Auckland

Take a short drive between Wellsford and Auckland, taking in all these attractions.

Jill Malcolm reacquaints herself with Cornwall Park in Auckland.

Liz Light explores Auckland, her favourite city in New Zealand. These are some of the best things to see and do in the central city.

Jill Malcolm has to agree with the prime minister: Helensville is one of New Zealand’s top towns.

Road trippers would do well to stop and spend some time on the “Seabird Coast”, between southeast Auckland and the mighty Waikato.

Auckland and Aucklanders get a lot of flak, but look beyond these outmoded perceptions and the country’s largest city has a lot to see and do.

Eyes unblinking, he reclined on a piece of bark the same colour as his skin. On a small rock close to where he perched was his lunch, a soft-pink-coloured and unsuspecting cricket.

Set aside from development, a huge area of rugged ranges and wind-battered beaches to the west of Auckland is one of the city’s great playgrounds. This is a list of Auckland's best west coast beaches.

Of all the wild beaches that invade the coastline of the rugged Waitakeries Mountains west of Auckland (Whatipu, Bethells, Kare Kare, Anawhata and Murawai), Piha is arguably the most spectacular and certainly the most popular.

Great news: Auckland International Buskers Festival on Auckland’s Waterfront is less than two weeks away!