Queen Street & Downtown, Auckland

This is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city. The lane is one of the earliest colonial side streets in Auckland and was very popular for the location of new offices as the economy grew in the city. There were many high-profile offices constructed in the area especially where the smaller lanes met the major commercial main road.

The Vulcan Buildings was erected in1928 when Vulcan Lane was widened. It was built originally to accommodate shops on the ground floor offices on the above floors along with accommodation for a caretaker. The style reflected the economic wealth and artistic freedom of the 1920’s and was quite a contrast to other buildings in the same period which were more in the Chicago style office blocks. It is quite a prominent landmark at the entrance to Vulcan Lane which has largely remained in tact in the centre of Queen Street.

BNZ Tower is the 8th tallest building in Auckland and stands at 106m. The building was completed in 1986 with the front of the building having the old façade left in tact. There is a viewing gallery on the 32nd floor. You can buy your token for the turnstile on the food court level, then take the elevator up to the viewing deck.

The old Chief Post Office was built between 1909 and 1912 at the bottom of Queen Street. It was opened in 1912 by Prime Minister Massey in front of a crowd of 8,000-10,000 people and is very similar to the Wellington Post Office. It provided a variety of services on the ground floor while the upper floor contained offices of the district engineer and traffic manager.

There was an Art Deco extension added during the 1930’s but was later demolished by the city council in 2001 when the building was converted into a transport terminal. For many years the Chief Post Office was the scene for celebration at New Years eve and drew great crowds to watch the clock tick over midnight.

Aotea Square sits just beside the Town Hall and of course the Aotea Centre is there. The square is made up of paved areas, gardens and lawns and aside from being a popular place for office workers to enjoy their lunch, it is also a venue for outdoor activities and events and can hold up to 15,000 people. The Aotea Square Market is open every Friday and Saturday from 10.00am to 6.00pm.

This building is such a landmark in Queen Street, it was built in 1929 with Indian motifs plus stars on the auditorium ceiling reflecting the Southern Hemisphere night sky. I remember as a child going to a movie there during the day and seeing that ceiling thinking it was real night sky and stars and could never figure out why it was bright sunshine when we came out. The Civic has a grand staircase to the Winter Garden which was originally a continental-style tea garden that was a wartime cabaret. The theatre underwent a NZ$39.8 million restoration and now features many facets that were there originally and yet not seen by the public for many years. The interior is very much worth a look but you cannot see it without buying a movie ticket.

St Patrick’s is one of the landmark churches in Auckland. Built in 1885, today it is the head church of the Diocese. Mass is held every day at varying times. On the north side of the Church is a grassy square and there is a Cathedral shop across from it.

Queen Street in downtown Auckland is the main strip, runs north to south toward the water where it meets Queen Elizabeth II Square.

The street filled with retail shops and several shopping malls. It also serves good value food options.