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| Home - City Guide - Auckland - City Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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City Overview It used to be joked that, when arriving in New Zealand, visitors should turn their watches back thirty years. One look at Auckland with its vibrant waterfront life - not for nothing is it called the 'City of Sails' - and its busy downtown district, and it is soon clear that the joke is well past its sell-by date. Auckland may not be New Zealand's capital, that distinction going to Wellington, but it is the country's largest city and its major gateway for most travellers. Just over 300km (190 miles) from the northern tip of the North Island, Auckland bestrides a narrow isthmus, the city's districts weaving their way round bays and harbours, large and small. In and around the city are numerous rugged hills, reminders of the eruption from 48 volcanoes that created the isthmus some 50,000 years ago. Fortunately, it was around 1250 that a volcano last erupted. When the first Polynesians arrived here by canoe some 600 years ago - they quickly cultivated the fertile land and built villages on the hilltops. The settlements flourished but by the time Europeans arrived in 1839, tribal warfare and disease had decimated the Maori populations. In 1840, the British bought land in the Auckland area from the local Maori tribe and made it their capital city, Auckland, which it remained until 1865, when Wellington took over. As well as the harbours and fertile land, the city's maritime climate was appealing. Its situation by the sea means that it never gets too hot in summer or too cold in winter. There may be occasional frosts in wintertime (June to August), but seldom anything too severe, while summer temperatures usually stay in the mid-20s Celsius (upper-70s Fahrenheit), although it can become quite humid. Such a climate leads naturally to a healthy - and hedonistic - outdoor lifestyle. Although exact figures vary, it is said that there are more boats per capita here than in any other city in the world. There are over 500km (310 miles) of walking trails within Greater Auckland, as well as 22 leafy parks, but when the city palls its inhabitants escape to the offshore Hauraki Gulf Islands, or up the coast to one of the country's most beautiful spots, the Bay of Islands. Boats to the islands leave from the ferry terminal on Auckland's waterfront, recently regenerated for the 2000 Americas Cup. Slightly east of here is Queen Elizabeth Square, and running south from the Square is Queen Street. This is the city's main thoroughfare, on which stands the impressive Auckland Town Hall. Queen Street eventually reaches Karangahape Road, which everyone calls K Road, and between K Road and the waterfront is the heart of Auckland City. To the southeast is the sophisticated Parnell district, with the Auckland Museum and Auckland Domain Park, while to the northwest of the centre is Herne Bay and Ponsonby. These are the hip and happening areas, with bohemian bars and cafÉs. To support this lifestyle requires a prosperous economy, and that is what Auckland is re-experiencing after a few years in the doldrums. Tourism - the country's biggest earner - is on the up, with a knock-on effect for the city's other sectors, such as business and finance. It may not be quite 'boom city', but Auckland is certainly blossoming |
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