I have been back in Auckland for over two weeks now, and even though it has poured rain most of the time, it has also been surprisingly fun. I wanted to write about round 2 of Auckland, because my initial opinion wasn’t great.

The City of Sails seems to always get a bad reputation for being all sorts of things except delightful. I know exactly why this is, and I’ll even admit that I thought Auckland was terrible when I first got here. But I was very wrong to judge it based on what most other people do: Queen Street.

I spent my first week after arrival strolling up and down Queen Street with a Backpacker I met at the airport. It seemed a little dirty, extremely busy, and horribly expensive. We did a lot of walking, but no genuine exploration of the city, and we couldn’t wait to leave based on what we saw.

After backpacking the beautiful Northland of New Zealand and living out of a hammock, I thought I would come back to the city for a couple days to reconnect with the world. I figured I might as well give Auckland another try, and I am happy I did.

Once you step off of Queen Street and see the harbor, the numerous parks dotting the city, the old reconditioned factories in the Britomart, and everything else, Auckland becomes quite a charming place.

I started by trying to find some greenery, and no, not that kind. I wanted to chill out under a tree, I wanted to walk in a park, and I wanted to get away from the noise. Auckland has tons of parks all over, large and small, and some of the most interesting parks I have ever seen.

Last Wednesday I was walking back to downtown Auckland with a friend and we stumbled upon Western Park. This park was fascinating, and popped up out of nowhere while we were passing through Posonby.

Chunks of buildings are strewn across the green grass, a beautiful ode to nature and chaos. A travel guide told me it was the old Auckland museum that sunk into the ground, and I believed him completely, but it is just an awesome art project. Another park to soak up some sun and chill out is Albert park, right in the middle of the city.

Talking about escaping the city, Waiheke Island is just a short ferry ride and an amazing place to spend a sunny day. I went to Waiheke for a day specifically to search for a job, but a half an hour in, me and my friend Pirmin ended up wandering all over and getting lost on the Island. It is a place to easily get sidetracked with the beauty.

We walked everywhere! The island has such a crazy diversity when it comes to the beaches and geography. White sand beaches, rocky beaches, and beaches made completely out of shells.

Every place we went to was unique. The highlight was a small cove right outside of Oneroa with star fish dotting the rocks all over, and natural rock arches climbing out of the sand. Unfortunately I didn’t get to go on any wine tours which Waiheke is really known for, but I’ll be back to check those out.

Oneroa

Back in the CBD of Auckland I noticed a pattern that was happening. I was naturally gravitating to the harbor. It is such a stunning place, the sail boats coming in and out of the harbor, and the bright green water.

I would always end up here sometime during my day, whether it was to grab a pint or just walk around. There are some amazing, and sometimes expensive, places to grab a bite to eat. Sitting there staring out at the green glass colored water and watching the action while enjoying fresh seafood, simply amazing.

What about the city though? Inside the business district of Auckland there is sill plenty to be seen. I was walking around one morning trying to find a unique coffee shop to feed my caffeine addiction when I stumbled unto an old warehouse district. Every inch of concrete in this place was covered by sponsored graffiti, and the artwork was gnarly.

Each section was divided up for different graffiti artists. The art on the walls were stunning and intricate, colorful and explosive. I have always found a fascination in legitimate graffiti art, but I had never seen anything like this. The city is one of the most colorful places I’ve seen, promoting artwork and imagination all over. So cool.

Put it simply, Auckland is an awesome city. The couple of weeks I have been here have been a blast and I’m so glad I gave it another shot. If you are staying at any hostels inside central Auckland, don’t just the City of Sails by Queen Street.

Auckland is so much bigger than you think, you just have to wander. I have barely even tapped into the sights around the city, and I am still waiting for a sunny day to hit Mt. Eden!

*Sponsored by NetFlights*
NOTE: All Sponsored posts are always my honest opinions and experiences. I will never post on behalf of something I do not believe in.

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