A passion for great food, coffee, nightlife, and shopping, Auckland is bursting at the seams with the colourful culture that comes from being the country’s most cosmopolitan city.

Once named the country’s capital by early settler William Hobson (the then governor of New Zealand), Auckland now boasts the biggest population of all urban areas. Visitors come from far and wide, with Auckland Airport seeing around one million international travellers a month, while the city is also home to the largest Polynesian population in the world.

The city straddles the Auckland volcanic field and saw quite a bit of action back in the day. The volcanic cone known as One Tree Hill stands as a dominant landmark to remind locals of their once precarious position. Neighbourhoods such as Stonefields sit atop the ancient lava flow, really adding to the mystery of the city.

The abundance of inlets and harbours mean Aucklanders are never far from the sea, and a short ferry ride away are picturesque islands and scenic reserves. Nicknamed the ‘City of Sails’ thanks to the people’s obsession with gliding upon the ocean, it’s been said that nearly one in every three households in Auckland has a boat.

Keep your eyes peeled on Ponsonby Road for famous faces, eat and drink from some of the best hospitality spots the country has to offer, and soak up the special feeling that you won’t get anywhere else of sharing a city with over 1.5million other people.

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