New Zealand
December 6, 2024 7:45 PM Subscribe
I will be heading to New Zealand next month and I'm looking for ideas.
I will be flying into Auckland and then hanging out there, driving towards the glow worm cave area, then back to Auckland for a multiple day event north of there. My questions are:
A) Hotels in Auckland? Or hostels or whatever.
B) Things to do in Auckland/areas to the south of there?
C) Good esims to buy for NZ? This seems cheaper than what my phone company offers.
I will be flying into Auckland and then hanging out there, driving towards the glow worm cave area, then back to Auckland for a multiple day event north of there. My questions are:
A) Hotels in Auckland? Or hostels or whatever.
B) Things to do in Auckland/areas to the south of there?
C) Good esims to buy for NZ? This seems cheaper than what my phone company offers.
I just got back from New Zealand. Best thing I did in the Auckland area was boat ride out to Tiri tiri Matanga to see all the birds. If you like birds or hiking or cool ecological projects, it's worth the trip. The Auckland War Memorial Museum (which is not all about war) was also well worth the visit.
posted by gingerbeer at 10:07 PM on December 6
posted by gingerbeer at 10:07 PM on December 6
Take the train to Wellington. It is a lovely way to see the North Island.
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 10:43 PM on December 6
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 10:43 PM on December 6
As someone who lives in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, I need to know much more about what you want in order to be genuinely helpful.
What is your price range for hotels? Hotels are generally quite expensive here and chances are the reasonably priced ones are already booked for next month. Does your accommodation need to be central? Auckland is a large, sprawling city with sub-par, expensive public transport.
What stuff do you like to do? Will you have access to a car while in Auckland, or will you be relying on public transport? How long are you here for? How far south of Auckland - between Auckland and Waitomo? (I am assuming that you mean Waitomo when you say 'the glowworm cave area' as those are the most well-known, but they are not the only glowworm caves in Te Ika-a-Māui / the North Island.)
The train to Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington is genuinely wonderful but it's about $250 NZD one way and takes 12 ish hours, so you'd have to think about whether that fits into your plans.
posted by BeeJiddy at 11:06 PM on December 6 [2 favorites]
What is your price range for hotels? Hotels are generally quite expensive here and chances are the reasonably priced ones are already booked for next month. Does your accommodation need to be central? Auckland is a large, sprawling city with sub-par, expensive public transport.
What stuff do you like to do? Will you have access to a car while in Auckland, or will you be relying on public transport? How long are you here for? How far south of Auckland - between Auckland and Waitomo? (I am assuming that you mean Waitomo when you say 'the glowworm cave area' as those are the most well-known, but they are not the only glowworm caves in Te Ika-a-Māui / the North Island.)
The train to Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington is genuinely wonderful but it's about $250 NZD one way and takes 12 ish hours, so you'd have to think about whether that fits into your plans.
posted by BeeJiddy at 11:06 PM on December 6 [2 favorites]
I haven't used this in New Zealand specifically, but I've had good experiences with Airalo data-only e-sims. Super easy and very reasonably priced.
posted by sriracha at 6:10 AM on December 7
posted by sriracha at 6:10 AM on December 7
I spent several weeks in NZ in February/March of this year.
I got a Nomad esim. It worked fine. I only had data, though, and I would choose an option with voice calling next time.
Auckland: I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Auckland Centre. Good location, reasonable price, good breakfast included.
My favorite thing in Auckland was climbing Maungawhau/Mount Eden, a dormant volcano close to downtown.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 6:27 AM on December 7
I got a Nomad esim. It worked fine. I only had data, though, and I would choose an option with voice calling next time.
Auckland: I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Auckland Centre. Good location, reasonable price, good breakfast included.
My favorite thing in Auckland was climbing Maungawhau/Mount Eden, a dormant volcano close to downtown.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 6:27 AM on December 7
A friend and I went to New Zealand a few years back and planned our itinerary around Atlas Obscura. You might want to give it a look.
I’d say our biggest winner was the Waitomo Gloworm Caves, but you’re already headed there.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:56 AM on December 7
I’d say our biggest winner was the Waitomo Gloworm Caves, but you’re already headed there.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:56 AM on December 7
Response by poster: I’d prefer cheaper stays and was still seeing some on booking dot coms app. I don’t need to be central but somewhere close to good public transit would be helpful. I appreciate learning Tāmaki Makaurau is the name of where I will be visiting too so thank you for that!
posted by azalea_chant at 10:47 AM on December 7
posted by azalea_chant at 10:47 AM on December 7
Another resident of Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland here; I've been here for about a decade now. Glad you're visiting us! Summers here are wonderful (the city gets a bit quieter in late-Dec/early Jan as a bunch of people head out for holidays), and I hope you have a great time :D
A few comments from my own lived experience here:
(1) Auckland's public transport is mostly a hub-and-spoke system, and as such its utility is heavily determined by how close you are to the hub. I and my family live in the city centre without a car and (on most days*) really enjoy the public transit system. (If your baseline is Europe, you will be sad; if your baseline is USA =/= NYC, you will probably be pleased.) When we lived further out, though, it was considerably less useful.
As such, if you can find a place to stay within walking distance of Britomart (=Waitematā railway station) I think you'll find public transit to be a better way of getting around than if you're anywhere else. I've found accommodations a few blocks east of Britomart to be a bit more affordable than those to the west, and also a bit quieter (in general, proximity to Sky City = proximity to partying, attendant noise, etc, which you may or may not want!)
*relatedly: they're closing the light rail line system for maintenance from late-Dec to late-Jan. I think long-haul rail like BeeJiddy mentioned above will still run, but getting around the city will be a bit more annoying as a result.
(2) My favorite thing in Auckland / possibly in the world is to take the ferry to Tiritiri Matangi. Tiritiri is a sanctuary island, where the Dept. of Conservation and volunteers have eliminated rodents/etc and reintroduced many endangered species of bird. Like, you can go on a walk here and stumble across across like 3% of the world's extant population of takahē just chilling two metres from you and pecking at the grass. Absolutely amazing views, I would visit every day if I could. It's a day trip (ferry in the morning, back by late afternoon), with service leaving from the docks by Britomart.
Another fun pair of central things (that are pretty cheap/easy to get to) is checking out the Auckland Art Gallery = Toi o Tāmaki and the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Domain; both have a lot of NZ-specific exhibits, art, etc that are pretty special.
Enjoy your trip!
posted by Chionophilia at 1:11 PM on December 7 [2 favorites]
A few comments from my own lived experience here:
(1) Auckland's public transport is mostly a hub-and-spoke system, and as such its utility is heavily determined by how close you are to the hub. I and my family live in the city centre without a car and (on most days*) really enjoy the public transit system. (If your baseline is Europe, you will be sad; if your baseline is USA =/= NYC, you will probably be pleased.) When we lived further out, though, it was considerably less useful.
As such, if you can find a place to stay within walking distance of Britomart (=Waitematā railway station) I think you'll find public transit to be a better way of getting around than if you're anywhere else. I've found accommodations a few blocks east of Britomart to be a bit more affordable than those to the west, and also a bit quieter (in general, proximity to Sky City = proximity to partying, attendant noise, etc, which you may or may not want!)
*relatedly: they're closing the light rail line system for maintenance from late-Dec to late-Jan. I think long-haul rail like BeeJiddy mentioned above will still run, but getting around the city will be a bit more annoying as a result.
(2) My favorite thing in Auckland / possibly in the world is to take the ferry to Tiritiri Matangi. Tiritiri is a sanctuary island, where the Dept. of Conservation and volunteers have eliminated rodents/etc and reintroduced many endangered species of bird. Like, you can go on a walk here and stumble across across like 3% of the world's extant population of takahē just chilling two metres from you and pecking at the grass. Absolutely amazing views, I would visit every day if I could. It's a day trip (ferry in the morning, back by late afternoon), with service leaving from the docks by Britomart.
Another fun pair of central things (that are pretty cheap/easy to get to) is checking out the Auckland Art Gallery = Toi o Tāmaki and the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Domain; both have a lot of NZ-specific exhibits, art, etc that are pretty special.
Enjoy your trip!
posted by Chionophilia at 1:11 PM on December 7 [2 favorites]
If you’re up to renting a car for a day and are also a big Lord of the Rings fan, head to Matamata to tour Hobbiton.
posted by billsaysthis at 9:12 PM on December 7
posted by billsaysthis at 9:12 PM on December 7
Hello! I am back!
I think for a hotel, you could try Lylo. It's new-ish so is probably still in good shape and is very reasonable for the city centre. Abstract hotel is not cheap cheap, but it's relatively affordable. A friend told me once it was pretty warm in the rooms though so if you are sensitive to heat, I'd enquire about that. Having said this, she stayed right after they opened so they might have fixed that. There is also the VR Quadrant. I would avoid the VR Hotel that is on Hobson St (I would actually avoid all hotels on Hobson Street to be honest).
I think our PT system has finally integrated bank card payment instead of needing a travel card, which is great for tourists. As mentioned, trains will probably be closed when you are here which sucks. Buses are reasonably easy to get the hang of though - Auckland Transport (AT) has journey planners which make it straightforward. Overall, I would just give yourself a lot of time to get places if you need to take a bus.
Things to do in Auckland (some already suggested but take my repeated suggestions as a hearty endorsement):
The Auckland Art Gallery is genuinely a great place to hang out and right in the heart of the city. Auckland Zoo is really lovely if you are into that sort of thing - it's not in town but it's pretty close. It's just a short bus ride or, otherwise an easy Uber. I would skip MOTAT unless you are really into planes. Auckland Museum is on the outskirts of the city centre, and I would recommend it as well - it sits in a park that we call The Domain. You could also do a picnic in the Domain and have a wander around the Wintergardens. The Viaduct/Silo Park/Port area is nice for a wander in downtown Auckland on a warm day to enjoy some people-watching.
Visit Karangahape Rd (locals call it K Rd). K Rd has interesting shops, and generally the most character. It's worth noting that this road has the highest concentration of folk who live on the fringes of society - unhoused folk, people who don't have access to the basic things a lot of us take for granted etc. I have never had an issue as these people are generally going about their days just like me, but some people are not used to that atmosphere, and it bothers them. Auckland is just like any other major city around the world in this regard.
Ponsonby is another suburb to visit that is an easy walk from town - if you walk to the end of K Rd (which is not very long) and turn right at the Mobil petrol station, that is Ponsonby Rd. Little art galleries and upscale boutique-y places. Too expensive for me but still fun to browse. Western Springs Park always has a lot of dogs and is a good place to people-watch. Ponsonby has so many cafes and places to eat, it's almost absurd.
Get on a ferry and go to Rangitoto or Tiritiri Matangi. Get on a ferry and go to Waiheke and get slightly sloppy at a winery. Go explore the tunnels at Maungauika/North Head Historic Reserve in Devonport (can also get there by ferry).
Eat an ice cream while walking down Takapuna Beach. We have a tonne of beaches but most of the good ones are a decent drive from the city - Piha is probably the standard suggestion but there is no way to get there without a car.
January can be a weird time of year as a lot of things are shut down because January is when a lot of Kiwis go on holiday. You'll be fine but you might not always get your first pick. Always Google a place before going.
Good websites for checking out what is happening in the city:
https://heartofthecity.co.nz/
https://neatplaces.co.nz/places/auckland
https://concreteplayground.com/auckland/
https://www.theurbanlist.com/nz/things-to-do/auckland
As an aside, the weather here is super unpredictable, so having a light coat (not too heavy because of the humidity) or travel umbrella on hand is not the worst idea.
I am short on South-of Auckland recommendations, but if you have to drive through Hamilton to get to Waitomo, I would recommend Hamilton Gardens. Genuinely fantastic place. Rotorua is pretty cool, though it's very touristy so it does feel like you have to spend quite a bit of money to take advantage of a lot of the fun stuff there.
posted by BeeJiddy at 12:49 AM on December 8 [1 favorite]
I think for a hotel, you could try Lylo. It's new-ish so is probably still in good shape and is very reasonable for the city centre. Abstract hotel is not cheap cheap, but it's relatively affordable. A friend told me once it was pretty warm in the rooms though so if you are sensitive to heat, I'd enquire about that. Having said this, she stayed right after they opened so they might have fixed that. There is also the VR Quadrant. I would avoid the VR Hotel that is on Hobson St (I would actually avoid all hotels on Hobson Street to be honest).
I think our PT system has finally integrated bank card payment instead of needing a travel card, which is great for tourists. As mentioned, trains will probably be closed when you are here which sucks. Buses are reasonably easy to get the hang of though - Auckland Transport (AT) has journey planners which make it straightforward. Overall, I would just give yourself a lot of time to get places if you need to take a bus.
Things to do in Auckland (some already suggested but take my repeated suggestions as a hearty endorsement):
The Auckland Art Gallery is genuinely a great place to hang out and right in the heart of the city. Auckland Zoo is really lovely if you are into that sort of thing - it's not in town but it's pretty close. It's just a short bus ride or, otherwise an easy Uber. I would skip MOTAT unless you are really into planes. Auckland Museum is on the outskirts of the city centre, and I would recommend it as well - it sits in a park that we call The Domain. You could also do a picnic in the Domain and have a wander around the Wintergardens. The Viaduct/Silo Park/Port area is nice for a wander in downtown Auckland on a warm day to enjoy some people-watching.
Visit Karangahape Rd (locals call it K Rd). K Rd has interesting shops, and generally the most character. It's worth noting that this road has the highest concentration of folk who live on the fringes of society - unhoused folk, people who don't have access to the basic things a lot of us take for granted etc. I have never had an issue as these people are generally going about their days just like me, but some people are not used to that atmosphere, and it bothers them. Auckland is just like any other major city around the world in this regard.
Ponsonby is another suburb to visit that is an easy walk from town - if you walk to the end of K Rd (which is not very long) and turn right at the Mobil petrol station, that is Ponsonby Rd. Little art galleries and upscale boutique-y places. Too expensive for me but still fun to browse. Western Springs Park always has a lot of dogs and is a good place to people-watch. Ponsonby has so many cafes and places to eat, it's almost absurd.
Get on a ferry and go to Rangitoto or Tiritiri Matangi. Get on a ferry and go to Waiheke and get slightly sloppy at a winery. Go explore the tunnels at Maungauika/North Head Historic Reserve in Devonport (can also get there by ferry).
Eat an ice cream while walking down Takapuna Beach. We have a tonne of beaches but most of the good ones are a decent drive from the city - Piha is probably the standard suggestion but there is no way to get there without a car.
January can be a weird time of year as a lot of things are shut down because January is when a lot of Kiwis go on holiday. You'll be fine but you might not always get your first pick. Always Google a place before going.
Good websites for checking out what is happening in the city:
https://heartofthecity.co.nz/
https://neatplaces.co.nz/places/auckland
https://concreteplayground.com/auckland/
https://www.theurbanlist.com/nz/things-to-do/auckland
As an aside, the weather here is super unpredictable, so having a light coat (not too heavy because of the humidity) or travel umbrella on hand is not the worst idea.
I am short on South-of Auckland recommendations, but if you have to drive through Hamilton to get to Waitomo, I would recommend Hamilton Gardens. Genuinely fantastic place. Rotorua is pretty cool, though it's very touristy so it does feel like you have to spend quite a bit of money to take advantage of a lot of the fun stuff there.
posted by BeeJiddy at 12:49 AM on December 8 [1 favorite]
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We saw the sim sellers as soon as we got off the plane, it was fine to just pick one up at the airport.
We liked the Sky Tower, in Auckland.
We drove down to Rotarua and then back up to the Coromandel Peninsula. Hobbiton Movie set and glow worms.
posted by freethefeet at 10:07 PM on December 6