Theatre, Opera, Museum in Auckland

Tools:

There are multitude of tools to help people visiting Auckland make the most of their time. The city is fairly easy to navigate, but there are street signs that show a large i logo that direct you to the nearest visitor centre, which are identified by the same logo, if you get lost.

The Auckland Multipass offers combined entry to Kelly Tarlton's, Sky Tower, Rainbows End and a Fullers cruise to Rangitoto Island for the great price of $99 for an adult and $59 for a child. Passes can be purchased on the site or at any of the four attractions or from a participating i-SITE visitor information centre.

There are also many tours to for people to choose from:
Flying Kiwi Adventure tours offers a unique, award winning, travel experience. The tours are flexible, great fun, outstanding value and cover all areas of NZ. The buses do a continuous loop of New Zealand, which means that you can join and finish at any point on the route. The tours on this site have the most common departure city as the starting point.
Sightseeing from a small plane or helicopter will give you the ultimate view of New Zealand's spectacular geography. Float Plane Services is located at the Ferry Terminal on Auckland Street in Picton Marlborough 7220. Call for more information (021) 704248.

Touring by helicopter is also possible with several companies, including www.helicoptershawkesbay.co.nz/scenicflights.

Adventure Cycles hires out road, mountain and long-term touring bikes. Per day is $20-35 and hours are from 7:30am-7pm Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri. (0800 245 386; 1 Laurie Ave).
Maxx Regional Transport (09-366 6400) publishes an excellent free Cycle Map, available from public buildings such as stations, libraries and i-SITEs. Bikes can be taken on ferries (free) and trains ($1), but only folding bikes are allowed on buses.
For a self-guided tour, Auckland's City Walkor the Waterfront Sculpture Trail passes through one of Auckland's historic quarters. The waterfront offers some of the finest sites for sculpture in the central business district of Auckland city. The Auckland Domain Walk hosts sculptural works by some of New Zealand's leading artists.

Attractions

Sky Tower is the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere and the 13th tallest member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It is 328 m (1,076 ft) tall and has excellent panoramic views. A definitive feature of Auckland's skyland, this is a major landmark.
A trip up the Sky Tower is $25 per adult, which is complimentary if you have a lunch or dinner reservation at Orbit or The Observatory.

Auckland's Sky City Casino is located within the magnificent Sky Tower.

SkyJump is one of New Zealand's most thrilling tourist attractions. SkyJump can be described as Base Jumping while attached to a wire - just like a movie stunt man. You fall at approximately 85kph for around 11 seconds.
For the less daring, there is a spectacular view of Auckland while walking around the 1.2 metre wide platform 192 metres up! A full body harness and overhead safety lines keep you safe as you walk the edge of Sky Tower's pergola.
If you would prefer to climb 300 metres above street level up the Skytower. An exhilarating experience with a breathtaking view!

Auckland is home to the world's first harbour bridge Bungy Jump. As part of the Bungy experience you'll enjoy an exclusive bridge walk out to the specially-constructed and sensationally-suspended retro 'Bungy pod'. It's here you'll build up the courage to leap out over the Waitamata Harbour.

Auckland Town Hall is a concert hall considered to have some of the finest acoustics in the world. This 1911 building serves both council and entertainment functions.

Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World is a well-known aquarium and Antarctic environment in the eastern suburb of Mission Bay, built in a set of former sewage storage tanks, showcasing penguins, turtles, sharks, tropical fish, sting rays and other marine creatures.

Auckland Zoo has 150 species and 500 animals. Zoo encounters, presented by zoo keepers, give you the opportunity to come eye to eye with some amazing creatures
Open everyday from 9:30am to 5:30pm (except Christmas Day), with last admissions into the Zoo at 4:15pm. During winter (1 June to 31 August), the Zoo closes at 5:00pm. Adults $19.00 Child (4 to 15 years) $9.00.

Sheep World & Nature Park presents the best of natural New Zealand. Located 45 minutes north of Auckland's Harbour Bridge, this is the best of New Zealand.

Spas and springs are a vital part of enjoying New Zealand's natural beauty. Spa & Hot Springs Waiwera Thermal Resort and Parakai Springs are some of New Zealand's natural geothermal wonders. There is also YMCA's Tepid Baths offer the original male pool, a 25m 6-lane lap pool and the original female pool, which is an 18m 4-lane leisure pool. Major renovations have included new sauna and steam rooms, an upgraded Fitness Club, upgraded male and female changing rooms, tiled reception entrance and cafe.

Howick Historical Village offers a 7 acre site with gardens and buildings in a Fencible settlement during the 1840 to 1880 period. There are over thirty original colonial buildings collected on site, including schools, a church, forge and general store. Costumed staff work in this living museum.
The museum, cafe and shop are open 7 days a week from 10am to 4pm, all year round. Closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day.

Rainbow's End is over 23 acres of fun, rides, attractions and entertainment. This top theme park is located in Manukau City, just minutes from Auckland International Airport. There are all-day superpasses that covers entry and all-day unlimited rides. Prices for children are $34, with adults entry costing $44.

Parks

New Zealand holds a plethora of parks with a total of 22 conservation parks. In national parks there are staff wearing Department of Conservation uniforms. They can help you with any advice and answer your questions.

Auckland Domain is one of the largest parks in the city. Smaller parks close to the city centre are: Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.

Albert Park is one of Auckland's most important parks.

While most volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now within parks, and retain a more natural character than the surrounding city. Prehistoric earthworks and historic fortifications are in several of these parks, including Mount Eden, North Head and One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie).

Ferries provide transport to parks and nature reserves.

  • Rangitoto- walk to the summit of this black lava volcanic island in the middle of the inner Hauraki Gulf
  • Waiheke Island - wine tasting and beachcombing
  • Motuihe Island
  • Kawau Island - historic Mansion House, once the home of Governor George Grey
  • Tiritiri Matangi - wildlife sanctuary with many endangered birds, including the extremely rare Takahe
  • Great Barrier Island - secluded natural hot springs and historic kauri dam

Theatre

Auckland Civic Theatre is a famous heritage theatre in downtown Auckland. The theatre was the creation of Thomas O'Brien, who built a movie empire in Auckland's inner suburbs in the 1920s. It was renovated in 2000 to its original condition.

Maidment Theatre is located in the heart of Auckland, on the University of Auckland city campus. The theatre seats 450 and a studio theatre seats 105. Both theatres host a variety of professional, community and campus performance throughout the year.

The Silo Theatre has many plays featuring some of New Zealand's finest local and national acting talent.

SKYCITY Theatre hosts many of the best acts in Auckland. The 700 seat theatre features state of the art technology in staging and cinema facilities.

Opera

The site, www.nzopera.com, offers a comprehensive view of opera in new Zealand and allows you to buy tickets on-lie.

The Aotea Centre is a world-class performing arts centre in the Auckland and offers many different events including opera.

Museums

Auckland War Memorial Museum - a large multi-exhibition museum in the Auckland Domain, known for its impressive neo-classicist style. Auckland War Memorial Museum is the custodian of the finest and most important collection of Maori treasures, or taonga, in the world

MOTAT - Auckland's Museum for Transport and Technology, at Western Springs.

New Zealand National Maritime Museum - features exhibitions and collections relating to New Zealand maritime history at Hobson Wharf, adjacent to the Viaduct Basin.

City Art Room - located in the heart of Auckland's art district, neighbouring the Auckland Art Gallery, in a loft-style venue occupying the entire first level of a 1930 historic building. The space provides a welcoming experience for visitors, offering a reading room along with the two exhibition areas.

Auckland Art Gallery - has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand. Exhibiting work from its collection along with a programme of national and international touring exhibitions.

Stardome observatory- in 1967 a bequest from Edith Winstone Blackwell enabled the installation of a 50cm diameter Zeiss telescope - one of the largest in the world available for public viewing. Thirty years later a modern planetarium was added, allowing 'virtual' night sky viewing regardless of the weather.

Update 6/12/2009


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