[Leccy-Lee]

Right i am booked into hostel in queens street for another 5nights and already daytimes are boring in town, any ideas for cheap (currently backpacking) day-trips on bus / walk etc from the centre (near skytower)

[gil]

Have you taken a ferry yet Lee? Down Queen St and cross the road....not sure if they qualify as "cheap" though, e.g. to Waiheke or Rangitoto?

The Museum is a good place and Cornwall Park and the Observatory, all pretty central.

It's lovely weather isn't it! Great time to see around, enjoy,

Gil

[kanatakiwi]

catch the bus to mission bay, get some fish and chips from the Fish Pot cafe and eat them in the park/beach at Mission bay, good way to spend an afternoon.

the one touristy thing I recommend is Kelly Tartlons underwater adventure. not cheap, but its really something to have sharks swimming over your head!

If you catch a bus out to St Heliers, there are several beach walks there that go from st.heliers village , around Ladies Bay, Gentlemens beach, Karaka Bay etc. maps online from :www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/walkways/pointotpoint/map.asp

[swissmissdesigner]

You can go with the bus from Auckland to Northland and camp and go
backpacking etc..
Go to Paihia where you can book a lot of tours and look around.
By the way,my favorite place in Northland!
cheers:

anna

[Oregonkiwi]

Here's a few suggestions. (I'll assume you have a map of Auckland; bus info is here:http://www.maxx.co.nz/)
1. Ferry to Devonport, then climb North Head - amazing harbour views, plus old WWII bunkers and tunnels.

2. Take the bus to Mt Eden (route 274 to Three Kings, departs Custom St). Get off just after the playground on the corner of Clive Rd and walk up the road to the top of Mt Eden http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/parks/mteden.asp.
Then walk along Mountain Rd (stately homes to admire) to the Domain http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/parks/domain.asp Look around there for a while and visit the Museum, then walk back to the city over Grafton Bridge.

3. Maybe get a bus day pass and ride out to suburban centres like New Lynn or Onehunga, just to see what's out there.

[auskiwi]

You will need to hire a car or contact Bush and Beach Tours who will pick up from the city and take you for a wonderful day out (or half day) to the black sand beaches of either KareKare or Piha on the west coast. Lots of rainforest, bush walks, waterfalls and wild surf etc

[Oregonkiwi]

Just wanted to add to my Mt Eden itinerary suggestion: you could go straight back down from the summit to Clive Rd/Mountain Rd, which would be the most direct, but a more interesting route would take you through the Mt Eden shops (lots of cafes etc for sustenance) at the intersection of Mt Eden & Stokes Rds, then along Owens Rd to Mountain Rd, around the base of Mt Eden. The fancy old houses along Mountain Rd are between Owens Rd and Clive Rd. Depends on how much walking you're up for. (And what you want to see.)

If you're feeling intrepid, you might like to tackle the Coast to Coast Walkway:
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/walkways/coasttocoast/index.asp

Or take a bus out to Blockhouse Bay and do this coastal walk:
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/walkways/manukau/blockhousebay.asp
(Native bush and nice views of the Manukau Harbour.)

Enjoy!:)

[auskiwi]

:mad: YIKES!
I didn't post this. How can this be posted with my name????

Amy.
You will need to hire a car or contact Bush and Beach Tours who will pick up from the city and take you for a wonderful day out (or half day) to the black sand beaches of either KareKare or Piha on the west coast. Lots of rainforest, bush walks, waterfalls and wild surf etc

[Leccy-Lee]

Thanks for tips guys, have done Mt Eden and Northhead on the free kiwi experience bus, also done the harbour bridge walk free.
Loads peeps recommending Mission Bay, so i will check that out tomorrow i hope.
Then after monday i hope to have picked up my van, so with transport can get anywhere i hope!

[thepiesleys]

Tell me more about this free stuff you talk about...?

Dan

[Leccy-Lee]

http://www.kiwiexperience.com

I cant actually find that particular bus on there website above, but this backpacking tour company do a "free" 4hr bus trip around auckland which took us up mount eden, over to devenport and northhead and then to harbour bridge for a free walk under the bridge (on harness) out to the bungy platfrom and back. (think they hoped peeps would pay for a bungee but nobody our bus did)

Sorry i cant find it online right now, our hostel had already booked us on it, all i know it is free and you just need to book it up for a space. I belive Stray backpacking buses do a similar free auckland tour.

[Debbie]

If your into cooking and food $80 gets you an evening class at the Fish Market cook school, glass of wine and your meal, (which you and your new buddies have just lovingly cooked).
Debbie

[b&k]

I'd recommend the ferry out to Waiheke then hiring a bike - there's a stall in the car park at the other end - and cycling round the island. There are marked cycle routes although the signs are sometimes hard to find!

You can stop in the local wineries for a few samples. There's also a brewery and several good restaurants for lunch.