Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Encounter.
It used to be the city's sewage storage tanks. Now it's an ocean tunnel populated with marine life - sharks, stingrays, and all types of fishes.
Established by renowned diver and treasure hunter Kelly Tarlton, the ocean tunnel has become a popular tourist stop. Once you enter the tunnel, a conveyer belt transports you along the length of the tunnel. Giant perspex glass separates you from the sea and it's creatures.
And along with the aquariums, there is also an Antarctic Encounter section where you can ride the Snow Cart through a replica Antarctic, home to a colony of gentoo and King penguins.
Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underworld Experience is located at 23 Tamaki Dri, Orakei.
Open 9 am - 6m
Admission: Adult/child $26/12
Auckland Museum.
The Auckland Museum is a must stop for anyone interested in history, culture, and art. Sitting on a hilltop overlooking the city, the musuem has been educating locals and tourists since 1929.
Interactive and kid-friendly, there is plenty to see and do. Naturalists can get inside the mind of a moa, historians will love the War Memorial on the top floor, and the culturalist will appreciate the theme galleries with social history displays.
Auckland Museum is located off Domain Road, Auckland Domain.
Open 10 am - 5 pm daily, admission free
Out of Town: Driving Creek Railway and Potteries.
New Zealand may not have Paris but it does have it's own ‘Eyefull' Tower. It's found at the top of the Driving Creek Railway and Pottery Complex just outside Coromandel Town in the Coromandel Region.
Located just 2.5 hours east of Auckland, the Driving Creek Railway evolved through the vision and determination of potter Barry Brickell. A rail enthusiast, Barry started building the narrow gauge rail tracks back in the 1970s as a way of transporting the clay and pine wood located high up the hill down to his pottery studio.
Becoming a tourist attraction might not have been part of the original plan but as the railway and the pottery studio grew, so did Barry's vision. He began a major forest restoration by planting 14,000 native trees, then established a sculpture and pottery studio and workshop, and transformed the working rail track into a tourist attraction.
These days, the train chugs slowly up the hill, carrying visitors through tunnels and over viaducts and bridges. Slow enough, in fact, that you can read all the little nametags nailed to the trees and learn about the areas goldmining history. This part of the Coromandel, after all, was the location of New Zealand's first gold rush in 1852.
The 3 kilometer track twists and turns through native bush and forest. There's a lot of stops and starts and forwards and reserves along the way as the train driver (and entertaining commentator) manoeuvres the train along it's narrow tracks. Along the way, you might surmise that not only did it take a lot of sweat and muscle to create this rail track but also a whole lot of wine. The banks on either side of the track have been shored up recycled wine bottles. But they must have run out of the vino at some stage, because some banks are missing the wine bottles and are shored up with used tyres and clay bricks instead.
Eventually, the train arrives at the Eyefull Tower, where, it is true, you will get an eye full of the spectacular New Zealand landscape.
Location: 380 Driving Creek Road, Coromandel
Contact: Ph/Fax: 07 8668-703
Auckland Bridge Climb
For outdoor adventure and exercise right in the heart of the city, nothing beats the Auckland Bridge Climb. It's run by AJ Hackett Ltd, the same company that introduced New Zealand and the world to bungy jumping. But fear not, the bridge climb does not require 'nerves of steel.' It's actually a relatively relaxing stroll amongst the metal pyelons and girders.
So you don't have to do any jumping and you don't have to be superfit. The one and a half hour tour states with everyone dressing up in overalls and safety harnesses and receiving a safety lesson. Then it's on to the bridge where your guide will connect everyone to a static line. The walk begins on the underside of the bridge and you gradually make your way along and up the bridge. Eventually, you'll be standing 65 meters above the harbor looking out at a picture perfect view of the city skyline.
Tour guides offer a running commentary on the history, architecture, and colorful past of Auckland bridge, as well as discussing the region's Maori mythology.
Location: Westhaven Reserve, Westhaven Marina - 5 minutes from downtown Auckland
Requirements: Age (min = 7 yrs old), Height (min = 115cm), Weight (min = 35kg)
Pregnancy: Sorry ladies but once past the first trimester you can not take part in this activity.
Contact:
Phone: +64 9 361 2000 or 0800 462 5462 (Within New Zealand) Fax: +64 9 361 6186 Website: http://www.aucklandbridgeclimb.co.nz/ Email: @aucklandbridgeclimb.co.nz
And for those who are looking for a bigger adrenalin rush, there is the Auckland Bridge Bungy on offer.
Auckland Harbour Bridge Climb
Curran Street, Westhaven Reserve, Herne Bay, Auckland, 1011, New Zealand
Web Site