Auckland Central Business District

21 September 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  15 minutes

Aerial view © flickr.com - Craig/cc-by-sa-2.0

Aerial view © flickr.com – Craig/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Auckland central business district (CBD), also called the city centre by Auckland Council, is the geographical and economic heart of the Auckland metropolitan area. It is the area in which Auckland was established in 1840, by William Hobson. It is New Zealand’s leading financial hub, and the centre of the country’s economy; the GDP of the Auckland Region was $122.557 billion in the year ending March 2020. The CBD is one of the most densely developed places in New Zealand, with many commercial and some residential developments packed into a space of only 433 hectares (1,070 acres). The area is made up of the city’s largest concentration of skyscrapers and businesses. Bounded by several major motorways and by the harbour coastline in the north, it is surrounded further out by mostly suburban areas; it is bounded on the North by Waitematā Harbour, east by Parnell, southeast by Grafton, south by Mount Eden, southwest by Newton, west by Freemans Bay and northwest by Viaduct Harbour.   read more…

Waitemata Harbour in Auckland

28 April 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© flickr.com - Bengt Nyman/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Bengt Nyman/cc-by-2.0

Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour. With an area of 70 square miles (180 km²), it connects the city’s main port and the Auckland waterfront to the Hauraki Gulf and the Pacific Ocean. It is sheltered from Pacific storms by Auckland’s North Shore, Rangitoto Island, and Waiheke Island.   read more…

Matamata in New Zealand

19 August 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Hobbiton sign in Matamata © Michael Goetter/cc-by-sa-2.5

Hobbiton sign in Matamata © Michael Goetter/cc-by-sa-2.5

Matamata is a town in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes in the surrounding rural areas as well as Morrinsville and Te Aroha. State Highway 27 and the Kinleith Branch railway run through the town. The town has a population of 7,910 as of June 2019.   read more…

The Great Journeys of New Zealand

3 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Hotels Reading Time:  8 minutes

The Great Journeys of New Zealand © KiwiRail/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Great Journeys of New Zealand © KiwiRail/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Great Journeys of New Zealand is the tourism division of KiwiRail that brings together its three Scenic train services (TranzAlpine, Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific) with its passenger ferries business, Interislander. The new division was launched in May 2017 and replaced the former tourism brand, KiwiRail Scenic Journeys.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – The Sky Tower in Auckland

21 July 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

© Heinz Albers/cc-by-2.5

© Heinz Albers/cc-by-2.5

The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located at the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets in the Auckland CBD, Auckland in New Zealand. It is 328 metres (1,076 ft) tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast, making it the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere and the 23rd tallest tower in the world. It has become an iconic landmark in Auckland’s skyline due to its height and unique design. The tower is part of the SkyCity Auckland casino complex, originally built in 1994–1997 for Harrah’s Entertainment. Several upper levels are accessible to the public, attracting an average of 1,150 visitors per day (over 415,000 per year). The Sky Tower has several upper levels that are accessible to the public: Level 50: Sky Lounge, Level 51: Main Observation Deck, Level 52: Orbit 360° Dining, Level 53: The Sugar Club restaurant, SkyWalk and SkyJump and Level 60: Sky Deck.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – Wellington

10 October 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

Wellington Harbour © flickr.com - margaritanitz

Wellington Harbour © flickr.com – margaritanitz

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is home to 389,700 residents.   read more…

The Jetboat

21 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Design & Products, Sport Reading Time:  5 minutes

Shotover River Canyons, Queenstown, New Zealand © Alex Proimos

Shotover River Canyons, Queenstown, New Zealand © Alex Proimos

A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses a propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat into a pump inside the boat, then expels it through a nozzle at the stern.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – The Marlborough Sounds

12 April 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

The Marlborough Sounds, visible to the left of the Space Shuttle. Image taken from the International Space Station © NASA

The Marlborough Sounds, visible to the left of the Space Shuttle. Image taken from the International Space Station
© NASA

The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand. According to Māori mythology, the sounds are the prows of the sunken waka (canoe) of Aoraki. The Marlborough Sounds are connected to the Cook Strait at the north-east extreme. At this point, the North Island is at its closest to the South Island, and the inter-island road, rail, and passenger ferry service between Picton and Wellington travels through the sounds.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – The Hen and Chicken Islands

7 June 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  4 minutes

Panorama of the Hen (right) and Chicken Islands and Sail Rock (left) © Glenn h/cc-by-sa-3.0

Panorama of the Hen (right) and Chicken Islands and Sail Rock (left) © Glenn h/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Hen and Chicken Islands lie to the east of the North Auckland Peninsula off the coast of northern New Zealand. They lie 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) east of Bream Head and 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Whangarei.   read more…

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