Auckland

Travel Advice for Seniors: Auckland

We planned a four-week trip to New Zealand as while the country is not too big, there is a lot to see and experience. Also, the flight is so long that going for only a week would be too exhausting.  New Zealand is predominantly a “natural resources” trip, where the bulk of what you will be seeing is the natural beauty of the land and landforms. New Zealanders are quite proud of the islands and take exceptional care of them. Rightfully so.

Our first stop was in Auckland, “City of Sails”, the largest city on the north island. We stayed at the Sky City Hotel, which was centrally located and included a ticket to go up the Sky Tower for fantastic views of the city and the harbor. We try to include breakfast at whatever hotel we stay because it is just nice to have a relaxed coffee while you formulate your game plan for the day. SkyCity had a nice breakfast buffet.

First stop after landing was to the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, which I would highly recommend if only to see the America’s Cup Yacht Race exhibit. One of the oldest international competitions still operating in any sport, the America’s Cup has a very colorful history not to mention the full-sized yacht in the museum. There were many, many other boats from different eras in the museum and it was interesting enough to power us through jet lag until our rooms were ready!

After checking in, we headed straight for the spa to get unkinked from the very long flight. After a short trip to the local convenience store for wine, cheese/crackers and sweeties, we were set for the night and the next several days in Auckland.

The second day was a bustling tour of Auckland Highlights. We started by driving around the Harbor and the Harbour Bridge, hearing about the history of Auckland from our guide who was a native and Maori. It was fascinating to hear from his perspective while taking in the harbors and suburbs around the harbors and even seeing some beautiful black swans.

We went to the Auckland Art Gallery for the afternoon. For the most part. they have works by New Zealand and Pacific Island artists but some international as well. Our favorites were 19th-century portraits of tattooed Māori by Charles Goldie.  

Auckland Domain Gardens was our first stop on the third day, followed by the Auckland War Museum which is not as harsh as it sounds, it’s more like a natural history museum.

Mom and I like to stop by Botanic Gardens on our travels as it is peaceful and serene plus you get to see plants you wouldn’t normally see at home that are native to the area. The greenhouse had spectacular lilies and I’ve never seen so many types of ferns, of which New Zealand has in abundance.

The Auckland War Museum was a fantastic place to catch up on a little more history and set us up for the rest of our trip. Highlights there were Pacific Island and Maori boats and a replica Maori meeting house. Also, the veteran’s memorial area was very special and beautifully done. We took an uber for this visit as it is uphill and a bit further from central town.

Evening brought a Harbour dinner cruise which was a nice diversion and allowed us to see the sights around the harbor, not to mention a gorgeous sunset. We ordered dinner from a set menu, and it was delivered before we left, nothing fancy. The highlight was the harbor itself. The captain of the sailboat, trusting soul that he was, allowed Mom to steer the boat for a while, which was a bit unnerving. Ha ha! We had a nice time, and the tour was fairly small, giving us time to talk with everyone and not to have to jockey for a good seat to watch the sunset.

The next day would see us boarding a bus and heading to points south. In New Zealand, taking the bus between cities is economical and usually the rides take you through the exceptionally beautiful countryside or the seaside coast. There were plenty of bathroom stops, sightseeing stops and lunch stops. We were worried that it would be annoying to travel by bus, but I can highly recommend this way of traveling the country if you have the time.

Where we stayed: SkyCity Hotel; landmark and centrally located, good breakfast buffet. Rooms good.

How we got there: Flight into Auckland from US, then private transport to hotel. This was part of a four-week private tour through New Zealand. We began in Auckland and ended in Queenstown.

General Accessibility Information: Major tourist sights, hotels and transportation in most major cities are accessible. Further, some parks or parts of parks are accessible. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.