auckland help

[sunsetme]

we will be arriving in auckland the day before our cruise.What is the best way to see the city sites. I know there is a hop on hop off bus and the Link. which is better? Are ATMS easy to find and what type of cards do they take?

thanks.

[Weather Bunny]

We also are trying to set up a tour for about 16 of us, if any one has info for hiring a bus.

[roscoe39]

we will be arriving in auckland the day before our cruise.What is the best way to see the city sites. I know there is a hop on hop off bus and the Link. which is better? Are ATMS easy to find and what type of cards do they take?

thanks.

 

 

heya jdecter., atms are everywhere...you wont have a problem..visa and mastercard are aceptable in the machines and if you are sticking to the main tourist areas they are on just about every corner. Yes there is a good "get on get off" bus. a free city bus., and a "link bus" which links the main tourist areas.... the downtown ship terminal is pretty central...if your advernturous you could have a pleasant walk and fill the day in nicely Do you have any ideas what you would like to see ? Kelly Tarltons underwater world..? War Memorial Museum., Parnells fashion area or just Ponsonbys cafe area?

[KiwiIan]

We also are trying to set up a tour for about 16 of us, if any one has info for hiring a bus.

See the post you made to KiwiIan, make a direct contact for more info on Auckland options, sure you will find me.

[Tyrkitty]

Would it be possible to take the bus and get out to Tamaki Drive for a walk - or is that just too far. I was thinking maybe you could get to it from the bus stop at Eden gardens or Mt Eden. I just found this thread and will continue to monitor for more info. We will be in Auckland April 24th on the Sapphire Princess.

[WeRockChalkKU]

Thanks for the info here....I'll hopefully be using it.

[roscoe39]

Would it be possible to take the bus and get out to Tamaki Drive for a walk - or is that just too far. I was thinking maybe you could get to it from the bus stop at Eden gardens or Mt Eden. I just found this thread and will continue to monitor for more info. We will be in Auckland April 24th on the Sapphire Princess.

 

 

hi...yes there is a bus going out to Tamaki drive., they are suburban routes., going to Mission Bay and St Heliers which drive along Tamaki Drive. I would suggest going to the ST Heliers stop and walking back through Mission Bay, (shops restaurants and bars) along the water front. I walk there to Kelly Tarltons Museum in about 40 minutes as a power walk, you could dawdle along and take a bit longer...... It would be a further 40 minute walk back to the pier from Kelly Tarltons.

It is doable just depends on your fitness level and desire to do it, or you could pick up the free bus after doing Kelly Tarltons and get a ride back into town.

Mount Eden is a different story...you would either take a bus there ( I would recommend a taxi) but then you would need to take a bus back into town before then routing to St Heliers.... two completely different directions.

 

There are a couple of transport options you may want to look at if you wanted to go other than Taxi., the Red bus and the get on get off bus for doing the inner city route which will cover most of the tourist spots if you only have a day.,....but I do recommend Ponsonby as a stop....some great bars and cafes and shopping in a character area and a 15 minute walk or 5 minute drive from the port. Unfortunatley our Train system isnt up to speed yet (!)

roscoe

[Tyrkitty]

roscoe39: So glad I found this thread. Thanks for the info about the Tamaki Drive area. Now I have a lot more info to explore. It sounds like Auckland is an easy city to navigate with public transportation. We will be there only from 9:00 a.m to 5:30 so will need to have a good plan.

[roscoe39]

roscoe39: So glad I found this thread. Thanks for the info about the Tamaki Drive area. Now I have a lot more info to explore. It sounds like Auckland is an easy city to navigate with public transportation. We will be there only from 9:00 a.m to 5:30 so will need to have a good plan.

..

 

 

Can I add another suggestion to the places to visit.... Devonport is a 15 minute ferry ride across the harbour. Its a pretty victorian suburb with some beutiful views of auckland and the harbour and has some great artisan shops and cafes... The terminal is just beside where the ship will be docked and if its a calm day the sea trip is worth it.

 

Hope you enjoy our fair city...roscoe

[SheilaNC]

We used both the bus throughout Auckland and the ferry to Devonport on our last trip to Auckland and concur with the suggestions that Roscoe gave. Auckland is easy to do on your own and walking is a good way to meet Kiwis and learn the city. We really enjoyed some time in Devonport (another good walking town).

[Tyrkitty]

roscoe39 and spengle: Now I'm going to put you both on the spot with a choice for us. Since we are only stopping in Auckland April 24, 2008 for a short day (the sad part about cruising), I guess we will have to decide between these two options. We will only be in port 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 and of course it sometimes takes a little time to get off the ship and we are not the type to come back last minute. I went to the Devenport website and it looks like a charming place. We enjoy walking and meeting people - I'm not particularly interested in Kelly Tarltons or shopping. I'm a scenery person. Knowing this what do you think sounds best the ferry to Devenport for lunch and a short tour/walk or leisurly (if it is a 80 min power walk for you I'm sure we would be fine) do the Tamaki walk from ST Heliers back to the pier having lunch some where along the way. Decisions-Decisions. Thanks for your suggestions.

[SheilaNC]

OK, I'll bite. Remember, I don't know your likes and dislikes so this is just my opinion. I'd check the ferry schedule to Devonport (it's only a short ride) and try to get off of the ship as early as you can to get an early ferry. Then I'd go to Devonport (the ferry terminal isn't far from your ship). Take a walk to the highest point (I forget what it's called but it's obvious) and take fabulous pictures of Auckland and harbor from there. Wander around Devonport for a couple of hours stopping for a snack or coffee. Ferry back to Auckland and use the hours left to wander the streets downtown (include the university campus park) stopping to have lunch when the spirit moves you. This should give you a good idea of downtown Auckland. OR you could hop one of the free buses for a swing around Auckland including Parnell and eat there, then back on the bus to the harbor area. I know this sounds like a lot but it's doable and will give me a greater look at the area than either or.... IMHO

[Tyrkitty]

spengle: Thanks for planning our day. I really do appreciate the time you took to work all of that out. It is so wonderful to actually be able to get advice from others who have done things. I just don't want to feel we have to pay for excursions at every port. I am feeling very comfortable planning a day on our own in Auckland. I have heard how friendly people are in New Zealand and this will be a good chance to meet some of the locals.

[notentirelynormal]

Weather Bunny,

I've been dealing with these guys and found them to be reasonably priced and very responsive to my questions (I'm doing a group of 19)

 

http://www.goldlinenz.com/

[roscoe39]

roscoe39 and spengle: Now I'm going to put you both on the spot with a choice for us. Since we are only stopping in Auckland April 24, 2008 for a short day (the sad part about cruising), I guess we will have to decide between these two options. We will only be in port 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 and of course it sometimes takes a little time to get off the ship and we are not the type to come back last minute. I went to the Devenport website and it looks like a charming place. We enjoy walking and meeting people - I'm not particularly interested in Kelly Tarltons or shopping. I'm a scenery person. Knowing this what do you think sounds best the ferry to Devenport for lunch and a short tour/walk or leisurly (if it is a 80 min power walk for you I'm sure we would be fine) do the Tamaki walk from ST Heliers back to the pier having lunch some where along the way. Decisions-Decisions. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

Spengle is right on....I would recommend Devonport for that sort of timing...also behind the village is Moutn Victoria. An extinct volcanoe which has a great view of the city and environs., its not a hard walk to the top and on a nice day it cant be beaten. Hope you enjoy your time!