Viaduct Harbour

There was once a time in the early 1990’s when Viaduct Harbor was a downtrodden port. With an infusion of money from the America’s Cup, however, this aging corner of the Waitemata waterfront was fantastically transformed into one of the city’s most popular districts.

Bars, restaurants, and high-end apartments line the pedestrian mall, and some of the most luxurious yachts in the South Pacific can be docked at the nearby marina. By day, Viaduct Harbor is a great place for people-watching from the patio of a comfortable café, and watch as visitors ogle at sailboats which sit in the Viaduct Basin. By night, the Viaduct turns into a hopping scene of popular bars and restaurants, and Auckland locals and passing tourists mingle with yachties on leave.

More than just bars, restaurants, and luxurious sailboats, Viaduct Harbor is also home to the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum. The informative stop is a perfect fit with the Viaduct’s maritime heritage, and standing guard towards the entrance to the museum is the yacht KZ1. Also known as “the Big Boat”, the 153-ft. mast on the ship makes it incapable of passing beneath the Auckland Harbor Bridge, and it once competed for the crown of the America’s Cup in 1988.

Since the Viaduct Harbor is only a short walk away from both the ferry building and Queen Street, it’s a popular way to spend a few hours while touring the “City of Sails."