Surrounded by beaches and volcanoes, with a thriving arts scene in between, local journalist Hannah Spyksma shows us around the diverse cultures that make up this beautiful Polynesian city

In five words

The South Pacific’s melting pot



Sound of the city

You’re never far from a beach in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The central city lies across an isthmus straddling the Pacific Ocean on its east and the Tasman Sea on its west.

This recording at Point Chevalier, a relatively central location, captures the buzz of a city defined by its nautical location. Seagulls, sparrows and the native tui bird occupy the pōhutukawa trees above the beach, competing with the sound of young people singing and playing an impromptu game of touch rugby.

Best building

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Auckland Art Gallery’s timber atrium has been recognised internationally for its design. Photograph: David St George

It would be too easy to pick the Sky Tower, the building that gives this city its distinct skyline; and while it is a significant structure and a central focus for downtown Auckland, it’s not the best. Over the other side of Victoria Street though, you’ll find the Auckland Art Gallery backing on to Albert Park.

With its remodelled main atrium opening in 2011, the building – and particularly its ceiling – is a refined example of architecture that pays homage to New Zealand materials. The stunning Kauri wood ceiling consists of 28 pods, towering 15 metres above the entrance. The intricate detail and local craftsmanship are impressive, and the council-owned organisation has picked up numerous awards.

Most under-rated location



On a bus trip out of the city I once heard a Kiwi give advice to a tourist telling them to avoid K Road (Karangahape Road) because it’s “a bit dodgy, if you know what I mean”. Avoiding K Road on a trip to Auckland would be like dismissing the Reeperbahn in Hamburg – it may not have a pristine reputation but it certainly makes up the fabric of the city, and that’s why it’s a must-visit. The notoriously bohemian street is known as the red-light district, the gay district and generally the welcoming, all embracing home of the artists, the cultured and the misfits.

Hit by a recent wave of gentrification, the street is changing. It’s now becoming a modern foodie destination, spearheaded by the growing influence of local favourites like bistro Cocos Cantina. The slightly grungy Peach Pit a few doors up also does amazing food, while across the road, the former strip club Las Vegas is now home to a dumpling and cocktail bar. So don’t be put off by small-minded advice: make sure you visit Karangahape Road.

Biggest controversy

New Zealand has just held its local council elections. In Auckland, voter turnout was a poor 35.18%. In a city where average house prices have recently crept over the million-dollar mark and families who can’t afford rent are sleeping in cars, such voter apathy is disappointing and unhelpful. Not least for the fact that it leaves citizens with little direct democratic ability to steer the city in a different direction.

But this poor turnout is also controversial for the fact that nobody can decide whose fault it is: are Aucklanders, particularly young people, just too alienated from local politics? Did the politicians run particularly boring campaigns? Does the council just not make the voting process relevant and easy? Or did the media provide irrelevant coverage?

The look on the street

What does your city smell like?

There is nothing more satisfying than a summertime backyard or beachside barbecue – and walking home along streets where the smell of soft smoke from a grill wafts over the fence is about as homely as it gets.

That is, until you travel abroad. After living in northern Europe for some time where cities often have the stale smell of cigarettes hanging in the air, arriving back in Auckland and being hit with the smell of sea is literally like a breath of fresh air. Auckland Airport is situated on the edge of Manukau Harbour, and you’ll get that first salty whiff of clean air as soon as you land. There is nothing like the smell of the sea to know you’re home.

Homegrown talent

The “post-graffiti” movement has really taken off in Auckland in the last few years, with street art following the global trend of rising beyond the backstreets and train carriages, to the front pages of society as a medium for socially conscious messaging. Aucklander Elliot O’Donnell, better known as Askew One, is a progressive force in this field. Askew strongly associates with the South Pacific’s colours and politics, and has been involved with local Auckland graffiti art collective TMD.

His bright, refined and layered street work has been commissioned on city walls and exhibited in galleries around the world, with his stunning public art appearing everywhere from Detroit to Tahiti.

Moment in history

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anti-apartheid demonstrators march through Auckland to protest the tour of South Africa’s Springbok rugby union team in July 1981. Photograph: Associated Press

Welcoming sporting teams on 9 September 2011 for the opening night of the Rugby World Cup was a moment of celebration for Auckland. But it was also an opportunity to reflect on Auckland’s sporting history. Almost 30 years earlier a Cessna plane flew low over Eden Park and dropped flour bombs on the field in the middle of a rugby test match between New Zealand’s All Blacks and South Africa’s Springboks.

It was one of many anti-apartheid protests inside and out of the stadium in September 1981. The Springbok tour cut to the core of New Zealander’s identities. While today the majority would recognise that sport should have the power to foster dialogues of diversity and inclusion, at the time the issue was divisive. The Rugby World Cup opening in 2011 was not only memorable for being a giant street party and night-long celebration, it was also a chance to reflect on how far the city, the sport and the nation has come in the last three decades.

Worst building?

Facebook Twitter Pinterest These concrete block apartments have got to be some of the city’s ugliest. Photograph: Hannah Spyksma

A few years ago, Auckland news magazine Metro published an article called The City’s shame: Why is Auckland’s Urban Design so bad? Metro argued that between the 1950s and the 2000s, the city somehow dropped the ball on urban development, neglecting good design for the most part. Broadly speaking, the city has expanded outwards and upwards since post-war state housing developments gave way to a laissez-faire approach to planning from the late 70s through till the turn of century.

Since then, we’ve started to see a renewed and necessary interest in smart urban design that will help the city respond to its burgeoning growing pains. But this buffer of in-between time saw the unfortunate rise of several concrete bunker-style apartment blocks in the central city, including the often loathed Auckland council stalwart Bledisloe House. In my opinion, these soviet-style block towers are an eye sore in a city where attention should be won by it’s natural beauty.



Top insider’s tip

Treat Auckland as more than just a layover destination for New Zealand’s picturesque South Island and you’ll see why roughly one quarter of the country’s inhabitants live here. With its magnificent harbours, beaches, islands and regional parks the city is a destination in its own right. Spend a day or two wandering around the inner city going from cafes to art galleries or museums, and then out to dinner along Ponsonby Road, Karangahape Road or near Britomart. If you’re here in the warmer months spend an evening at the open air cinema at Wynyard Quarter’s Silo Park, where films are screened against old silo tanks with the harbour bridge as a back drop.

Best Instagram account

A few years ago Courteney Peters returned from Melbourne, determined that Auckland was as good as its hip city cousin across the ditch. From her desire to showcase local food, art and talent here, Gather and Hunt has become an evolving platform to showcase the best of trendy Auckland.

What does your city do better than anywhere else?

While New Zealand as a nation has a bi-cultural framework, there’s no denying that Auckland is multicultural. It is the biggest Polynesian city in the world and is home to two thirds of the country’s Pacific and Asian identifying populations. This, combined with its Māori and Pākeha (white) heritage, means that Auckland is a South Pacific melting pot like no other.

The extent of its diversity is ever-present in politics and particularly in regards to socio-economic issues. But a more tangible and positive expression of this is in the local cuisine and creative communities. Much of the city’s vibrant arts scene revolves around people trying to understand and make sense of their identity in relation to this place – the team behind Flat3 webseries is a perfect example of this.

How green is your city?

The city is formed on an isthmus with more than 40 volcanoes. So naturally, the city is pretty green, and the 2010 amalgamation of Auckland council helped with this too. In expanding the city’s boundaries, it picked up a few regional parks, so you can now go camping in the countryside while technically still being in the city.

However, despite its abundance of parks and outdoor space the city still struggles with poor public transport and clogged motorways. It still has a long way to go in terms of being environmentally friendly, but it’s making baby steps every day. Recently, a dedicated cycling lane over the Harbour Bridge was formally approved.

Five to follow

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From me

Hannah Spyksma. Photograph: Chloe Fill

Hannah Spyksma is a journalist and media researcher. Originally from a beach town on the north-east coast of New Zealand, she’s lived in the UK, Denmark and Germany but always seems to find her way back to Auckland. Follow her on Twitter.