Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand with a population of about 1.6 million people. It is known as the “city of sails”. It is a very green city with many beaches. It is a very diverse city with large Asian and Pacific Island populations. For a city of its size, it is a very boring place. Nightlife is almost non-existant. There is one very good museum and a decent art gallery. It is quite hard to get around, as public transport is poor and traffic on the motorway which dissects the city is horrendous.
The only reason to spend any time here in Auckland is to use it as a base to get out of the city to nearby islands and beaches. Hightlights include Waiheki island, a gorgeous islands with vinyards about a 40 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland, and; Piha, a famous surf beach about 30 mins drive west of the city. Note, Piha is not suitable for swimming and many people drown there every year.
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