Live Life With Tasha

Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand’s North Island and it’s a long way from my home. In case you were interested, for me to get here, it involved a 5 hour drive from the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow, where I then flew 7 and a half hours to Dubai, chilled out on a 9 hour layover, and then endured another 16 hours from there to Auckland Airport. However, here I am, and here I have been for 3 full days, and below you will find a list of my top things to do whilst in the City of Sails.

Jump off the Sky Tower

The iconic Auckland Sky Tower stands 328m over the city. Situated in Auckland’s CBD and surrounded by cafes, restaurants, bars and a casino, there’s no reason to not end up on its doorstep, and for that reason, to not end up jumping off the top of it. Operated by AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand, you can feel the thrill of falling 192m at speeds of up to 52mph.

I did this on my first day in Aukland and I found it a good way to ease myself into the adrenaline pumping adventures I have planned for my time in New Zealand. Unlike other bungy jumps in New Zealand, this one is not a free-fall.

Hike Mount Eden (Maungawhau)

Mount Eden is an extinct volcano and the highest natural point in Auckland at 196m. It last erupted around 28,000 years ago and now showcases a 50m deep crater and panoramic views of the city.

From my hotel in Auckland CBD, to the start point of the walk up Mount Eden, was going to be around an hour’s walk, therefore I recommend doing what I did and paying a few dollars to ride a Lime Scooter to its base. I noticed scooters everywhere in the centre of the city, and they’re a fun, cheap mode of travel.

Eat your Heart out at Commercial Bay

Commercial Bay is a shopping centre located on Auckland’s waterfront and it’s home to numerous stores, bars and restaurants.

I ate in 2 restaurants whilst staying in the city. The first was Burger Burger and I encourage you to order the Old Smokey burger and a side of their curly fries. Best burger I’ve ever had. The second place I tired was Ghost Donkey and here I recommend their Chicken Burrito – pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, black beans, mozzarella and slaw. Yum.

Visit Auckland Museum

Auckland Museum (also known as Auckland War Memorial Museum) has 3 levels of galleries and exhibitions, an espresso bar and a cafe, and costs 28 NZD to enter.

I spent around 2 hours exploring the museum but could easily have spent longer. There were many important artefacts among the 3 floors, the most interesting, for me, being on the ground floor – the floor dedicated to the people of the Pacific and the Maori culture. I enjoyed learning about how New Zealand came to be discovered only around 800 years ago! This is not long ago considering the United Kingdom was discovered around 10,000 years ago!