Archive for the 'Auckland' Category
Auckland – an amazing place
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 19, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Auckland is an incredible city. While it reminds me of Vancouver, there are so many differences that it is comfortable and exciting all at the same time. This year, Auckland was the host “region” for TRENZ and I was fortunate enough to get to stay there for a week. I know I have written a bit about my stay at Mollies—which was fabulous—and I still have more to write about that in an upcoming blog. But I wanted to tell you a bit about all the things to do in and around Auckland – there really are endless possibilities!
Auckland’s sparkling waters, varied landscapes and cosmopolitan city life combine to make it one of the most desirable places in the world to live or visit. New Zealand’s largest city isn’t easily defined by a single experience because it has such astonishing variety to offer. And it’s all so accessible. Within half an hour of being in the bustling energy of the city of Auckland, you can be out exploring one of the harbour islands, on a boat dolphin watching, walking through native forest or sipping wine at a vineyard in the countryside. It’s all so easy to get to, yet seems so far away once you are there! Auckland offers the best of both worlds.
Auckland is affectionately known as the “City of Sails” and it’s the ideal destination to get up close and personal with the ocean. You can join the crew on an America’s Cup racing yacht, take a harbour cruise to the dormant volcano of Rangitoto, or head to Waiheke Island and explore its fabulous beaches and wineries. (I loved Waiheke Island and had such a great time on the wine tour with Ananda Tours! Our driver Stewart was knowledgeable and engaging and made the trip even more fun! And no one had to worry about having some wine and driving; it was perfect!)
At Auckland’s heart lies a truly international, cosmopolitan city of the South Pacific. It’s a shopper’s paradise, home to countless designer stores featuring world-renowned names alongside top New Zealand designs. I took a wrong turn at one point and found myself in a local boutique called Cushla. I ended up buying an outfit for a wedding that I was attending upon my return to Canada. I will definitely be emailing to see if we can make an international connection and I can continue to buy the lovely clothing she makes from Canada.
If food and wine is your thing, Auckland is your dream come true. Great cuisine and the finest wines are in abundance in the city’s cafés and restaurants. There are so many exceptional places to go. There are big names like Soul, where Auckland chef and restaurateur Judith Tabron has established herself as a part owner of one the Viaduct’s most successful ventures. Soul’s open air style dining is very popular for local business luncheons and international guests alike. Tabron’s signature treatment of fish is the highlight at Soul, offering hapuku, scampi, South Island salmon, snapper, yellowfin tuna and flounder cooked four ways. Or there is Dine, which is jointly owned and operated by Peter Gordon, internationally-renowned chef and arguably New Zealand’s highest profile culinary celebrity (best known for his involvement in setting up The Sugar Club and The Providores in London). Gordon is acknowledged as founder of the fusion food movement and is well known for his numerous best selling cookbooks and ongoing charity work.
There are also little places you come upon by accident. I had great Thai food at a little place right downtown called Thai Chilli. It’s a pretty great place for foodies.
For the adventure-lover, there’s plenty to get the adrenaline pumping. Right in the heart of the central business district you can bungy jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge, or Sky Walk or Sky Jump from the Sky Tower, which is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. I really thought about doing that, but—darn it—time ran out. (Next visit, for sure!)
For something more natural – canyon deep into a cave, quad bike through the bush, or try horseback riding on a rugged west coast beach. There is something for everyone here!
For more information about Auckland check out www.aucklandnz.com. It is a city worth visiting!
Redevelopment of Queen’s Wharf announced at TRENZ
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 11, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Yesterday at TRENZ, Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, John Key announced his support for the redevelopment of Queen’s Wharf. There is an interesting article from a New Zealand point of view on stuff.co.nz, it’s worth a read.
At the luncheon, the PM announced that government has, at the very minimum, secured Queen’s Wharf for use during the Rugby World Cup 2011, and that negotiations are well underway to purchase the wharf and develop a cruise terminal before the event.
Tourism Auckland Chief Executive, Graeme Osborne, said he was delighted with the government’s support for the redevelopment of this harbourside area, which is an integral element of Auckland City Council’s waterfront development proposal. “The Waitemata Harbour is clearly one of Auckland’s jewels and Queen’s Wharf is the ideal starting point for better connecting the city to the sea,” he said. “A future commitment to developing enhanced cruise ship facilities is also vital to securing this important sector for Auckland and New Zealand.”
Auckland is a critical exchange port for the country and attracts a large proportion of New Zealand’s cruise activity, with 66 ships expected to dock in the city this year.
“The cruise industry in New Zealand is growing every year and Auckland is reaping significant benefits. It’s crucial we have the infrastructure to fully capitalize on this, and of course to enhance the visitor’s experience,” said Osborne.
Throughout the 2007/2008 season, approximately 89,600 passenger days were spent in Auckland, or around 21 percent of all passenger days in New Zealand. During this period the Auckland region received $123.8 million of total cruise industry direct expenditure. This equates to around 60 percent of the national direct spend of $204 million.
The total effect of this injection into the regional economy generated $94.6 million of value added in the Auckland region. It is estimated that this activity sustained the employment equivalent of 1,434 full time workers for a year.
Gulf Harbour Lodge
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 9, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Here at TRENZ, I had the great pleasure of speaking to the team representing Gulf Harbour Lodge. It is situated in Whangaparaoa and the lodge sits at the head of a picturesque canal with views of the water. It is set in a marine village reminiscent of Southern Italian fishing villages, and it is located at the gateway to the Hauraki Gulf.
The nice thing – it’s only 40 minutes from Auckland and has close access to a world-class golf course. It is also close to incredible beaches and walking trails. The images look exceptional and this beautiful lodge gives guests the opportunity to do a great many things from golfing, to the beaches, to day cruises on the Hauraki Gulf, to the Tiritiri Matangi Island Bird Sanctuary and so much more.
The Gulf Harbour Lodge is under new ownership and is being reborn and I have to tell you the next time I am in New Zealand, I am heading there. It looks exceptional and in speaking to the team here, you can tell that making sure guests are well looked after is a priority. It looks comfortable and welcoming. Want a nice, comfortable home away from home where the beauty, nature and activities of New Zealand are at your doorstep? From what I have seen, I would say this is the place!
Bush and Beach Wilderness Experience
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 9, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I was fortunate enough to take an excellent tour with Bush and Beach Wilderness Experience. It was surprising that we could be in downtown Auckland and within about 45 minutes be back to nature, exploring Auckland’s West Coast – with its rugged black sand beaches and lush rainforest.
The Bush and Beach Eco-tour took us to the beauty and tranquility of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. We went through two beautiful rainforests, stopped at the Arataki Visitor Centre, saw the beautiful black beach where The Piano was filmed and then hit another beautiful black sand beach.
For those who like nature, this is an incredible tour – and surprisingly close to the city centre. We went through several small towns including Piha, which is famous for the iconic vista over the beach and Lion Rock. The black iron sand at Piha and Karekare originated as dust from a volcano about 250 kms away. Our guide used a magnet and picked up a lot of sand from the beach. Being an eco-tour, he also put it back!
One of the photos shows a tree that was too ugly for early settlers to chop down (they chopped down many of the Kauri trees and now commercial logging of the tree is impossible). The Rata tree has a big area where you can walk through the tree. A local legend says that if a woman walks under it, it increases her odds of getting pregnant and if you walk through it counter clockwise, you will have twins. Every woman in our group heard that and took a big step BACK!! It was pretty funny.
We had afternoon tea out in the forest and had an excellent time getting back to nature. If you are interested in flora and fauna and the beach, this is a great tour.
Waiheke Island wine tour
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 9, 2009 at 6:39 pm
After leaving the wildness of the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, I landed in Auckland. It is an amazing city with so many things to do. There is the urban culture of Auckland itself, then only half an hour or an hour away you can be on a beach, in a rainforest, in a little resort town, or you can be on an island.
I was fortunate enough to experience Waiheke Island, which is a short—and beautiful—40-minute ferry ride from Auckland. Coming from Vancouver, Canada, I can’t help but compare Auckland to Vancouver a little. And since I live just outside of Vancouver on the incredible Sunshine Coast (also a 40-minute ferry ride from the city), I felt a kinship with Waiheke Island. I was also pretty excited because Waiheke is a wine grower’s region, and something new that I discovered, it’s also a place known for its olives.
Waiheke Island is a beautiful place. I have to admit, as soon as my feet touched the ground there I felt at home (and I hadn’t even had any wine yet!). Waiheke Island’s climate is strongly influenced by the surrounding sea. Set in the Hauraki Gulf to the east of Auckland, the island is partially protected and is a bit drier and has warmer weather than even the usually mild Auckland. Waiheke Island is only 92 sq kilometers with a coastline of 133.5 kms. As you will see in the Flickr photos, it offers incredibly beautiful scenery.
Wine, olives and good company—with some of the Tourism New Zealand team (Shona from Auckland, Echo and Jeong-Mai from China and Ann from Korea)—what more could I ask for?
We were met right at the ferry terminal by Ananda Tours and started our great adventure. Vicky, a woman from Washington, D.C. joined our tour and we set off. Women and wine, what a combination!
Our first stop was Kennedy Point Vineyard, which is surrounded by vineyards (of course), and olive trees. It is an incredible place and the wines are spectacular. Kennedy Point is surrounded by one of the oldest and largest stands of Pohutukawas, which is also called New Zealand’s Christmas tree since it blooms right around Christmas. (Which in New Zealand is in the middle of summer!)
While we didn’t sleepover (although we all would have liked to after a few tastes of wine), the vineyard also offers guests the opportunity to stay in a self-contained guesthouse. There are one or two bedroom suites or you can rent the whole house.
After tasting some amazing wines, we then headed off to Stonyridge Vineyard. This is a beautiful location with incredible wines, and they have a dog at the winery. You can see him in one of the photos. You have to love a winery that has a resident dog!
Stonyridge Vineyard is a specialist ultra premium organic red wine producer. It has a beautiful wine tasting area and restaurant. Although we didn’t eat there, the food that passed by us on its way to waiting guests looked delicious.
In between wineries, we toured the island a little bit and saw some incredible scenery. Our final stop for another wine tasting and lunch was the Mudbrick Vineyard. It has an awe-inspiring view and an excellent restaurant, as well as divine wines.
Mudbrick had their first plantings in 1992. The fruit is still handpicked and this vineyard, like the others we visited, is a boutique producer. You can see the passion and commitment to excellence here on Waiheke Island. The Mudbrick has an incredible venue for special occasions and often hosts weddings and other events. We had an amazing lunch – you really need to see the photos to fully appreciate it! Then we headed back to the ferry for the short ride back to the fabulous city of Auckland.
