Sights & Attractions in Auckland

Auckland Sights

You can get around city center and the suburbs close to the harbor like Ponsonby, Devonport, and Parnell, on foot, by bus, and by ferry. Elsewhere, Auckland is not as easy to explore. The neighborhoods and suburbs sprawl from the Waitemata and Manukau harbors to rural areas, and complicated roads, frequent construction, and heavy traffic can make road travel a challenge. Still it's best to have a car for getting between neighborhoods and some city center sights. What might look like an easy walking distance on a map can turn out to be a 20- to 30-minute hilly trek, and stringing a few of those together can get frustrating.

If you're nervous about driving on the left, especially when you first arrive, purchase a one-day Link Bus Pass that covers the inner-city neighborhoods and Central Business District (CBD) or, for a circuit of the main sights, an Explorer Bus Pass. Take a bus to get acquainted with the city layout. Getting around Auckland by bus is easy and inexpensive. The region's bus services are coordinated through the Maxx Service, which is slowly moving the city's trains and ferries to an integrated ticketing system; its Web site can provide you with door-to-door information, including bus route numbers. For journeys farther afield the Maxx company runs buses to most places in the greater Auckland area. Timetables are available at most information centers.