Auckland

If you can, picture the view from the top of the Sky Tower - that's Auckland. Everything you can see on the clearest of days, from Great Barrier Island in the east to where the Waitakere Ranges meet the surf beaches out west. North, you'll just make out Matakana's wine country. South lies bustling Manukau, with its own ruggedly spectacular harbour, then the Hunua Ranges and the golden beaches of the Clevedon coast. Anywhere you can see, you can be in about 45 minutes.

In fact, Auckland packs so much in that it's unlikely any two people's experience of the place will be the same. In Auckland you can make your own adventure. So much so, that it may just be the only holiday destination you'll ever need.

The height of adventure

Head into the heart of the city and it's obvious that the Kiwi penchant for scaring people to death is alive and well. You can SkyWalk around the outside ring of the Sky Tower with nothing but a harness between you and the city streets 192m below. Too tame? Then SkyJump off it. This is a descent by wire, so it's not hard on the body but it sure tests your mind. A head for heights is also useful should your eyes be drawn to the harbour bridge. You can walk over the top of it or bungy jump from underneath.

But not all adventures require altitude. Walk down Queen Street and you can board a boat for every kind of water-borne experience imaginable. Sail an America's Cup yacht around the Waitemata Harbour, or charter one of the Pride of Auckland fleet for your own use. There are ferries to take you to the other side of the harbour or a remote island. You can go fishing or diving, and how about some whale and dolphin watching? Explore NZ report a 75% success rate of spotting whales and a staggering 90% sighting of dolphins - which is presumably why they guarantee to take you again and again until you see one.

A walk on the wild side

Auckland's natural wonders include bushwalking in the Hunua Ranges Regional Park and Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, where you can abseil down canyons in the bush or step out of the rainforest onto deserted beaches of black volcanic sand. Along the rugged west coast you'll find a huge gannet colony and fur seals.

There are actually 26 regional parks in the Auckland region, 22 of which are open to the public. You can explore stunning beaches and native kauri forest. Some, like Tawhitokino, are so tucked away they're only accessible by foot, and then only at low tide.

One easily accessible wildlife experience you might have overlooked in recent years is just a stone's throw from the CBD: Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, along Tamaki Drive. The Antarctic Encounter is home to the largest colony of sub-Antarctic penguins in the Southern Hemisphere, offering a rare opportunity to see the cheeky characters up close in their icy domain. A unique snowcat ride brings you within arms length of the 80-strong colony of King and Gentoo penguins to watch their playful antics on the snow or their elegant flight underwater.

You can delve deep into the Underwater World on a moving walkway to see the rich variety of species from New Zealand's coastal waters or get an awe-inspiring look at giant rays in Stingray Bay. Kelly Tarlton's also offers thrilling animal adventures for the daring including cage-free shark dives, snorkel safaris through the Oceanarium and or you can even take a dip to hand feed the rays. Auckland's marine adventures extend beyond the tanks of Kelly Tarlton's.

Goat Island Marine Reserve, about an hour north of the city, is an eye opener. You can snorkel around the island, or take a rewarding dive, made all the more special by doing it straight off the beach.

If you fancy something a little more challenging, you might like to kayak to Rangitoto Island. Leaving from Okahu Bay, just east of the city centre, small groups follow a guide across to the shores of Auckland's iconic dormant volcano.

The island itself boasts the world's largest pohutukawa forest sprouting directly from black volcanic rock, which becomes a sea of red flowers in summer.

Source: AA Travel

Photo: "Rangitoto"

Historic baches on Rangitoto Island