Falling into the fantasy world of Oakland in 6 days
4 cities |
16 attraction(s) |
total distance 110
km
TIPS
Day1
Day2
Day3
Day4
Day5
Day6
Day1: Auckland
3 attraction(s) ·
3 km
1
Auckland Art Gallery is the largest and oldest art gallery in New Zealand. It reopened in September 2011 after renovations, seamlessly combining classical and modern styles. It showcases over 15,000 artworks and regularly hosts various art activities. If you have some free time in the city center and don't know what to do, visiting here is a good way to pass the time. Free Wi-Fi is available for 30 minutes or 30MB. Please note that food and drinks are not allowed inside the gallery.
3
km
2
Auckland Central Park is the oldest park in Auckland, 5 minutes away from the city center. The park is filled with greenery, interlaced pathways, and beautiful flowers, making it a great place for a leisurely walk and relaxation. The duck pond in the park is a popular spot loved by locals, where you can often see duck moms taking their ducklings for a leisurely walk. However, please do not feed the ducks in the water, you can feed them when they are on land. The highest point in the park is home to Auckland Museum, which houses various precious collections. There are Maori culture performances (with admission fee) every day, highly recommended.
1
km
3
Auckland Museum is located in Auckland Domain, it is a comprehensive museum that collects historical and cultural artifacts. The museum is a Gothic-style building with three floors.
The first floor mainly showcases Māori culture, displaying unique Māori handicrafts, restored Māori meeting places, and exhibits of Māori daily necessities. It presents the ethnic art of Māori and Pacific peoples.
The second floor displays various animal and plant specimens, with the most notable being the remains of the extinct Moa bird.
The third floor showcases weapons used in two world wars, commemorating the fallen soldiers. The museum also memorializes Auckland soldiers, including 11,671 men and women killed in World War II. The marble walls of the Hall of Honours list the heroes of World War II, while only the deceased are listed for World War I. The globe in the World War II exhibition hall represents the victory in global warfare history, and behind the altar are three stained glass windows dedicated to nurses, women, the elderly, children, and those who stayed at home.
In front of the museum stands a grand memorial to fallen soldiers, where a solemn commemorative ceremony is held every April 25th.
One of New Zealand's most iconic historical buildings, it has a magnificent exterior. The exhibits feature traditional art and culture of Pacific indigenous people, allowing you to experience the unique ethnic charm, such as Māori totem sculptures, architecture, and various treasures.
It has the most comprehensive collection of Māori culture and New Zealand history. The spectacular daily Māori performances are a must-see attraction in Auckland! It offers the best views and architecture, overlooking Auckland Harbour Bridge, Sky Tower, and the container port. As a century-old building and a must-visit destination for visiting heads of state in New Zealand.
Day2: Auckland
3 attraction(s) ·
16 km
1
Mission Bay is one of the favorite beaches for Aucklanders and is also the most convenient beach to reach from the city center. You can truly experience the local lifestyle there. When the weather is nice, people lie on the beach in twos and threes, sunbathing, and sometimes seagulls come to steal food. If you see people lining up here, they must be buying Movenpick ice cream. I highly recommend trying the waffle cone ice cream here, it's the best I've ever had!
7
km
2
This was originally a private garden belonging to a wealthy old lady. The lady, who had a passion for roses, left a will to donate the rose garden to the government.
10
km
3
One Tree Hill is located in Cornwall Park, about a 20-minute drive from the center of Auckland. It is named after a pine tree that used to stand near the top of the hill, but now only a memorial and the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell, the founding father of Auckland, remain. The park is known for its vast green meadows where you can often see sheep or cows grazing. In spring, there are also large cherry blossom displays. It is recommended to visit when you have plenty of time.
One Tree Hill is a volcanic remnant from an eruption about 30,000 years ago. Its peak, 182 meters high, offers a panoramic view of the entire Auckland region.
The name "One Tree Hill" came from the fact that there used to be a towering tree at the summit when Europeans arrived. However, the tree was cut down, and the name remained. The park is also known as Cornwall Park, named after one of Queen Elizabeth's sons, Cornwall.
Sir John Logan Campbell, revered as the founding father of Auckland, was honored with a bronze statue on Campbell Crescent in 1902. After his death, in accordance with his wishes, One Tree Hill was designated as a public park, belonging forever to the people of Auckland.
After the volcanic eruption, a circular crater was left on the mountain. Over time, the crater has become extremely smooth, covered with thick grass, resembling a large, green bowl.
The park is also home to many freely roaming sheep, providing a picturesque rural scene.
Day3: Matamata > Rotorua
2 attraction(s) ·
71 km
1
The Alexander family's cattle and sheep ranch outside of Matamata is the filming location for the hobbits' hometown, the Shire, in the movies "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." It is now known as "Hobbiton." The film crew spent nine months building the movie sets, including a 1.5 km road, 37 hobbit holes, a mill by the lake, and a double-arched bridge. Visitors can now tour the 44 hobbit holes in the area and participate in sheep shearing demonstrations and feeding baby lambs. Tours are available seven days a week with local guides leading groups every 15 minutes.
71
km
2
Lake Rotorua is the largest lake in a group of about 20 lakes in the central-northern part of the North Island of New Zealand, with an area of 80 square kilometers (31 square miles). It is a beautiful lake located on the outskirts of the city, and you can take a boat to visit the small islands in the lake. The best viewing spots include Grand Vue Rd, Kawaha Point, Rotorua 3010.
Day4: Rotorua
3 attraction(s) ·
15 km
1
New Zealanders have planted over 170 different types of trees in this redwood forest to determine which ones are most suitable for New Zealand, especially the geothermal-rich region of Rotorua. One-third of these tree species have survived. The redwood forest is now a popular spot for walking and mountain biking.
9
km
2
Mitai Maori Village is a Maori cultural village located in Rotorua, New Zealand. Here visitors can watch Maori performances, learn about Maori customs, taste their food, see Maori warriors in traditional clothing, experience Maori canoes (waka), and appreciate and understand Maori totem culture. In addition to the culture, this place is also home to a habitat for fireflies.
6
km
3
Agrodome is located in the outskirts of Rotorua and offers the highest bungee jumping in the North Island, sheep shearing shows, milking cows, tasting honey and juice, as well as typical rural scenes of New Zealand.
Day5: Waitomo Caves
1 attraction(s) ·
0 km
1
This is a very rare active rock cave, which was formed about 15,000 years ago. The cave used to have a small lake on the mountain, which was frozen by ice. Later, due to climate change, the ice gradually melted and flowed into the cracks of the underlying limestone, eroding it into a cave. The cave is still young and there is still water flowing inside, and it is still expanding, so it is called an active rock cave.
Below the cave, the hard black stones brought by water flow have caused smooth round stones to be stuck at the entrance of the cave, which looks lovely, but these natural round stones are not allowed to be taken, and tourists should not touch them. There are entrances both above and below the cave, attracting many insects to breed inside. Among them, the most unique residents in the cave are fireflies that prey on insects, which resemble spiders. Fireflies spit out pearl-like sticky threads one after another, as well as a blue glow from their tails, clinging to the top of the deep rock cave. It looks like a starry sky and is quite fascinating.
To visit the firefly cave, you must take a 30-minute boat ride from Tiana to the other side. When you get close to the cave, you still have to take a boat to enter and then walk up the bridge. You will first see a small waterfall, sometimes with trout appearing below. Tourists can take a hand-pulled boat to circle around the dark cave and admire the spectacular firefly cave with a sky full of stars.
Day6: Auckland
4 attraction(s) ·
6 km
1
The One Tree Hill is the tallest and natural highest point among the many volcanic cones in Auckland. A volcanic cone is a hill formed by the accumulation of volcanic materials around the volcanic vent, which looks like a conical bowl from a distance. The bottom of the volcanic cone is now a lush green space, which is both beautiful and unique, difficult to find elsewhere. Standing on the summit, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Auckland's scenery, including the Sky Tower, Mount Eden, and Rangitoto Island. If you don't want to spend money to go up the Sky Tower, this is the best place to enjoy Auckland and is especially suitable for photography, capturing panoramic views of the Sky Tower and the surrounding area.
4
km
2
The University of Auckland, founded in 1883, is a research university and the most influential university in New Zealand. Its research output and activities account for over 70% of the national total. In recent years, it has experienced rapid development and has become a world-renowned university. The campus is beautifully constructed and connected to several parks, sometimes blurring the line between park and campus.
2
km
3
The Sky Tower was built in 1996 and is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, standing at 328 meters. It has multiple observation decks with high-powered telescopes for visitors to enjoy panoramic views of Auckland. There are also multilingual broadcasting services, interactive technological devices, and audiovisual exhibitions. The feeling of being on the top of the tower, overlooking Auckland, is truly enjoyable. With a ticket, visitors can access the main observation deck at 186 meters and the Sky Deck at 220 meters. To reach the top, you can take an elevator, and for those who are not afraid of heights, there is a glass elevator that allows you to admire the view as you ascend. From the tower, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Auckland, with many claiming that the night view is even more beautiful than during the day. The observation decks have high-powered telescopes for visitors to view the panoramic scenery of Auckland, as well as multilingual broadcasting services, interactive technological devices, and audiovisual exhibitions. Both outer edges of the two observation decks have glass floors, allowing brave individuals to look down below. Additionally, there are two extreme activities on the tower - SkyWalk and SkyJump - which are only suitable for the daring. After sightseeing, there are several restaurants on the tower for visitors to try.
1
km
4
The Viaduct Harbour is located in the waterfront area of downtown Auckland, where there are various bars, restaurants, international hotels, and luxury apartments, as well as a variety of yachts in the harbor, making it a great place for photography. Enjoying a seafood feast accompanied by beautiful scenery at a waterfront restaurant is the happiest thing. The Voyager Maritime Museum is also located here, and friends interested in maritime history can visit.
On the east side of Viaduct Harbour, there is a white cloud-shaped building, which was specifically built for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It now hosts exhibitions, celebrations, fashion shows, and other events. On the west side of Viaduct Harbour is Wynyard Quarter waterfront area, connected to Viaduct Harbour by a bridge. The famous Auckland Fish Market is located there, selling various fresh seasonal seafood such as lobster, oysters, mussels, fish, and shrimp. I highly recommend the Blue Cod fish (called "sunko" by the local Chinese), which is extremely delicious with great texture. Continuing west from Wynyard Quarter is Westhaven Marina, where numerous yachts and sailboats are moored, fully displaying Auckland's reputation as the "City of Sails".
