Auckland is a city with many faces. Known locally by its Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, the city has a cosmopolitan heart with some of the best dining, drinking, and shopping in the country. Yet, urban sprawl quickly gives way to landscapes of New Zealand’s signature beauty here; to the west, the forested hills of the Waitākere Ranges border black sand beaches pummeled by surf. To the east of the city is the island-studded Waitematā Harbor.
Culturally, Auckland is just as diverse. More than forty percent of the city’s residents were born overseas, with significant communities of people from Pacific nations like Samoa and Tonga, and relatively close Asian countries such as India and China. This gives Auckland a multiculturalism reflected in eclectic food, art, and festivals. And with the FIFA Women’s World Cup taking over Eden Park, Auckland is deservedly having a moment in the sun. Here are all the best places to explore in New Zealand’s largest city.
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With the aim of defining a modern Pacific and New Zealand dining experience, Mr Morris's food is local, ethical, and seasonal. Dishes include New Zealand grass-fed beef, green-lipped mussels, and fire-roasted tuatua shellfish.
Auckland’s food scene is both expansively global and fiercely local. Cuisine is influenced by traditions from across the Pacific, Asia, and Europe. At the same time, chefs are increasingly celebrating the bounty of ingredients harvested, gathered, and foraged from the rich soils and coastlines of both islands.
Explore the restaurants dotted around central Auckland’s waterfront and you can savor flavors from across New Zealand without leaving the city.
On the menu at Homeland, chef Peter Gordon’s ‘food embassy for Aotearoa and the Pacific’ located in the waterfront Wynyard Quarter, you’ll see creamed paua from the Chatham Islands, and pork belly cooked in the traditional hāngī (earth oven) style. Kūmara, a sweet potato brought to New Zealand by early Māori settlers, is wood roasted and served with pesto made from kawakawa, a native plant.
A short distance away in the Viaduct Harbour is Hello Beasty. This restaurant serves East Asian fusion cuisine. Influences include Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisine, resulting in a menu with bold, creative flavors, like the slow-cooked New Zealand lamb in Sichuan sauce.
Further along the waterfront, in the glittering Commercial Bay shopping center which sits in the heart of Auckland, is Ahi (which means fire in te reo Māori). Chef Ben Bayly not only sources ingredients from around New Zealand but from the restaurant’s own organic
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Queenstown, New Zealand, is known for many things. To start, it’s one of the world’s foremost adventure capitals, famous for both alpine recreation and adrenaline thrills. It’s also an excellent place to relax, from its delicious restaurants and rejuvenating wellness centers to the Central Otago wine region located beyond the downtown core. In a place as naturally blessed as Queenstown, it’s hard to pick a bad accommodation — as long as you have access to windows, you’re bound to fall in love with the lakeside, mountain-ringed town. But many of the Airbnbs in Queenstown go above and beyond, whether located in woodsy surrounds, scenic suburbs, or within walking distance of the main drag. Here are nine of the finest Queenstown Airbnbs.
Originally known as Crane Creek, Melbourne, FL, was renamed after the city’s first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector. British-born Hector relocated to Australia and flitted between Melbourne and New Zealand before settling in Florida. Fifty years after his death, the coastal area welcomed the first permanent rocket launch site. Nowadays, any trip to Melbourne orbits around the Space Coast although Brevard County has plenty to tempt surfers, seafarers, wildlife enthusiasts, and golfers. These family-friendly Melbourne, FL, hotels close to Cape Canaveral and beaches will leave you starry-eyed.
Grand Cayman has long been a popular destination for travelers in search of white-sand beaches, excellent snorkeling and diving spots, and well-heeled accommodations. Just 22 miles long and eight miles wide, the island is the largest of the Cayman Islands and has a reputation for providing travelers with a quiet, low-key getaway. And with most of the action happening near the famous Seven Mile Beach, only 15 minutes from the Owen Roberts International Airport, travelers can start their vacations minutes after landing.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India and has a huge fan base. Beyond just being a sport, it is deeply embedded in the nation’s culture, evoking intense emotions from the masses over the victories and losses of their favorite teams: 90% of the global cricket fandom consists of Indians, highlighting the cricket craze in the country.
As long as people have been traveling, they’ve sought mementos and souvenirs. Ancient Egyptians and Romans brought spices, animal skins, and gold back from foreign trade missions or conquests. Modern travelers hunt for handicrafts or traditional art, tangible reminders of other places to use in their own lives at home: a Moroccan rug splayed across the living room floor, a gleaming Venetian glass vase to fill with wildflowers.
The New Zealand government said on Wednesday it would not require travelers from China to produce a negative Covid-19 test, bucking a trend that has seen a number of nations implement such measures as cases surge in China.
When cruises started taking bookings at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Australians Eunice and John Rowley quickly made plans for their first ever visit to New Zealand.
Air New Zealand has revealed further details around its new Skynest product, which is set to be available on ultra-long haul flights from September 2024, according to the airline.
Taylor Swift is heading to Australia for her Eras Tour in February, which is great … for Australians. Unfortunately for New Zealand fans, the pop star has not included any cities across the ditch for her world tour itinerary.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicked off in Australia last week and is expected to bring a significant tourism boost to the country. Tourism Australia estimates the 35-match tournament to have an economic benefit worth $385 million.