Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Auckland is a city of volcanoes, with the ridges of lava flows forming its main thorough-
fares and its many cones providing islands of green within the sea of suburbs. As well as
being by far the largest, it's also the most multicultural of New Zealand's cities. A size-
able Asian community rubs shoulders with the biggest Polynesian population of any city
in the world.
The traditional Kiwi aspiration for a freestanding house on a quarter-acre section has
resulted in a vast, sprawling city. The CBD was long ago abandoned to commerce, and
inner-city apartment living has only recently caught on. While geography has been kind,
city planning has been less so. Unbridled and ill-conceived development has left the
centre of the city with plenty of architectural embarrassments. To get under Auckland's
skin, you're best to head to the streets of Victorian and Edwardian villas in its hip inner-
city suburbs.
