Auckland has a thriving restaurant scene with diners enjoying fresh seafood and world-beating New Zealand white wines well into the wee hours seven nights a week. Elsewhere, live hip-hop bands are all the rage while nightclubs, discos and New Zealand's busiest gay scene light up the night.
Auckland has a new casino, and the live theater and cinema scene is enjoying a new peak of activity and popularity. Five-star hotel bars offer elegant nightlife spaces while promenades at the waterfront bustle with all kinds of people, and all sorts of activity.
Auckland is not the adventure sports center of New Zealand but nearby opportunities for kayaking and other outdoor activities abound. Auckland is a particularly good destination for young families, with several swimming pools and leisure centers designed just for the little ones.
No-one could miss this thriving complex of new Auckland as the Sky Tower looms about a thousand feet about street level. At the top is a revolving restaurant and observation deck while closer to earth is everything from a casino to a five-star hotel.
The gorgeous Civic Theatre hosts large Broadway musicals as they tour through the Asia-Pacific and the large number of commercial and art house cinemas in the area should delight all kinds of movie lovers. Regular film festivals attract film makers and filmgoers from all over the world.
Join the crowds at the waterfront particularly at Mission Bay to choose just the right restaurant that suits your mood, or simply take in a coffee or beer and enjoy the sea breeze, and the people watching. In the cooler months, gas heaters ensure outdoor comfort.
Auckland locals crowd the top nightlife streets like Ponsonby and K Road seven nights a week. Safety is assured even if the crowds seem large and unmanageable and the red light strips, particularly on Ponsonby Road, are surprisingly classy and the range of bars means that there is generally something to suit everyone.
New Zealanders love live music, particularly folk and hip-hop and Auckland is very much the capital of the country's live music scene. Clubs like Envy present live acts most nights a week while many restaurants and cafés offer ‘open-mic' nights and regular return acts.
