Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Sightseeing Around Auckland

The best part about traveling by car or RVing in New Zealand– you can eat when you’re hungry, rest when you’re tired, see what you want to see, and never have to worry about the tour bus pulling out while you’re in the bathroom. And by the way, it’s not a bathroom in New Zealand. You better check the Kiwi Dictionary on that one.
Winter Garden
Photo By: peter kurdulija

While you’re in Auckland, you’ll want to visit the Auckland Museum. In the Auckland Domain near Parnell, you’ll find the Winter Garden and the Museum, which was combined with a war memorial in 1929. The Auckland Museum has guided tours and a Maori Cultural Performance most days as well as special events. Through April 10, their special exhibit Wonderland: The Magic of the Rose, will tell you everything you wanted to know about this popular flower. If you like music, the NZTrio has a concert series in the museum’s auditorium. To find out what’s happening at the museum while you’re in Auckland, try the Auckland Museum’s Event”s Calendar.

Moka
Photo By: kiwi love usa

If you’re interested in Blues, Pop, Heavy Metal, or anything else that has a melody or makes a noise, the Concert & Gig Guide will help you find it. For loud noise and plenty of action, catch a New Zealand Warriors game. New Zealand’s rugby team has a few home games in the coming months.

Wade McKinnon
New Zealand Warriors
Photo By: paddy napper

A little more dignified than a rugby game, Auckland’s Cup Week is at Ellerslie March 6-13. Said to be New Zealand’s richest and biggest thorough bred racing event, this three day party has fancy horses and fancy ladies. Kiwis always like a party and their Birdcage Bash is big– and exclusive. To get in, you have to be at least 18 years old– New Zealand’s legal age to drink, and you have to dress snazzy. This event is known for its fashion and glamour. Don’t expect to show up in a pair of shorts and jandals.

The Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat) has a little of everything from trams to an aviation collection covering over 100 years of New Zealand transportation. On the Great North Road, next to Western Springs Park, Motat’s aviation collection is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It includes the only Solvent Mark IV Flying Boat in the world and also one of the few remaining WW2 Avro Lancaster Bombers. Restored steam trains are also a popular part of Motat. For operating days, see Motat. A collection of operating tram cars covers 120 years of steam, cable, and electrical tram traction.
Number 248 runs from Motat’s Great South Road site past the zoo to Motat’s Motion Road site
Melbourne Tram at Motat
Photo By: AA654

If you enjoy speedway racing, or just want to get a little mud in your face, catch the Midget World Series or the Spring Car Classic at Western Springs Speedway. A circle track, six classes race here including midgets, springs and motorcycles. Most Saturday nights between November and March, you can find US and Kiwi drivers competing for the chance to tear up their car or tear up their body in the chase for the trophy. A natural amphitheater, the Western Springs Stadium holds 30,000 for sports events and 50,000 for large music concerts.
Crash at Western Springs
Photo By: westernferret

While I’m not a fan of organized tours, I like to take a tour of any new city just to get a feel for the city and figure out what’s out there that I might want to visit. The Auckland Explorer Bus, a hop on, hop off sightseeing bus tour runs all day and offers free hotel/motel pickup. Leaving the Ferry Building at the end of Queen Street, the Auckland Explorer Bus stops at fourteen Auckland attractions including: Kelly Tarlton’s, the Auckland Museum, Mt. Eden, Auckland Zoo, and Motat. Western Springs Speedway is on nearby Stadium Road.

Plan your New Zealand trip your way. If you travel by car or RV in New Zealand, spend time exploring those spots you’d like to visit. Sometimes the things you remember most are the unexpected surprises or unique people you meet in another country. Auckland has many unexpected surprises.

Lyn Harris

RV in NZ: How to Spend Your Winters South in New Zealand

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Getting around New Zealand you might want to check into Naked bus. It's different from Intercity Coach Passes. Cost is per trip and a good value for longer trips. It doesn't cover ferry travel but it is the cheapest travel pass.
I've used it and found bargains. Bus travel is easy as stops are usually in the middle of town.
Eldon

Unknown said...

Nice Reading. Thanks

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Anonymous said...

I've used it too. It's priced per trip and good for 12 months. Downside is you need to book in advance.
Amanda

Anonymous said...

We'd like to rent a car with hand controls? Can we? My sister has MS and uses a wheel chair. We'd like to share the driving.
Meghan

Lyn said...

Try this link. I know nothing about this company, but most New Zealand companies are easy to work with and very honest.

http://www.restnztours.co.nz/accessible.cfm

Lyn

Emilie Esnault said...

Dear Lyn,

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Our editorial team has selected your blog for our program "Travelavenue favorite blog 2010"

Could you please give me your mail? I will present you our program in details.

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emilie@travelavenue.com
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victorian inn bed and breakfast said...

The Auckland Domain is the city's oldest park and is spacious and diverse. The 75 hectare park has been developed around the cone of an extinct volcano.

The 'tuff rings' created by volcanic activity thousands of years ago can be seen in the land contours and forms a natural amphitheatre with about 10 hectares developed as first-class sports fields.

victorian inn bed and breakfast said...

Recreational vehicle travel is the best travel for the road trip traveling. It includes all the facilities and amenities that you do enjoy your destination journey so much, and without the hassle of anything as well.

Anonymous said...

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Unknown said...

New Zealand is beautiful tourist’s destination; the country has amazing landscapes. The cities like Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown are really gorgeous. Tourists defiantly would like to visit Auckland best sightseeing’s - Auckland Sky Tower, Auckland Harbour Bridge, Auckland Zoo, Auckland Beaches, and Auckland Hotels. Evaluate cheapest tickets to Auckland of multiple airlines.