becoming a "must-see" on the global fashion map; visit the NZ Fashion Week website for details. The fun Round the Bays Run (tel. 09/525-2166), held in late March, attracts runners from around the South Pacific, who participate in the 8km (5-mile) run around the central bays. It ends with a barbecue in one of the city's parks. The Royal Easter Show (tel. 09/638-9969), held at the Epsom Showgrounds, focuses on excellence in agriculture and animal husbandry, with fresh produce stalls and the biggest carnival in New Zealand. November brings New Zealand's premier garden and outdoor-living event, the Ellerslie Flower Show (tel. 09/309-7875), at the Auckland Regional Botanic Garden. It's the largest garden exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. Staying Safe Personal safety is always a matter of common sense. Police cameras have been installed in several city areas to reduce crime, but it still pays to be vigilant. Much like public parks anywhere, the Auckland Domain is a place to avoid after dark. And it pays to take care at night in Albert Park and the Aotea Square area. Maori Auckland In Maori, Auckland is known as Tamaki-Makau-Rau -- "the city of 100 lovers." The name is appropriate, for the area was desired by all and conquered by many. More than 18 Maori tribes have had claims to Auckland at one time or another. The first Maori settlers arrived in Hauraki Gulf about 1,000 years ago; the earliest Maori settlement, a site at Motutapu Island dating to the 1100s, was apparently buried under volcanic dust from the Rangitoto eruption. Of the 48 volcanic cones dotting Auckland's landscape, almost all wear the distinctive horizontal terracing that denotes a Maori pa site. A pa is essentially a fort built in a high place to defend the Maori people. |
