Day 1:
We arrived from Queenstown in the afternoon on our Jetstar flight. After collecting our checked-in luggage we found our way to the Skybus counter outside the terminal building. By purchasing Skybus tickets online, you save a little bit of money in comparison to showing up at the airport counter. We took the airport shuttle all the way to the terminus at Queen street and from there we transferred to another complimentary shuttle service to take us towards downtown.
After checking in at the hotel (Crowne Plaza Auckland) we had an early dinner at Elliott Stables which was right next to our hotel. This is a great place to dine-in close to downtown as you get a variety of restaurants all in one place.
After dinner, we walked towards the harbor along Queen street, checking out some souvenir shops along the way.
It started to rain while we were returning from Britomart and we decided to call it a night.
Day 2:
We walked along Queen Street towards Viaduct Harbour.
After spending about 3 hours wandering around Viaduct Harbour, Wynyard Quarter and North Wharf we came back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch and some rest we went back to the ferry terminal for an afternoon trip to Devonport.
Devonport is a quaint little town that seems so far away from the hustle and bustle of Auckland.
We had a great time just walking along the quiet streets of Devonport.
After spending about 4 hours in Devonport we came back to the city (Auckland).
Day 3:
This was our last day in Auckland (also Karen’s Birthday) and we decided to visit the Rangitoto Island. Rangitoto is a volcanic island in Hauraki gulf near Auckland. We took the first morning ferry operated by Fullers and it takes only 20 minutes from the ferry terminal to the island.
For people who do not want to do the long, fairly strenuous hike, you can take a buggy tour that takes you all the way to the summit and back. We opted for walking the whole way up.
It took us about hour and a half on our hike to Rangitoto Summit. It was a hot and a humid day and it is recommended to take enough water supplies. After spending about 20 minutes at the summit and enjoying the views and taking some pictures we started our descent back to the Rangitoto Wharf for our ferry back to Auckland.
After reaching back to Auckland we had lunch and soon it was time for our flight to Melbourne. We had a pretty good time in Auckland but in hindsight, I would rather have skipped Auckland and added the two days to see more of the South Island around Queenstown.