Auckland Sports & Outdoors

Folks gearing to lose some weights after piling on the pounds while on holiday - look no further. The YMCA runs Tepid Baths in the city, and is open to the public for activities such as swimming with spa (not Olympic size though, the pool, not the spa) as well as for folks looking for a gym/fitness centre.

It is an old building but reasonably well maintained. It kinda remind me of the City Bath in Melbourne City and probably shares a similar history as a common public bath in the days long past.

You'll have to pay to go in of course, it's not free but the fee is manageable. As I was staying at the Sebel, I have complimentary discounted price entry and it was like NZ$4 for a swim. I think a full price entry will be something like NZ$9. With a spa thrown in, I think it's pretty much worth it.

It is the highest base jump in the world, gives you a great buzz, you go up the Tower to Level 53 (192m) jump off - You can be stopped midair at main viewing platform so someone can take a photo and then they let you go down to the ground. You get a certificate afterwards showing you have done it.

As Aucklands nickname "City of Sails" already indicates, many many of its inhabitants regularily enjoy sailing. You'll find a lot of marinas and boat harbours all over the city. One of the most centrally located is Viaduct Harbour.

I don't know if I should classify this as a sports tip or as plain madness. But there really are people who jump down from the Skytower.

Unlike normal Bungy Jumping however it is no free fall because the jumper is fixed between to steal cables. This way banging against the tower is avoided. But I guess the surge of adrenalin is the same.

Auckland has a large number of private golf clubs and a few public golf courses. Chamberlain Park is near Western Springs and Auckland Zoo and just a few minutes from the city centre on the north-western motorway. The golf course is owned by the Auckland City Council.

Equipment: You can hire equipment here. A half set of golf clubs with a trundler costs NZ$18. You can get balls for about NZ$2.50 each. A cart will cost you NZ$30 for the round.
These were weekend prices in February 2005.
The green fees were NZ$25.

If this is your sport, then the Auckland Canoe Centre is your place for finding the specialists in kayaks and canoes. They have an extensive range of kayaks and equipment. They have all the accessories for Recreation, Sea Kayaking, Racing, Multisport, White Water, Rodeo, Canoe Polo.

Auckland’s showplace for race horsing is Ellerslie Racecourse which hosts 26 race meetings a year. It has now been in existence for over 130 years and has a world renowned reputation for its steeplechase track as well and the lovely manicured lawns and gardens.

The Auckland Racing Club began in 1874 when the Auckland Jockey Club and the Auckland Turf Club amalgamated. Although racing actually began some 32 years earlier at the Epsom Racecourse or Epsom Downs as it was called then. Ellerslie Racecourse has first class and even award winning facilities and is well utilized with other events other than racing – at these times it is known as the Ellerslie Function and Convention Centre.

The east coast of the Auckland region has the right conditions for sailing. Auckland has some of the busiest harbour in NZ for recreational vehicles – we are not known as the ‘city of sails for nothing’. There are some 500 sheltered island anchorages scattered through the Hauraki Gulf – it’s a great place for not only the super yachts but the smaller pleasure crafts as well to enjoy the waters.