Places to visit in Auckland, New Zealand
20 places to visit in Auckland, New Zealand, each with LOQAH's carefully crafted stamp of its own: Auckland Harbour Bridge, Great Barrier Island, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill and more. Stand at any of them with the app open and the stamp is yours, confirmed on site, in your Auckland volume.
6 Famous places to visit · 14 Hidden gems
Famous places to visit in Auckland (6)
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Auckland Harbour Bridge
A motorway bridge across the Waitemata Harbour joining central Auckland to the North Shore, opened in 1959. Its original four lanes were widened in 1969 by clip on lanes added to each side, and you can walk over the harbour on its summit tour.
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Great Barrier Island
The largest island in the Hauraki Gulf, 100 kilometres north east of central Auckland, known as Aotea in Maori. Most of it is conservation land with no mains power, and it was named an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2017.
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Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill
A 182 metre volcanic cone in central Auckland, once the site of one of the largest Maori pa in the country. An obelisk marks the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell on the summit, and the park is now home to grazing sheep.
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Rangitoto Island
A symmetrical volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf, 25 minutes by ferry from Auckland, that erupted from the sea only about 600 years ago. Walkers climb the 260 metre summit through a forest of pohutukawa that grew on bare lava.
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Sky Tower
A telecommunications and observation tower in central Auckland, 328 metres high and the tallest free standing structure in the southern hemisphere. It opened in 1997 and visitors can look out from the decks or take a walk or jump around its edge.
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Waiheke Island
The second largest island in the Hauraki Gulf, reached by ferry from downtown Auckland in about 40 minutes. It is known for its vineyards, olive groves and sandy bays such as Oneroa and Onetangi.
Hidden gems in Auckland (14)
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Auckland Art Gallery
The principal public gallery in Auckland, also known as Toi o Tāmaki, founded in 1888. It holds the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand, and it regularly hosts travelling exhibitions from overseas.
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Auckland Botanic Gardens
A botanical garden of 64 hectares in the suburb of Manurewa in south Auckland. It holds more than 10,000 plants, arranged in collections that include native species, roses, edible plants and themed display gardens.
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Auckland Domain
The oldest park in Auckland, covering 75 hectares in the suburb of Grafton on the remains of a volcanic cone. The Auckland War Memorial Museum stands on its summit, and the park also holds the Wintergardens and open sports fields.
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Auckland War Memorial Museum
The city's main museum, a neoclassical building on a hill in the Auckland Domain, opened in 1929 as a memorial to the dead of the First World War. It holds Maori and Pacific treasures, natural history and military collections.
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Hauraki Gulf
A large sheltered gulf off Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, dotted with over 50 islands such as Waiheke, Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi. It is a marine park with dolphins, whales and Bryde's whales, and it is Auckland's sailing playground.
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Hauturu / Little Barrier Island
An extinct volcano island in the outer Hauraki Gulf, a nature reserve since 1895. It has never had stoats, possums or deer, and is a refuge for the rare hihi and many seabirds. Only a few permits are given for visits.
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Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium
A public aquarium at 23 Tamaki Drive, opened on 25 January 1985 and created by the marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton. It was built inside old stormwater tanks, and a long underwater tunnel takes visitors past sharks and rays.
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Mount Eden
A volcanic cone about 4 kilometres south of Auckland's city centre, known in Māori as Maungawhau. At around 196 metres it is the highest natural point in the city, with a deep grassy crater and wide views over Auckland.
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Muriwai Beach
A black sand surf beach on Auckland's west coast, backed by dunes and pine forest. A gannet colony nests on the cliffs at the southern end between August and March, with thousands of birds close enough to see from the viewing platforms.
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Piha
A wild black sand surf beach on Auckland's west coast, guarded by the sharp rock of Lion Rock. It is one of the best known beaches in the country for surf lifesaving and a popular day trip from the city.
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St Patrick's Basilica Auckland
The Catholic cathedral of Auckland, in the city centre, built in 1907 in a Gothic style by the architect Edward Mahoney. It was reopened in 2007 after a restoration, and has a heritage Category 1 listing.
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Tiritiri Matangi Island
An island nature reserve in the Hauraki Gulf, where volunteers planted 280,000 trees from 1984 to restore its forest. Predators were removed, and rare birds such as takahe, kokako and little spotted kiwi can now be seen on its tracks.
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Viaduct Harbour
A former commercial harbour on the Auckland waterfront, now lined with restaurants, bars, offices and apartments. It was redeveloped for the America's Cup challenges of 2000 and 2003, and yachts and superyachts moor there today.
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Waitakere Ranges
A range of forested hills west of Auckland, running down to the wild black sand beaches of the Tasman coast. The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park has waterfalls, kauri trees and the Arataki Visitor Centre.
Collecting in Auckland
What are the best places to visit in Auckland?
LOQAH lists 20 places in Auckland. The best known include Auckland Harbour Bridge, Great Barrier Island, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, Rangitoto Island and Sky Tower. Each has a stamp of its own to collect when you are there.
How many LOQAH stamps are there in Auckland?
20, and more are added over time. Each place has LOQAH's carefully crafted stamp of its own.
How do I collect a stamp in Auckland?
Open LOQAH at the place and get its stamp. LOQAH checks where you are once, at that moment; at the place itself the stamp is confirmed on site, with a gold badge.
I have been to places in Auckland before. Can I add them?
Yes. In Earlier trips, choose Auckland and swipe through its stamps, or import your Google Timeline. Each one goes into your volume with the date, if you know it.
More in New Zealand
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.