DONNA PECK

PUBLISHED IN: Coastal Living; Global Traveler; Preservation Magazine; Marin at Home; Wine Country Living; San Francisco Magazine; Los Angeles Magazine, Lighting Homestyle travel section; San Francisco Chronicle website sfgate.com; Smart Meetings; Meetings West.

SPECIALTIES: New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Finland, Iceland, England, Wales, France, Italy, Switzerland, California, USA, Adventure travel, eco-tourism, food and wine travel, lifestyle resorts and destinations, the arts. #149;

BOOKS: ACCESS California Wine Country, ACCESS San Francisco, San Francisco In-Cityguide, Romantic Days and Nights in San Francisco, Driving the Pacific Coast, Nevada Off the Beaten Path.

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Harboring a Treasure
Auckland embodies the best of New Zealand’s unspoiled coast

by Donna Peck, Global Traveler magazine

If you fantasize about changing your life, Auckland’s bustling economy, unpolluted air and fresh ocean breezes, may entice you into leaving home. Such things occur. Jeffrey Masson records in Slipping into Paradise how he wandered into an Auckland suburb onto a beach of breathtaking beauty—where he discovered a bungalow for sale. From his living room window he now gazes upon golden sand, red flowering pohutukawa and a quiet bay strewn with volcanic islands.
  
A cloak of darkness hid such temptations the evening I arrived at New Zealand’s largest city, located between the Tasman Sea and Hauraki Gulf. But as I trudged up Queen Street from the railway station, the air was unmistakably sea-scented. The following day, bright sunshine revealed coastline far and near, huge harbors and sailboat-laden marinas.

Sailing and commerce dominate Aucklanders’ consciousness. Because of the unrelenting rise of office towers, condominiums and multimillion-dollar improvement projects, it’s a city of cranes as well. The Sky Tower, a handy landmark, is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere rising 1,076 feet above a compact central business district. Nearly a third of New Zealand’s four million citizens live in the Auckland region, generating 35 percent of the national GDP.  Thirty airlines provide direct passenger and freight service while shipping companies transport goods between 160 ports in 73 countries. International commerce plies air routes and shipping lanes.

Polynesian voyagers, the Maori, were the first to recognize the region’s potential. They paddled into Hauraki Gulf around the year 1000 and established fortified villages atop extinct volcanoes. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sailed by in 1643, naming the land Nieuw Zeeland, after Zeeland in the Netherlands.

British immigrants came in the mid- to late-19th century and in 1840 Britain annexed New Zealand. Maori lands expropriated by the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi are now gradually being returning to their keeping. A cultural renaissance is underway. The government is also paying for confiscated land and reinstituting Maori names. When you go to Auckland, stand atop One Tree Hill and Mt. Eden and imagine the majestic strongholds that once crowned these volcanic summits. Until 1852 One Tree Hill had a sacred totara tree.

New Zealand has officially become a bilingual country. So say kia ora (key-ah-or-rah)—hello—to Auckland.

Lodging
At both five-star properties and budget accommodations, business travelers receive a warm Kiwi welcome. In keeping with the latest trend, high-end hotels offer apartment-style suites. Choice locations are by the harbor, along Queen Street and in neighborhoods of Parnell and Ponsonby which are 10 to 15 minutes from the central business district.

Hyatt Regency Auckland
The upper floors of the new residence tower have stunning views of Waitemata Harbour. The tower adds 120 rooms, studio suites, one and two bedroom apartments and penthouses; each with balconies and views facing the harbor and city. If you choose one of  hotel’s existing 274 European-style rooms ask for a room that has been recently refurbished overlooking Albert Park. Travelers also appreciate the new health and fitness center, which has a fully equipped gym, heated pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and treatment rooms.
$$$$
Hyatt Regency Auckland
Corner Waterloo Quadrant & Princes Sts
Auckland, New Zealand
tel 64 9 355 1234, fax 64 9 302 3269
www.auckland.regency.hyatt.com

Stamford Plaza
This highly functional hotel in the central business district pampers guests on both fronts: business and leisure. The Stamford comes through for business travelers with  an executive center, rooftop pool and sleek modern furnishings in 310 rooms and 19 suites.  If you are into cigars, blow smoke rings in the hotel’s Winston’s Cigar Lounge. At your doorstep  are the harbor’s sidewalk bistros, award-winning restaurants and landscaped walkways.
 $$$
Stamford Plaza
Albert Street
 tel 64 9 309 8888, fax 64 9 379 6445
www.stamford.com.au

The Hilton Auckland
If you want to stay in the city’s new waterfront icon, check into this cruise liner-shaped hotel. A well-designed presence on Princes Wharf, it juts 1,000 feet into the sea. The hotel’s 201 rooms and apartments, have balconies, wraparound decks and floor-to-ceiling windows, making the harbor a constant presence. With the preponderance of glass walls in the lobby cocktail lounge, fine-dining restaurant and gym, wear sunscreen. Chef Geoff Scott has made White a showcase for the best local seafood, regional specialties and premium wines. It’s one of the best restaurants in Auckland.
$$$$
The Hilton Auckland
Princes Wharf, 147 Quay Street
Auckland, New Zealand
tel 64 9 978 2000, fax 64 9 978 2001
www.auckland.hilton.com

Dining
Food regarded as delicacies elsewhere is commonplace in Kiwi cuisine. New Zealand’s favorites include Clevedon oysters, green-lipped mussels, crayfish (lobster), paua (abalone) and Rotorua’s rainbow trout. New Zealand’s diverse range of climates allows the harvesting of an abundance of fresh produce. Queen Street, the waterfront, Ponsonby and Parnell offer the best dining—and shopping. Ponsonby, west of the central business district, has 60 cafes, restaurants and bars. Parnell, just east of downtown, has sidewalk bistros, boutiques in historic wood buildings with lovely rose gardens. Menus are on view at each location. Note that entrees are first courses and mains are main courses. Sidewalk cafés in all four  areas invite you to linger over a flat white (cappuccino) and people-watch.
 
French Café   
Open for more than 17 years, and frequent winner of Auckland’s Metro Magazine top award, the French Café serves European-inspired cuisine of the highest quality. Try the  roasted crayfish tail (lobster) with carrot puree and baby cress or the roast duck with kumara (sweet potato) mash, tangelo compote and steamed bok choy. Main courses range from $22 to $32.
French Café   
210B Symonds Street
tel 64 9 377 1911
www.thefrenchcafe.co.nz

Cibo
Aucklanders call chef Kate Fay a culinary artist and adventurer. They also call Cibo their favorite restaurant and dine here frequently. Housed in a former chocolate factory, the restaurant has a calm, regal decor. Main courses may include chili-pickled tuna with pancetta lime risotto and parmesan broth or peppered cervena (venison) with caramelized shallots green onions and morels. Expect to pay $60–$75 per person. 
Cibo Restaurant
91 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell
tel 64 9 303 9660
http://cibo.co.nz

Occidental Belgian Beer Cafe
At this historic brasserie on Vulcan Lane, the dish to order is Auckland's famed green-lipped mussels which come grilled or in steaming pots. Other hearty fare compliments the Belgian and local beer. Ribeye steak is served on potato rosti with mushrooms and bacon sauce. My favorite was a salad of pan-fried salmon served on a warm salad of pepper, red onion, green  beans and olives. At lunch or dinner main courses run from $10 to $12.
Occidental Belgian Beer Cafe
6-8 Vulcan Lane, off Queen St.
tel 64 9 300 6226
www.belgian-beer-cafe.co.nz

Sightseeing
Begin at the Sky Tower (corner Victoria Street and Federal Sts, tel 64 9 363 6000, www.skytower.co.nz), for a bird’s-eye view of the entire Auckland region. Don’t be startled by jumpers in blue suits.—the upper observation deck is home of the Sky TowerJump (64 9 368 1835, www.skyjump.co.nz).

Descend to street level, hop on the Explorer Bus to visit Auckland’s top attractions and shopping districts (www.explorerbus.co.nz). Be sure to stop at the museums. The Auckland Art Gallery (corner Kitchener and Wellesley Sts, tel 64 9 307 7700, www.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz) has works by New Zealand artists Colin McCahon, Frances Hodgkins and John Kinder as well as outstanding works by Maori and Pacific Island artists. The Auckland War Memorial Museum (Auckland Domain, 64 09 309 0443, www.akmuseum.org.nz) presents a haka dance performance, and has a carved Maori meeting house, and 75-foot war canoe once rowed by 100 warriors.

In good sailing weather, experience the thrill of crewing on an America’s Cup yacht. Two-hour sailings depart daily from Viaduct Harbour (tel 64 9 359 5987,  www.sailnewzealand.co.nz)

Slip into the rural life at Waiheke Island (www.visitwaiheke.co.nz). Board a Fuller ferry at the Ferry Building (Quay Street, 64 9 367 9111, www.fullers.co.nz.) for a short 35-minute cruise through Hauraki Gulf. As you explore Waiheke, a 12-mile-long hilly green island, you’ll encounter tranquil bays, countryside lanes with artists’  studios, fine restaurants and world-famous vineyard estates. Taste island-grown wines at Mudbrick Vineyard (Church Bay Road, 64 9 372 9050, www.mudbrick.co.nz) and Stonyridge Vineyard, where lunch is served on a terrace overlooking grassy hillsides and an olive grove (80 Onetangi Road, 65 9 372 8822, www.stonyridge.co.nz). Check online at www.waihekewine.co.nz for a complete list of wineries.

The unspoiled wilderness of Tasman Sea and Waitakere Ranges is also at Auckland’s doorstep. Hike in the wild, damp, shadowy bush of nikau palms, rimu, miro and kauri where tui birds trill sweetly. You can also swim beneath a 15-foot-deep torrent of crystal blue water. (Bush and Beach, tel 64 9 575 1458, www.bushandbeach.co.nz).
 
Shopping
The shops on and around Queen Street stock souvenirs, Maori wood carvings, jade jewelry, sheepskin and leather goods. The staff at the Country Collection, (105 Queen Street (tel 64 9 302 0397, www.possumsocks.com) will explain the different grades of merino wool and other natural fibers. If you are into high-end fashion, check out the cutting-edge designs of Karen Walker (15 O' Connel Street, tel 64 9 309 6299, www.karenwalker.com).

Nightlife
Queen Street’s Aotea Square houses the city’s movie theaters and performing arts complex.

Offerings at ASB Theatre range from the Russian Ballet to New Zealand’s Pacific Islander dance troupe Black Grace. The Civic Theatre was recently transformed in Middle-earth for a stage production of the Hobbit. (Aotea Centre Box Office, Queen St, tel 64 9 307 5000, www.ticketek.co.nz)

INFO TO GO sidebar
International flights arrive at Auckalnd International Airport (AKL) www.auckland-airport.co.nz. Air New Zealand (tel 800 262 1234, www.airnewzealand.com/usa) flies direct from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu  to Auckland. From other U.S. cities, daily flights are available with code share partners United Airlines and US Airways. Air New Zealand’s premium-class passengers have contour lie-flat seats. Qantas (tel 800 227 4500, www.Qantasusa.com ) offers non-stop service from Los Angeles to Auckland.. A taxi from the airport to downtown takes about 20 minutes and costs about $50. Private Transfers and Tours picks up at the airport for $68 (tel 64 9 419 1556, www.privatetransfers.co.nz). A car rental costs around $47 a day and remember that New Zealanders drive on the left. Rail service is limited to the Overlander which travels between Wellington and Auckland, arriving at the Britomart Station at 7:20 p.m. (fare $98; www.tranzscenic.co.nz). For more information contact Tourism New Zealand, (24-hour tel 866 639 9325, www.newzealand.com). The best way to navigate the city is by bus.  The free City Circuit bus loops through the central business district, hitting each stop every 10 minutes.