I’ve been tagged by both Rhian and Wylie to do this meme about my hometown of Auckland.
Best place to eat:
This is such a hard question since my favorite place to eat depends on my mood and my wallet. Hubby and I both enjoy the Belgium Beer Cafe at Mission Bay. It overlooks Mission Beach and is beautiful during the summer when the pohutukawa trees are in full bloom. They specialize in huge pots of mussels done in various ways, which hubby loves. I usually go for the vegetarian option. We both love their beer. My favorite is the raspberry beer – the Framboise.
Best Shopping Mall
I love to shop at Botany Town Center in all weathers, although they don’t have a decent book shop. Actually that’s probably a good thing. Hubby and I buy our groceries here and usually have a coffee and people watch first. It’s quieter when it rains because it’s not all under cover but a little water never worries me. They have an English style pub here along with my favorite clothes store.
Famous Landmark
For me it would have to be Rangitoto Island. The perfect cone of the dormant volcano is visible from most parts of Auckland. It’s the youngest in Auckland’s field of volcanoes. A ferry trip to the island and climbing to the top to eat a picnic lunch is a fun day trip and a good way to tire out the kids.
Best Tourist Attraction
We have a lot of rain in Auckland so how about the Auckland Museum for a rainy day. Soak up the maori culture, check out the carvings and artwork, the sculpture.
Place for Kids
Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic and Underwater World. It’s fun for big kids as well. Check out the sharks and huge stingrays along with the Antarctic Encounter.
Popular Outdoor Activity
It’s got to be the beaches – from the Auckland harbor to the wild West Coast beaches. Take a ferry ride out on the harbor, go yachting or take an afternoon coffee cruise, visit the outer islands or go for a swim. Try surfing. Go fishing. If you’re into water sports we’ve got it all.
Breathtaking Views
For anyone wanting a view of Auckland and the harbor I’d send them to the top of Mount Eden. From here you can see most of the harbor and outlying gulf as well as the other dormant volcanoes and the city. Best of all it’s free.
Only Found in Auckland
The Auckland Sky Tower. Climb to the top in a super fast lift for the views and bungee back down. The tower is also in the photo above.
I’m meant to pick others and tag them now. I choose Christina and Gabriele.
Related posts:
November 6th, 2007 at 12:28 am · Link
OMG – where can I get my ticket?? It looks so lovely!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:20 am · Link
I’d love to go on a proper holiday to NZ so I can visit Auckland again – it was all so rushed at the conference!
And thanks for the tag!
This is going to take a bit of thinking on my part!!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:33 am · Link
New Zealand has always been one of those ‘in my dreams’ spots. Now that you’ve shared a bit of Auckland, I want it ‘even badder’ (I’m an author, I can take liberties with the language, right? *g*)
Just you wait Shelley Munro. Someday I shall show up and expect a drink at the Belgium Beer Cafe!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:59 am · Link
Awww… sounds great!
I’ll be posting mine this weekend. Heh!
November 6th, 2007 at 8:26 am · Link
Beautiful, Shelley! I LOVE that picture of the beach with the red-flowering shrub. Gorgeous. I just did the same hometown post cause Wylie tagged me, too! This is fun visiting everyone’s towns. Easy on the wallet, too.
November 6th, 2007 at 11:21 am · Link
Oh dear. I have tons of pics but none of Göttingen, my hometown. The old adage of I live here, I’ll get some pics one day.
Ok, we don’t have a mall to begin with, and I don’t know places for kids because I have none, but I’ll see if I can come up with pics from the surroundings.
November 6th, 2007 at 11:27 am · Link
Jenyfer – I’d visit Egypt again in a flash so we can exchange tickets.
Christina – maybe we can actually meet this time
Wylie – I’ll get ready with the Belgium beer.
Tempest – I’m looking forward to visiting your home town.
November 6th, 2007 at 11:29 am · Link
Julia – that’s a pohutukawa tree and they’re known as our local Christmas tree since they flower around Dec/Jan. That’s a baby one. The waterfront in Auckland looks beautiful during the summer with all the flowering trees.
Gabriele – pick your favorite place
I’m lucky because Auckland is so spread out. Besides, I love your photos.
November 7th, 2007 at 11:39 am · Link
i wanna come visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you live in one of the coolest place Shell!
November 7th, 2007 at 11:39 am · Link
places. coolest places. sigh.
November 9th, 2007 at 2:55 am · Link
I’m keeping everything crossed for Welly…!
December 17th, 2007 at 9:48 pm · Link
Loved my visit to New Zealand last Christmas. I especially loved the South Island with the wide-open spaces and very little traffic. So much to see and we drove the entire time! I loved the beaches northwest of Auckland as well with the black sands. Shelley, you’re very lucky to live there.