Auckland Overview

Fast Facts

Main Languages: New Zealand English (U.K. spellings), Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages.  

When to Go: Auckland has a warm-temperate maritime climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters. It is one of the sunniest and warmest cities in New Zealand, and enjoys pleasant temperatures all year round, seldom rising about 30°C in the height of summer, or dropping below 3°C in the winter. The best time to visit Auckland is all year round, though if you intend to visit other destinations in New Zealand on the same trip, visit during the warmer months from mid-October to mid-March, avoiding the local tourist peak season of December and January.

Local Transport: Auckland, the greater metropolitan area, is divided into 5 districts, namely Auckland City (Central Auckland), Manukau (South and outer east Auckland), Waitakere (West Auckland), and North Shore (north of the Waitemata Harbour and the Auckland Harbour Bridge). There are two main harbours in Auckland, Waitemata Harbour to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf, and Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea. Bridges span parts of both harbours, notably the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Mangere Bridge and the Upper Harbour Bridge. Auckland has great infrastructure, and offers good local transportation, though private operators. Refer to the Maxxx website www.maxx.co.nz for consolidated information and maps.

Bus & Tram: Inner city and outer city have different rates, but a One-Day Pass and Three-Day Pass (both applicable to other forms of public transport) work in both. Popular operators are Link Bus, and City Circuit.

Car & Motorcycle: It is not a very good idea to hire a car/motorcycle during your stay in Auckland, if you do not intend to visit other parts of the country in/on it. Parking and congestion can be pretty bad, especially in Central Auckland.

Train: An efficient train service, it is usually on time, but is limited in scope, with just three train routes - one west to Waitakere, and two south to Pukekohe.

Boat: Many private operators, such as Fullers and 360 Discovery, run ferry services to nearby islands, and across the bays.

Taxi: There are plenty of taxi services, and none of them are especially inexpensive.

Bicycle: It is a good idea to hire a cycle in Auckland, but keeping a map handy is a good idea (Maxx Regional Transport www.maxx.co.nz publishes a good and free cycle map). All ferries and trains allow bicycles on board, but only folding bikes are allowed on buses.

Phone Code: +649

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD) 1 NZR is approximately 34 Indian Rupees (INR)

Voltage: 230-240 V / 50 Hz

Time Zone: GMT+12 hours. IST +6:30 hours. Summer (Daylight Savings - September to April): GMT+13 hours

Location: On and around the Auckland Isthmus in North Island, between the Mangere Inlet and Tamaki River

Altitude: Average elevation is 52 metres above sea level