Auckland
New Zealand'S Largest City, Built Across More Than 50 Extinct Volcanic Cones On An Isthmus Between Two Harbours, Known As The City Of Sails For The Highest Number Of Boats Per Capita Anywhere In The World, With The Sky Tower Marking A Waterfront That Mixes Polynesian, European And Asian Populations In Roughly Equal Measure · Auckland, Auckland
Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, built across an isthmus barely a few kilometres wide between the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific side and the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman side, so water is visible from almost anywhere in the city. More than fifty extinct volcanic cones rise through the urban area, several of them, including Maungawhau/Mount Eden and Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill, free to climb for a panoramic view over the city and both harbours. Auckland calls itself the City of Sails for having more boats per capita than almost anywhere else in the world, a claim visible on any weekend on the Waitemata. The Sky Tower, at 328 metres the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere when it opened, anchors a compact downtown and waterfront that mixes a long-established Pacific Islander and Maori population with newer Asian and European communities, giving the city one of the most ethnically diverse populations anywhere in the Pacific. Ferries cross daily to Waiheke Island and Devonport, and the harbour bridge links the city to the North Shore's beaches minutes from downtown.
An isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau harbours, northern North Island, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland itself never closes, as a city rather than a single site. The Sky Tower's observation deck typically opens from around 9am to 10pm daily, later on weekends, with the attached restaurant and SkyWalk/SkyJump activities running on their own separate schedules. Volcanic cone reserves such as Mount Eden and One Tree Hill are open, free and unfenced from dawn to dusk. Harbour ferries to Waiheke Island and Devonport run on a daily timetable from downtown, more frequently on weekdays than weekends.