The 18 Best Places to Experience Six Kinds of Travel in Auckland, New Zealand

Not only is Auckland the most populous city in New Zealand, it's the biggest in landmass, most diverse and, in many ways, most interesting. And it has three names:

Auckland. Named for an English politician whose title was Earl of Auckland.

Tāmaki Makaurau: The increasingly used Māori name. Tāmaki is the land between the Waitemata and Manukau harbors. "Makau" means "lover" or "object of desire." "Rau" is 100 or plenty. So, Tāmaki Makaurau: the land desired by many. Or, even sweeter, the land of a hundred lovers.

Big Smoke. Because Auckland is the nation's biggest-by-far city in size, population, commerce and everything but government (Wellington is the capital), New Zealanders routinely refer to it as the Big Smoke. As in, I'm heading north with a stopover in the Big Smoke.

Now that we have that straight, let's move on to a Three Aucklands tour of the city's restaurants, islands, mountains, beaches, museums and walks. Note to the acrophobic: One of those walks sits 629 feet above the pavement.

Three restaurants to sample

In keeping with Auckland's diversity, we'll start our Three tour by taste-testing three restaurants.

Carmel. Israeli street food in the Eden Terrace neighborhood. Carmel started life as a food truck. Pita, falafel, challah (and of course, coffee because it's New Zealand). Open 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

Mekong Neua. Thai. Aucklanders argue long and strong about the city's best Thai restaurant. I cast my vote for Mekong Neua. Curries of all colors and heat. Veggies and meats. Soups galore. All delicious. In Morningside, near Mount Eden Stadium.

Paradise. Indian. Paradise sits in the heart of Sandringham, Auckland's Indian subcontinent. It's the locals' favorite. Its cooking style is Mughlai, which translates to highly aromatic, spicy (especially saffron) and addicting.

Three islands to visit

Tiritiri Island is back from the brink./Getty Images

Aotearoa New Zealand is composed of two main islands, plus the smaller Stewart Island/Rakiura in the south, plus a slew of even smaller islands stretching from subtropical to sub-Antarctic. Some of the most interesting are part of Auckland.

Tiritiri. Tiritiri Island was a wasteland. Native flora? Burned off for grazing. Native birds? Devoured by rats and feral cats. In 1980, the island was declared a sanctuary … though a sanctuary that would take a thousand years to restore. Instead, it took 10. An army of volunteers planted native trees and trapped predators. Native birds were brought in or simply flew in. Today, you can see them close-up, from the ever-curious fantail to the roly-poly takahe.

Waiheke. Aucklanders adore Waiheke Island, and why not? It abounds in pleasures. Beaches and vineyards. Olive groves and art walks. Fine food and stunning views. A recently carved marae, a Māori gathering place. Waiheke is bikeable, hikeable, swimmable and highly edible and drinkable.

Looking across Mission Bay toward Rangitoto volcano in New Zealand, which erupted about 600 years ago./Getty Images

Rangitoto. Want to climb Auckland's newest volcano? Rangitoto (which means blood-read sky) Island is 600 years young. This hiker's dream is a steepish climb (or a rough ride) up and down its black volcanic trails. It's about 30 minutes from Auckland's Ferry Building.

Three mountains to 'scale'

The sun sets on Mount Eden, Long association with Māori culture./Getty Images

New Zealand is a mountainous land, and Auckland is a mountainous city. But Auckland's mountains (maunga is the correct term) aren't your ordinary steeps; they're volcanic cones. With 53 of those cones, Auckland may be the most volcanic city on Earth. Here are three faves. All are gentle ascents.

Mount Eden/Maungawhau. Stunning views of the city and harbor (featured in photo at top), plus a fabulous grassy crater at the top. Auckland's highest maunga, this was an important site of Māori residence and agriculture.

Owairaka. A favorite of young families, dog walkers and archers. All this, plus a fabulous feminist history.

Māngere. The historic home maunga of South Auckland iwi (tribes) - and closest to the airport. t

Three beaches to visit

Lion Rock and Piha Beach, about 45 minutes west of Auckland/Getty Images

Piha. This West Auckland black sand beach could be the most spectacular beach on the planet. Steep cliffs above, Lion Rock jutting out of the sand. Piha is a great walk, a prized surfing site and a challenging swim. Beware of dangerous rip currents.

Australasian gannets, courting, a feature of Muriwai/Getty Images

Muriwai. Next door to Piha, Muriwai also has fierce rip currents. Well above the water, Muriwai is famous for its gannet colony. You can almost reach out and touch the nesting birds. You can - but you must not.

Point Chevalier Beach. Don't want big waves, strong currents? Point Chev beach borders the harbor, not the ocean. At high tide, it's usually gentle, family-friendly and a short ride from downtown Auckland.

Three museums to see

Auckland Museum at night/Getty Images

Auckland Museum. Another must-see. The museum is the multifaceted archive of the nation. Here you'll admire a Māori waka (carved canoe). A carved Māori meeting house. Portraits of chiefs, by painters Charles Goldie and Gottfried Lindaur. Weapons of war, bookplates, New Zealand pottery, botanical collections, butterflies, fossils and so much more.

Auckland Art Gallery. From the café's delicious coffee to the gift shop's locally made pendants, ancient sculpture to modern paintings, permanent collections to contemporary exhibits, the Gallery is an art-enthusiast's must-see in Auckland.

View overlooking the Maritime Museum in downtown Auckland. The museum is within the large sheds on the wharf to the left. The floating crane at the north end is part of the museum and can be explored, including the interior. /Photo from English Wikimedia by View by Ingolfson

New Zealand Maritime Museum. For lovers of sea and sail, the waterfront Maritime Museum is hard to top. There are sailings in heritage vessels, historic walking tours, seabird exhibits, kids' stories and songs.

Three walks to take

Women's Suffrage Square Auckland/Wikimedia Commons photo by Itineris55

To get a feel for a place, it's hard to beat a walking tour. Auckland abounds in walking tours, including many free. Here are two freebies and one not (and not for the acrophobic).

Downtown tour. You'll see the iconic Ferry Building, Auckland University, Albert Park, street art and Women's Suffrage Square. (New Zealand was and remains an international leader in women's suffrage and electoral politics.)

Sky City Skywalk. Allow me to quote from the website: "Walk around the outside ring of the tallest building in NZ and the most famous structure in Auckland, the Sky Tower. At 192 meters (629 feet) above Auckland City; the 360-degree views are breathtaking. This is not for the faint-hearted: There are no handrails. Rest assured you will be completely safe…. If you are brave enough you can try the optional challenges like leaning out over the edge."

Not for the chicken-hearted, Skytower promises fabulous views of Auckland./Photo by Effin Older for Silversea

When I read such words as "not for the faint-hearted" and "no handrails" and "leaning out over the edge," I leave this walk to braver souls … like my wife the photographer, who insists she thoroughly enjoyed it. I was huddled in a corner of the Sky Tower restaurant so I didn't have to watch her defy death outside the glass windows.

Devonport from Mount Victoria, Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand/Getty Images

One Day in Auckland. This is a (very) full day on your feet. It includes a short ferry ride to Devonport, one of the city's sweetest 'hoods.

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