Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area of the country. With over 1.2 million people it has over a quarter of the country's population, and demographic trends indicate that it will continue growing faster than the rest of the country. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.
It is a conurbation, made up of Auckland City (excluding the Hauraki Gulf islands), North Shore City, and the urban parts of Waitakere and Manukau cities, along with Papakura District and some nearby urban parts of Rodney and Franklin Districts. In Māori its name is Tāmaki Makau Rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.
Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water.
Geography and climate
Volcanoes
Auckland straddles the volcanoes of the Auckland Volcanic Field. The 50 volcanic vents in the field take the form of cones, lakes, lagoons, islands and depressions, and several have produced extensive lava flows. Most of the cones have been partly or completely quarried away. The individual volcanoes are all extinct, although the volcanic field itself is merely dormant.
The most recent and by far the largest volcano, Rangitoto Island, was formed within the last 1000 years, and its eruptions destroyed the Māori settlements on neighbouring Motutapu Island some 700 years ago. Rangitoto's size, its symmetry, its position guarding the entrance to Waitemata Harbour and its visibility from many parts of the Auckland region make it Auckland's most iconic natural feature.
It is eerily quiet as almost no birds and insects have settled on the island because of the rich acidic soil and type of flora that has adapted to grow out of the black broken rocky soil.
Hauraki Gulf islands
Several islands of the Hauraki Gulf are administered as part of Auckland City, though they are not officially part of the Auckland metropolitan area. Parts of Waiheke Island effectively function as Auckland suburbs, while various smaller islands near Auckland are mostly recreational open space or nature sanctuaries.
Isthmus and harbours
Auckland lies on and around an isthmus, less than 2 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between Mangere Inlet and the Tamaki River. There are two harbours in the Auckland urban area surrounding this isthmus, Waitemata Harbour to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf, and Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea.
Bridges span parts of both these harbours, notably the Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing the Waitemata Harbour west of the Auckland CBD. The upper reaches of the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours are spanned by Mangere Bridge and the Upper Harbour Bridge respectively. In earlier times, portage paths crossed the narrowest sections of the isthmus
Climate
Auckland has a warm-temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters, and is the sunniest and warmest of New Zealand's main centres. The average daily maximum temperature is 23°C in January and February, and 13°C in July. The absolute maximum temperature is 30.5°C. High levels of rainfall occur almost year-round (an average of 1249 mm per year), especially in winter.
Climatic conditions vary in different parts of the city owing to geography such as hills, land cover and distance from the sea. On 27 July 1939 Auckland received its only snow fall in recorded history. This is unlike South Island cities like Christchurch, which regularly gets snow down to sea level.
The unusual early morning calm on the isthmus during settled weather, before the sea breeze rises, was described as early as 1853: "In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. At that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails..." Many Aucklanders use this time of day to walk and run in parks.
As car ownership rates are very high and emissions controls relatively weak, Auckland suffers from air pollution, especially in regards to fine particles emissions. There are also regular breaches of guideline levels of carbon monoxide. While maritime winds normally disperse the pollution relatively quickly it can sometimes become visible as smog, especially on calm winter days.
Parks and nature
Auckland Domain is one of the largest parks within the city, situated close to the CBD and having a good view of the Gulf and of Rangitoto island. Smaller parks also close to the city centre are Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.
While most volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now ensconced within parks, and retain a somewhat more natural character than the surrounding city. Prehistoric earthworks and historic fortifications feature in several of these parks, including Mount Eden, North Head and One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie).
Other parks around the city are in Western Springs, which has a large park bordering on the MOTAT museum and the Auckland Zoo. The Auckland Botanic Gardens are located further south in Manurewa.
Ferries provide transport to parks and nature reserves at Devonport, Waiheke Island and Rangitoto Island. The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park to the west of Auckland offers beautiful and relatively unspoiled bush territory, as do the Hunua Ranges to the south.
Vehicle transport
Auckland is highly dependent on private vehicles as the main form of transportation, to a level unusual for such a large city. This results in substantial traffic congestion during peak times, especially for New Zealand levels, though comparable to many other cities worldwide.
With public transport usage declining heavily during the second half of the 20th century, and increased spending on roading and motorways, New Zealand (and specifically Auckland) now has the second-highest vehicle ownership rate in the world, with around 578 vehicles per 1000 people.
This focus has been partly due to the low population density of the Auckland region (compared to most cities in Europe and Asia), and is further accentuated by the comparatively long travel distances on the isthmus. This results in public transport being less cost-effective compared to denser urban centres.
Partly as a result, Auckland suffers from associated problems such as chronic traffic congestion on the main routes, and vehicle-induced air pollution. Recent studies show that New Zealanders take fewer than 2% of all journeys by bus and only 1% of journeys by rail.
Organisations such as the Campaign for Better Transport and the Auckland Regional Council advocate, among other measures, for better provision of rail services to improve public transport use percentages. Other groups such as Climaction and the Residents Action Movement have held protests demanding a free public transport system.
Attractions & Buildings
* Auckland Civic Theatre - a famous heritage "atmospheric theatre" in downtown Auckland. It is still operating as a theatre and was recently renovated to its original condition.
* Auckland War Memorial Museum - a large multi-exhibition museum in the Auckland Domain, known for its impressive neo-classicist style.
* Aotea Square - the hub of downtown Auckland besides Queen Street, it is often the site of crafts markets, rallies or arts festivals.
* Britomart Transport Centre - the main downtown public transport centre located in a historic Edwardian building.
* Eden Park - the city's primary stadium and a frequent home for All Blacks rugby and Black Caps cricket matches.
* Harbour Bridge - connecting Auckland and the North Shore, an iconic symbol of Auckland.
* Karangahape Road - known as "K' Road", a street in upper central Auckland famous for its bars, clubs and smaller shops.
* Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World - a well-known aquarium in the eastern Mission Bay suburb, built in a set of former sewage storage tanks, and showing fish like sharks.
* MOTAT - Auckland's Museum for Transport and Technology, at Western Springs.
* Mt Smart Stadium - a stadium used mainly for rugby league and soccer matches. Also the site of many concerts.
* Ponsonby - a suburb and main street west of central Auckland known for arts, cafes and culture.
* Queen Street - the main street of the city, from Karangahape Road down to the harbour. Somewhat rundown, it is currently (2006-2008) undergoing extensive works.
* Sky Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, it is 328 m tall and has excellent panoramic views.
* Viaduct Basin - a marina and residential development in downtown Auckland, the venue for the America's Cup regattas in 2000 and 2003.
* Western Springs Stadium - a natural amphitheatre used mainly for speedway races, rock and pop concerts.
Landmarks & Nature
The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area of the country. With over 1.2 million people it has over a quarter of the country's population, and demographic trends indicate that it will continue growing faster than the rest of the country. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.
It is a conurbation, made up of Auckland City (excluding the Hauraki Gulf islands), North Shore City, and the urban parts of Waitakere and Manukau cities, along with Papakura District and some nearby urban parts of Rodney and Franklin Districts. In Māori its name is Tāmaki Makau Rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.
Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water.
Geography and climate
Volcanoes
Auckland straddles the volcanoes of the Auckland Volcanic Field. The 50 volcanic vents in the field take the form of cones, lakes, lagoons, islands and depressions, and several have produced extensive lava flows. Most of the cones have been partly or completely quarried away. The individual volcanoes are all extinct, although the volcanic field itself is merely dormant.
The most recent and by far the largest volcano, Rangitoto Island, was formed within the last 1000 years, and its eruptions destroyed the Māori settlements on neighbouring Motutapu Island some 700 years ago. Rangitoto's size, its symmetry, its position guarding the entrance to Waitemata Harbour and its visibility from many parts of the Auckland region make it Auckland's most iconic natural feature.
It is eerily quiet as almost no birds and insects have settled on the island because of the rich acidic soil and type of flora that has adapted to grow out of the black broken rocky soil.
Hauraki Gulf islands
Several islands of the Hauraki Gulf are administered as part of Auckland City, though they are not officially part of the Auckland metropolitan area. Parts of Waiheke Island effectively function as Auckland suburbs, while various smaller islands near Auckland are mostly recreational open space or nature sanctuaries.
Isthmus and harbours
Auckland lies on and around an isthmus, less than 2 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between Mangere Inlet and the Tamaki River. There are two harbours in the Auckland urban area surrounding this isthmus, Waitemata Harbour to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf, and Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea.
Bridges span parts of both these harbours, notably the Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing the Waitemata Harbour west of the Auckland CBD. The upper reaches of the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours are spanned by Mangere Bridge and the Upper Harbour Bridge respectively. In earlier times, portage paths crossed the narrowest sections of the isthmus
Climate
Auckland has a warm-temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters, and is the sunniest and warmest of New Zealand's main centres. The average daily maximum temperature is 23°C in January and February, and 13°C in July. The absolute maximum temperature is 30.5°C. High levels of rainfall occur almost year-round (an average of 1249 mm per year), especially in winter.
Climatic conditions vary in different parts of the city owing to geography such as hills, land cover and distance from the sea. On 27 July 1939 Auckland received its only snow fall in recorded history. This is unlike South Island cities like Christchurch, which regularly gets snow down to sea level.
The unusual early morning calm on the isthmus during settled weather, before the sea breeze rises, was described as early as 1853: "In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. At that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails..." Many Aucklanders use this time of day to walk and run in parks.
As car ownership rates are very high and emissions controls relatively weak, Auckland suffers from air pollution, especially in regards to fine particles emissions. There are also regular breaches of guideline levels of carbon monoxide. While maritime winds normally disperse the pollution relatively quickly it can sometimes become visible as smog, especially on calm winter days.
Parks and nature
Auckland Domain is one of the largest parks within the city, situated close to the CBD and having a good view of the Gulf and of Rangitoto island. Smaller parks also close to the city centre are Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.
While most volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now ensconced within parks, and retain a somewhat more natural character than the surrounding city. Prehistoric earthworks and historic fortifications feature in several of these parks, including Mount Eden, North Head and One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie).
Other parks around the city are in Western Springs, which has a large park bordering on the MOTAT museum and the Auckland Zoo. The Auckland Botanic Gardens are located further south in Manurewa.
Ferries provide transport to parks and nature reserves at Devonport, Waiheke Island and Rangitoto Island. The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park to the west of Auckland offers beautiful and relatively unspoiled bush territory, as do the Hunua Ranges to the south.
Vehicle transport
Auckland is highly dependent on private vehicles as the main form of transportation, to a level unusual for such a large city. This results in substantial traffic congestion during peak times, especially for New Zealand levels, though comparable to many other cities worldwide.
With public transport usage declining heavily during the second half of the 20th century, and increased spending on roading and motorways, New Zealand (and specifically Auckland) now has the second-highest vehicle ownership rate in the world, with around 578 vehicles per 1000 people.
This focus has been partly due to the low population density of the Auckland region (compared to most cities in Europe and Asia), and is further accentuated by the comparatively long travel distances on the isthmus. This results in public transport being less cost-effective compared to denser urban centres.
Partly as a result, Auckland suffers from associated problems such as chronic traffic congestion on the main routes, and vehicle-induced air pollution. Recent studies show that New Zealanders take fewer than 2% of all journeys by bus and only 1% of journeys by rail.
Organisations such as the Campaign for Better Transport and the Auckland Regional Council advocate, among other measures, for better provision of rail services to improve public transport use percentages. Other groups such as Climaction and the Residents Action Movement have held protests demanding a free public transport system.
Attractions & Buildings
* Auckland Civic Theatre - a famous heritage "atmospheric theatre" in downtown Auckland. It is still operating as a theatre and was recently renovated to its original condition.
* Auckland War Memorial Museum - a large multi-exhibition museum in the Auckland Domain, known for its impressive neo-classicist style.
* Aotea Square - the hub of downtown Auckland besides Queen Street, it is often the site of crafts markets, rallies or arts festivals.
* Britomart Transport Centre - the main downtown public transport centre located in a historic Edwardian building.
* Eden Park - the city's primary stadium and a frequent home for All Blacks rugby and Black Caps cricket matches.
* Harbour Bridge - connecting Auckland and the North Shore, an iconic symbol of Auckland.
* Karangahape Road - known as "K' Road", a street in upper central Auckland famous for its bars, clubs and smaller shops.
* Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World - a well-known aquarium in the eastern Mission Bay suburb, built in a set of former sewage storage tanks, and showing fish like sharks.
* MOTAT - Auckland's Museum for Transport and Technology, at Western Springs.
* Mt Smart Stadium - a stadium used mainly for rugby league and soccer matches. Also the site of many concerts.
* Ponsonby - a suburb and main street west of central Auckland known for arts, cafes and culture.
* Queen Street - the main street of the city, from Karangahape Road down to the harbour. Somewhat rundown, it is currently (2006-2008) undergoing extensive works.
* Sky Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, it is 328 m tall and has excellent panoramic views.
* Vector Arena - the recently completed new events centre in downtown Auckland. Holding 12,000 people, it can be used for sports and concert events.
* Viaduct Basin - a marina and residential development in downtown Auckland, the venue for the America's Cup regattas in 2000 and 2003.
* Western Springs Stadium - a natural amphitheatre used mainly for speedway races, rock and pop concerts.
Landmarks & Nature
* Auckland Domain - one of the largest parks of the city, close to the CBD and having a good view of the harbour and of Rangitoto Island.
* Mount Eden - a volcanic cone with a grassy crater. As the highest natural point in Auckland City, it offers 360-degree views of Auckland and is thus a favorite tourist outlook.
* Mount Victoria - a volcanic cone in North Shore City offering a spectacular view of Auckland. A brisk walk from the Devonport ferry terminal, the cone is steeped in history, as is nearby North Head.
* One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) - a volcanic cone that dominates the skyline in the southern, inner suburbs. It no longer has a tree on the summit (after a politically motivated attack on the old tree) but is still crowned by an obelisk.
* Rangitoto Island - guards the entrance to Waitemata Harbour, and forms a prominent feature on the eastern horizon.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia and Youtube
* Mount Eden - a volcanic cone with a grassy crater. As the highest natural point in Auckland City, it offers 360-degree views of Auckland and is thus a favorite tourist outlook.
* Mount Victoria - a volcanic cone in North Shore City offering a spectacular view of Auckland. A brisk walk from the Devonport ferry terminal, the cone is steeped in history, as is nearby North Head.
* One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) - a volcanic cone that dominates the skyline in the southern, inner suburbs. It no longer has a tree on the summit (after a politically motivated attack on the old tree) but is still crowned by an obelisk.
* Rangitoto Island - guards the entrance to Waitemata Harbour, and forms a prominent feature on the eastern horizon.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia and Youtube
