Auckland City Guide

Auckland, the City of Sails, a vibrant city offering an urban lifestyle is situated within glistening harbours and is surrounded by lush forests and subtropical islands.

Whether Auckland is your intended destination or just a brief stopover on the way to your new home, we have compiled this guide to help you get your bearings on arrival. To obtain more details about the city visit the websites listed at the end of this profile.

Population

Auckland's population is approximately 1.3 million making it by far the largest city in New Zealand, with one third of the country's entire population. However, it is the second smallest city by land area.

Geography

Auckland is built on a narrow isthmus between two harbours, and is surrounded by extinct volcanoes and picturesque islands. The city, suburbs and gulf islands cover an area of 637km2. The Auckland region is made up of four cities (Auckland City, Manukau, North Shore and Waitakere) and three districts (Franklin, Rodney and Papakura).

Housing

The Auckland housing market is very wide, ranging from small apartments in the central business district (CBD) to large ‘lifestyle blocks’ in the Auckland region. House prices vary considerably depending on the location and surrounding area.

Economy

Auckland City is a modern, business friendly city with unique lifestyle opportunities. It is positioned as the economic powerhouse of the Asia-Pacific region. The CBD is the workplace for 65,000 people, and home to over 8,000 residents and many education providers. The key industries that drive economic growth in the Auckland region are property and business services, wholesale trade and manufacturing, tourism and transport and communications.

Dining Out

Auckland is a gourmet lovers delight - hundreds of restaurants, locally-grown specialties and award-winning wines to match. "Pacific Rim" cuisine is an Auckland speciality, fusing Pacific and Asian flavours with fresh local produce.
Auckland offers a top selection of cuisine and dining attractions where you can sample some of the finest foods. The variety ranges from specialist seafood, steak, lamb, pasta and vegetarian menus to excellent ethnic restaurants featuring Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese and Japanese dishes.

Local Transport

As with any growing city, traffic congestion is a concern in Auckland as private cars are the dominant mode of transport.  Auckland public transport relies heavily on buses, with train services to the south and west of the city and some ferry services to the North Shore and larger islands.

Shopping

Auckland city is an excellent shopping destination with a vibrant homegrown fashion industry and retailers stocking all the latest international designer labels. The Kiwi fashion industry fuses influences from Europe, Polynesia and the Pacific Rim.

Performing Arts

Auckland is a centre for the arts and entertainment. The Aotea Centre, Town Hall and many other venues regularly play host to world-class performances of music, dance and theatre. In addition to major events, there are many other events to enjoy during the year, including a wide variety of performing and visual arts extravaganzas, food and wine festivals as well as multi-cultural, sporting and community events.

Lifestyle and Outdoor Recreation

The city teems with life, from the vibrant waterfront life (not for nothing is it called the ‘City of Sails’) through the busy, ever-expanding Downtown district to the highly individual suburbs and glorious beaches. Auckland's blend of landscape, Polynesian culture, glistening harbours and modern city environment creates an unbelievable lifestyle ranked amongst the best in the world.

Education

Auckland has two universities and a techical institute together with a range of private and state secondary and primary schools. Every year more than 40,000 international students take advantage of Auckland's world class institutions.

Auckland on the Net

Auckland City Council
www.aucklandcity.govt.nz

Tourism Auckland
www.aucklandnz.com

Heart of Auckland city
www.hotcity.co.nz

Weather

Average maximum temperature in Summer Average maximum temperature in Winter Bright sunshine hours per year Mean annual rainfall

23.8 degrees Celsius 14.7 degrees Celsius 2066 1918mm

Time

Auckland time is GMT +12 hours. From September to March one hour of daylight saving time applies.