Pacific Paradise
Auckland, while not the capital city of New Zealand is by far the largest with a population in excess of 1.3 million people. New Zealand or Aotearoa - translated into English as the Land of the Long White Cloud Is a beautiful Pacific Nation that has a lot to offer.
I have made 2 trips to New Zeealand over the last 5 years and the First trip I spent most of my time in the City of Auckland. The city itself is known as the City of Sails - as it is almost bordered by the Pacific ocean. Auckland lies on a narrow part of the North Island and has both an East and West coast of the Pacific. With so much Ocean so close, it is no wonder it is known as the City of Sails.
When I was first there, One Tree Hill, An extinct Volcano actually still had it’s one tree on top. Sadly, it no longer stands on the hill which gives magnificent views back to the City Centre.
The Sky Tower is just one of the great attractions in the City Centre - it is the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere. If you really want to be freaked out, just stand on the glass floor in the observation deck! Just a 6″ thick piece of glass between you and the street over 300M below you.
As you would expect, in a city of 1.3 Million people there is a huge range of Hotels in Auckland - from backpackers to 5 star luxury Auckland accomodation.
Auckland is not just a great place to stay, but also a great place to base yourself on your holiday. New Zealand has a whole lot to offer within just a couple of hours drive if you ever get sick of just wandering around the City Itself. So, take a few weeks off work, check out the Auckland Hotels, find one you like and spend a bit of time exploring this Pacific Paradise.