AUCKLAND

(includes Waiheke Island)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
●Moustache Milk & Cookie Bar – 12 Wellesley Street West; moustache.co.nz; coffee, cookies & ice cream.
●Theatre Coffee Co. – 256 Karangahape Road; 011-64-09-303-0501; theatrecoffee.co.nz.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
●Fukuko – 43 Tyler Street (at Britomart); 011-64-09-300-5275; fukuko.co.nz; Asian-themed cocktail bar that also serves small plates.
●Golden Dawn – 134 Ponsonby Road (Ponsonby); 011-64-09-376-9929; goldendawn.co.nz; perhaps best bar in town; excellent outdoor courtyard, weather permitting; good beer selection.
●Xuxu – Levy Building (corner Commerce & Galway Streets, at Britomart); 011-64-09-309-5529; britomart.org/xuxu; table-service bar serving small southeast Asian plates & inventive cocktails (try Chanh Bac Ha, Vietnamese mojitos).



HOTELS & LODGES
●Mollies – 6 Tweed Street (St. Mary’s Bay); 011-64-09-378-6592; seasonz.co.nz; small luxury hotel in central business district.



RESTAURANTS
●Café Hanoi – Levy Building (corner Commerce & Galway Streets, at Britomart); 011-64-09-302-3478; cafehanoi.co.nz; old-Hanoi atmosphere; Vietnamese cuisine.
●Depot – 86 Federal Street; 011-64-09-363-7048; eatatdepot.co.nz; seafood-centric bistro.
●Meredith’s – 365 Dominion Road (Mt. Eden); 011-64-09-623-3140; merediths.co.nz; formal tasting menu only; cozy.
●Theatre Coffee Co. – 256 Karangahape Road; 011-64-09-303-0501; theatrecoffee.co.nz; great breakfasts.
●Toru – 136-138 Ponsonby Road, Shop 3 (Ponsonby, at Ponsonby Central); 011-64-09-555-1229; ‎toru.co.nz; new complex packed with restaurants and shops, including bakery & organic market; lunch cafe; pressed sandwiches & fries.



SHOPPING
●Iko Iko – 195 Karangahape Road (Newton); 011-64-09-358-0220; ikoiko.co.nz; delightful Kiwi-kitsch.
●Juliette Hogan – 170 Ponsonby Road; 011-64-09-360-9347; juliettehogan.com; floral print women’s wear in modern styling.
●Kate Sylvester – 134 Ponsonby Road (Ponsonby); 011-64-09-360-5283; katesylvester.com; colorful women’s fashion.
●Maaike + Co. – fashion arcade for men and women; New Zealand labels.
●Parnell Farmers’ Market – 545 Parnell Road (Grafton-Parnell); 011-64-09-555-5154; parnell.org.nz.
●Ponsonby Central – 136-138 Ponsonby Road (Ponsonby); 011-64-09-376-8300; facebook.com/PonsonbyCentral‎; new complex packed with restaurants and shops, including bakery & organic market.
●Toi Gallery – 145 Ocean View Road (Waiheke Island); 011-64-27-773-2975; toigallery.com.



SIGHTS & SITES
●Albert Park – bounded by Wellesley Street East, Princes Street, Bowen Avenue & Kitchener Street; 011-64-09-979-7070; aucklandcouncil.govt.nz; occupies much Albert Barracks’ original site (early European military fortification, in turn built on Te Horotiu pa original site); barracks converted into public park in 1880s; beneath park are Albert Park tunnels (built in 1941 to be used as air raid shelters, but sealed up after WWII & generally forgotten); lies beside site of 1 of earliest volcanoes in Auckland Volcanic Field; from entrance at corner of Bowen Avenue & Kitchener Street, sealed footpaths climb steeply through native trees to large flat area at summit, where flower gardens encircle fountain; to north of 1881 cast-iron fountain is 1897 bronze Queen Victoria statue; to south is 1901 bandstand; large 1953 floral clock lies near Princes Street exit; marble Boer War memorial & Sir George Grey statue, relocated to this spot.
●Auckland Art Gallery – corner Kitchener & Wellesley Streets; 011-64-09-307-7700; aucklandartgallery.com; extensive international & national art collection; many turn-of-century Maori portraits.
●Auckland Domain & Museum – Park Road (Grafton, near Parnell Farmers’ Market); 011-64-09-379-9956 (Auckland Museum); aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/parksfacilities/premierparks/Pages/aucklanddomain.aspx; 185-acre park southeast of city; paths and wooded areas; city’s oldest park; includes Wintergardens & Auckland War Memorial Museum (actually not limited to war but encompasses all New Zealand history); formal gardens, duck ponds & extinct volcano that forms natural amphitheater; 1913-1914 Great Industrial Exhibition contains idealized New Zealand house, 1912 band rotunda & statuary.
●Cable Bay Vineyards – 12 Nick Johnston Drive (Waiheke Island, Oneroa); 011-64-09-372-5889; cablebayvineyards.co.nz.
●Gibbs Farm – gibbsfarm.org.nz; private sculpture garden, open monthly by prior appointment only; must arrange by email; 1K acres owned by Alan Gibbs (among New Zealand’s wealthiest men); his private art park; features massive sculptures by 22 of world’s most famous artists, works incorporated into unique landscape; property itself dominated by Kaipara Harbor (Southern hemisphere’s largest harbor), which occupies entire western horizon; water is quite shallow so when tide goes out, shallows are exposed for several kms and light shimmies and bounces off it across land.
●Mt. Eden Garden – 24 Omana Avenue (Epsom); 011-64-09-638-8395; edengarden.co.nz/index.cfm; peaceful sanctuary; 5.5-acre garden; plant collections include bromeliads, camellias, perennials & vireyas; rock formations & waterfalls; resident native birds; city & harbor views.
●Sky Tower – corner Federal & Victoria Streets; 011-64-09-363-6000; skycityauckland.co.nz/attractions/sky-tower; basically, Auckland’s “Space Needle.”
●Waiheke Island – accessible by ferry; waiheke.aucklandnz.com; 35 square mile island; artist’s colony.
●Waiheke Community Art Gallery – 2 Korora Road (Waiheke Island, Oneroa); 011-64-09-372-9907; waihekeartgallery.org.nz.