\u201cIsthmus\u201d only entered my vocabulary when I moved to Auckland. If Aotearoa is a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, then this city is the definition in meta \u2013 surrounded, backdropped and delineated by water. Everyone loves a beach on a sunny day, but when the wind is really wild, take a walk on a wharf. Cornwallis is a charmer, but my new favourite is Okahu Bay Wharf, near Kelly Tarlton\u2019s on T\u0101maki Drive. Long and narrow, it really feels like you\u2019re standing in the middle of the ocean with bonus views of the downtown CBD skyline. (Carry on to Mission Bay where, according to the Tip Top customer care team, the K\u0101piti Store is the only place in Auckland you can still buy a scoop of the fig and honey ice cream it\u2019s no longer selling by the tub). \u2013 Kim Knight<\/p>\n
2. Auckland Council\u2019s free waterparks<\/p>\n
The words \u201cfree\u201d and \u201cactivity\u201d barely go hand-in-hand when it comes to legitimate entertainment for tamariki. So, three years ago when I discovered kids under 16 can use Auckland Council pools for free, I headed to the Albany Stadium Pool with my then-3-year-old and was seriously impressed. There were slides, lots of water features, play water cannons and multi-depth areas, meaning it was safe even for the littlest of legs. It was also super clean, which impressed this germ-averse mother. It only costs me $1 to go along with my son, and it\u2019s a genuine perk of living in Auckland that I feel not enough parents know about. \u2013 Jenni Mortimer<\/p>\n
The Hollywood cinema in Avondale is a movie-lovers’ paradise. Photo \/ Regan Schoultz <\/p>\n
3. Hollywood cinema<\/p>\n
There is so much that is shiny and new and flashy in Auckland \u2013 and that\u2019s a great thing. But there\u2019s something to be said for the hidden, historic, charming spots. Like the Hollywood. In the heart of Avondale, this cinema is about to turn 110 and claims to be New Zealand\u2019s longest-running cinema palace. Outside, it looks every bit the glamorous movie star, and inside, it is warm and welcoming and very nostalgic of the days when cinemas had just one screen, an upstairs and a downstairs, and the seats squeaked rather than reclined. The team running it are film fanatics, and programme everything from new releases to 35mm classics. They host 24-hour movie marathons and music gigs too. For culture vultures of a certain kind, it feels like a home away from home. \u2013 Bridget Jones<\/p>\n
4. Cycle lanes<\/p>\n
Some politicians would have you believe no one in Auckland would pick cycle lanes as their favourite thing about the Super City. But that\u2019s not what I see when I whizz down the dedicated bike path alongside the northwestern motorway every morning, often moving faster than the gridlocked cars next to me. I\u2019ve been riding this route for more than six years now, and every month the number of cyclists doing the same grows. The options are growing too … from my home in Waterview, I can now link up to paths on Te Atat\u016b Peninsula, or head as far west as Massey. I can nip through Pt Chev and down Meola Rd, or cruise across the city to Mission Bay and St Heliers, and much more. It\u2019s an efficient and energising way to get around and the most mindful way to begin and end a workday. As we head towards summer, why not leave the car at home and give it a try? I\u2019ll see you out there. \u2013 Stephanie Holmes<\/p>\n
Victoria Park is the ultimate city oasis. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
5. Victoria Park (and Victoria Park Market)<\/p>\n
By day, this grassy knoll on the fringe of the CBD is home to cricket and rugby trainings, dog walkers and runners, and children playing gleefully on the revamped playground. By night, it\u2019s slowly becoming one of the best festival venues in New Zealand, hosting the likes of Fisher, Diplo, and Shapeshifter against the stunning backdrop of the Auckland Skytower. In short, it\u2019s the ultimate city oasis suitable for just about anything, with an underpass and trees providing good cover for when Auckland\u2019s fickle weather system plays up. The brick market buildings across the road are also a haven for great food and drink, board game get-togethers, kava tastings, and even psychic readings. \u2013 Mitchell Hageman<\/p>\n
Neighbourhood bar Freida Margolis is in a former butcher’s shop in West Lynn. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
6. Neighbourhood bars<\/p>\n
After apartment-living in central Auckland for more than a decade, I was more than ready to move to the suburbs and live a somewhat quieter life. But one thing I was dreading was giving up easy access to the bars and restaurants on my Albert St doorstep. So thank goodness for lovely neighbourhood bars and bistros, like Bar Martin in Mt Albert, Frieda Margolis in West Lynn, Bon Pinard in Birkenhead, Side Hustle in Sandringham and Stafford Road Wine Bar in Northcote Point. These are our real local heroes, serving quality wines and good snacks to suburbanites who want to keep alive the dreams of their younger, more carefree selves. Yes, I still want to go out to be social and feel the buzz of a busy bar. Yes, I also want to be home by 8pm for a peppermint tea while I catch up on Celebrity Traitors UK before a respectable bedtime. These lovely spots are just the places. \u2013 SH<\/p>\n
7. Auckland Art Gallery members\u2019 lounge<\/p>\n
Located on Wellesley St East in the central city, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o T\u0101maki is no secret. But what you might not know is that there\u2019s a beautiful lounge space available to those with a gallery membership. Located on level 2 of the building, surrounded by trees and overlooking Albert Park, it\u2019s a little oasis in the midst of the busyness and provides a quiet spot to relax if you\u2019ve been trotting around the gallery all day. If, like me, you\u2019re lucky enough to know someone with a membership, they can bring you along as a guest. If you\u2019re an art aficionado and visit the gallery often, it\u2019s well worth getting your own, or gifting it to someone else. As well as lounge access, the perks include free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, gift shop and cafe discounts, and event invites. \u2013 Bethany Reitsma<\/p>\n
Kakamatua Inlet is a perfect place for dogs \u2013 and their owners \u2013 to stretch their legs. Photo \/ Janna Dixon<\/p>\n
8. Kakamatua dog beach <\/p>\n
Officially, it\u2019s called Kakamatua Inlet, but we could also crown it Auckland\u2019s very best dog beach for owners in the know. Located in the Wait\u0101kere Ranges, between the Cornwallis peninsula and Huia Bay, about a 40-minute drive from central Auckland, you\u2019ll set off on a short bush walk (along a flat and partly boardwalked path, where your four-legged friend should be on-lead) and end up in paradise. It\u2019s surrounded by stunning native bush, and the tidal flats mean that when you time it right, your dog can run, swim and play (off lead) on the expansive beach and in the stream that runs towards it, while you marvel at the Manukau Harbour ahead of you. Happy dog, happy human, happy days. \u2013 BJ<\/p>\n
9. Takapuna Beach, playground, bars and walk<\/p>\n
While Takapuna Beach itself is nothing to write home about, the vibe of the surrounding area and activities are. Start your morning with a coffee from Takapuna Beach Cafe, followed by a stroll on the beach \u2013 if it\u2019s a Sunday, make your way to the Takapuna Markets. There you\u2019ll find artisan snacks, pastries, toys and a good selection of seasonal produce. When you\u2019re done, head to Takapuna Surf Club and share a pizza as you soak in views of Rangitoto, before letting the kids blow off some steam at Takapuna Beach Reserve Playground \u2013 be sure to leave this bit to last as the playground includes messy water and sand play. If you don\u2019t have kids in tow, add on the Takapuna to Milford walk for gorgeous views and a cardio boost. Everything above is within a 2-5 minute walk from each other, meaning logistics are a breeze. \u2013 JM<\/p>\n
Parnell Baths have been a institution of T\u0101maki Makaurau since 1914. Photo \/ Alex Burton <\/p>\n
10. Parnell Baths<\/p>\n
Courage is not a trait but a practice. It\u2019s the lesson I learn annually, when the Parnell Baths announce their icy opening at the beginning of November. The open-air pools have been an institution of T\u0101maki Makaurau since 1914, after the Parnell Borough Council recognised the growing popularity of saltwater swimming in Judges Bay. It\u2019s a place of embrace for so many. There\u2019s a colourful kids pool, a place for 60 metre laps and several gentle spas for slow-paced soaking. I\u2019ve frequented the salt waters since I was little, and many will share in my fondest memories: working up the nerve to jump off the diving board and sitting snug post-swim in a warm towel with an ice cream in hand. In my adult life, I relish the opportunity to swim outdoors on a regular basis, and there\u2019s no place better to do it. Time has come again for the first dip of the season, which will present a type of cold that plunges deep into your bones and burns in your fingertips and toes. How do you bolster your bravery? Slow breath and steady strokes. \u2013 Madeleine Crutchley<\/p>\n
11. Gondwana Arboretum, Auckland Botanic Gardens<\/p>\n
Nothing will put you in your tiny human place like standing under the spiky shade of a tree with a 150-million-year-old lineage. Auckland\u2019s Botanic Gardens (Hill Rd, Manurewa) are an upfront feast of roses, magnolias and rare native plants, but trek deeper into the 64-hectare property to discover the Gondwana Arboretum \u2013 plots of ancient conifers, cycads and ferns whose ancestors fed the (plant-eating) dinosaurs. BYO picnic and time travel to another world. These are not your regular garden variety plants. \u2013 KK<\/p>\n
Piha Beach with Wait\u0101kere Ranges in the distance. Photo \/ Auckland Unlimited<\/p>\n
12. Wait\u0101kere Ranges<\/p>\n
The Wait\u0101kere Ranges are never the same twice. It\u2019s a place where 1000 dramatic landscapes are squeezed into one section. Black sands, forests, waterfalls, beaches that look beautiful and so turbulent amidst moss greens and cliff browns that slowly fall into shadow. It\u2019s a dramatic colour palette I make far too much of. I always think of Jurassic Park. Because it\u2019s rugged. Because it constantly rises and falls. Because it\u2019s freaking wild. \u2013 Varsha Anjali<\/p>\n
13. Avondale Markets<\/p>\n
Often, when I pop into the supermarket and walk out having spent $30 for three things, there\u2019s a ringing in my ears that says, \u201cThink what you could have got from Avondale Market for that price!\u201d Last Sunday, I left the market having picked up a bounty of very hungry caterpillar proportions: A cucumber, a broccoli the size of my head, an iceberg lettuce, a bunch of beetroot, a bunch of bananas, three massive evercrisp apples, a colander-sized basket of portobello mushrooms and a ($1!) block of fresh tofu. The healthy haul will last me two weeks and cost the grand total of $25. \u2013 Tyson Beckett<\/p>\n
14. Record stores<\/p>\n
As someone who spent much of their 20s living out a version of High Fidelity that was surprisingly true to the source material, I\u2019m unabashedly biased about this one. Back when I was young(ish) and cool(er) I worked at Marbecks in Queens Arcade, where I discovered just how magical music stores can be. From the wacky, wild and wonderful regulars, to the staff who know anything and everything you could ever want to know about pop, rock, reggae, rap, prog or choral records, there are secrets to discover in every corner. Sadly, Marbecks as we know it has closed down and is now operating online only. But there are still plenty of record stores around the city to spend time in \u2013 please pay a visit to Flying Out, Southbound Records, Flying Nun Records, Rebel Soul Records, Real Groovy or any other magical musical spot you come across. You won\u2019t regret it. \u2013 BJ<\/p>\n
Tiritiri M\u0101tangi Island is a sanctuary for native birds, and just an hour’s ferry ride from downtown Auckland.<\/p>\n
15. Islands of the Hauraki Gulf<\/p>\n
How many other cities in the world get to boast of a harbour full of islands with such diverse delights? A volcano you can climb (Rangitoto). A bird sanctuary where you can walk among rare native species (Tiritiri M\u0101tangi). An island of wineries and fine dining (Waiheke). A former drug and alcohol rehab facility that\u2019s now a conservation and regeneration project (Rotoroa). And all are just short ferry rides away from downtown Auckland. If you\u2019re ever feeling tired of city living, get out on the Hauraki Gulf and remind yourself just how beautiful our Super City really is. \u2013 SH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cIsthmus\u201d only entered my vocabulary when I moved to Auckland. If Aotearoa is a narrow strip of land…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":112671,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[23968,24752,51,2199,22397,27298,538,424,20829,111,43,139,69,55401,2122,313,30606,165,2044,32951,1316,1530],"class_list":["post-112670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-23968","tag-ago","tag-auckland","tag-city","tag-favourite","tag-gems","tag-hidden","tag-life","tag-locals","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-remember","tag-share","tag-super","tag-sure","tag-their","tag-time","tag-turns","tag-when","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}