Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.rainbowsend.co.nz
;
2 Clist Cres; Superpass unlimited rides adult/child $52/42; 10am-5pm)
It's a bit
dull by international standards but Rainbow's End has enough rides (including a cork-
screw rollercoaster) to keep the kids happy all day.
DON'T MISS
AUCKLAND VOLCANIC FIELD
Some cities think they're tough just by living in the shadow of a volcano. Auckland's built on 50 of them and, no,
they're not all extinct. The last one to erupt was Rangitoto about 600 years ago and no one can predict when the
next eruption will occur. Auckland's quite literally a hot spot - with a reservoir of magma 100km below, waiting
to bubble to the surface. But relax: this has only happened 19 times in the last 20,000 years.
Some of Auckland's volcanoes are cones, some are filled with water and some have been completely quarried
away. Moves are afoot to register the field as a World Heritage Site and protect what remains. Most of the surviv-
ing cones show evidence of terracing from when they formed a formidable series of Maori
pa
. The most interest-
ing to explore are Mt Eden (
Click here
)
, One Tree Hill (
Click here
) and Rangitoto, but Mt Wellington
(Maungarei), Mt Albert (Owairaka), Mt Roskill (Puketapapa), Lake Pupuke, Mt Mangere and Mt Hobson
(Remuwera) are all worth a visit.
Activities
Nothing gets you closer to the heart and soul of Auckland than sailing on the Hauraki
Gulf. If you can't afford a yacht cruise, catch a ferry instead.
Visitors centres and public libraries stock the city council's
Auckland City's Walkways
pamphlet, which has a good selection of urban walks, including information on the Coast
to Coast Walkway (
Click here
)
.
Trading on the country's action-packed reputation, Auckland has sprouted its own set
of thrill-inducing activities. Look around for backpacker reductions or special offers be-
fore booking anything.
Sailing
Sail NZ
MAP
SAILING
GOOGLE MAP
( 0800 397 567;
www.explorenz.co.nz
; Viaduct Harbour)
Shoot the breeze on a genuine Amer-
ica's Cup yacht (adult/child $160/115) or head out on a 'Whale & Dolphin Safari' (adult/
child $160/105); dolphins are spotted 90% of the time and whales 75%. The
Pride of
Auckland
fleet of glamorous large yachts offers 90-minute Harbour Sailing Cruises (adult/
