As one of the best lifestyle cities in the world, Auckland in New Zealand seems to have it all, effortlessly combining the buzz of city life with the open spaces and beaches the country is renowned for.
Lying on the upper North Island, Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, with 1.4 million happy souls calling it home. The Auckland area has the country’s fastest growing population and its current headcount – which already accounts for a third of the country’s total population – is swelling daily.
Auckland is a major drawcard for visitors to the Land of the Long White Cloud, and the country recorded a record number of tourists in December last year, hitting 345,656. This was due in part to Tourism New Zealand’s inspired “100% Pure New Zealand” marketing campaign – with the new “100% Pure You” tagline – which pulled in the punters with promises of stunning scenery, adventure tourism and friendly folk – all true.
Justin Watson, Tourism New Zealand’s General Manager for Marketing Communications, said, “The new global campaign will help us take New Zealand to the world in a way that better connects with our target audience. Authentic and special experiences will become the major draw card, while the beautiful scenery and environment will be a vital part of the story as the backdrop.”
The tourism body is also hopeful that more Brits will head over to New Zealand this year to watch the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on 10 September – check out www.rugbyworldcup.com to read more on that. Alongside the sporting action, New Zealand will celebrate its role as host by staging a nationwide festival which showcases the country to the rest of the world.
The REAL New Zealand Festival will celebrate New Zealand food and wine, arts, heritage, culture, entertainment, business and lifestyle. More than 300 events will take place across the country, and will run between 9 September and 23 October. To view the festival programme, head to www.nz2011.govt.nz/realnzfestival.
Auckland’s location on a narrow isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours has led to its nickname “City of Sails” due to its large collection of yachts in the harbour. The landscape is dotted with sleeping volcanoes, fabulous beaches and hidden holiday islands. Most Aucklanders live within 30 minutes of the beaches and beautiful rural countryside. Add to this some of the best food and wine in the world and it’s not hard to see what Auckland is such a popular holiday spot with visitors from all over the world.
New Zealand is the perfect place to get the adrenaline pumping and sample some out-there adventure tourism. How about walking up a sleeping volcano or jumping off the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere? You can do both in Auckland – walk up Rangitoto Island, which emerged from the sea 600 years ago and lies in the middle of the Hauraki Gulf, and jump 192 metres from the top of the city centre’s SkyTower. You can also opt to walk around the outside of the tower on the SkyWalk.
Daredevils will love the ultimate Kiwi experience – bungee jumping. Scale the famous Auckland Harbour Bridge and enjoy beautiful views over the city, before bungee jumping off.
