Viaduct Basin & Downtown waterfront, Auckland

1 more image

The Edwardian Baroque style architecture located at the Auckland Waterfront is the Auckland Ferry Terminal Building. It was designed by Alex Wiseman and built by Philcox and Sons. It is constructed of sandstone and brick with a base of Coromandel granite. In 1909 the construction started and completed in 1912. If you go north end of Queen Street and to Quay Street you won’t miss the building.

Source: roadworks.co.nz http://www.roadworks.co.nz/queenstreet/history/buildings/ferrybuilding.asp

Sail in a real America's Cup racing boat.
Adults $150 *updated Apr 2009*
Children $110

2 hr trip, sailing daily, no experience needed.

This is great if you really want to experience sailing a racing boat. There are no comforts, no comfortable lounge to sit in. So you are very exposed to the weather, which can be rather volatile down here in the South Pacific. So be sure this is what you want to do before you do it.
All that aside, and with your sealegs and passion for sailing, you can have a very envigorating sail on a very fast boat.
Have fun!!

2 more images

This is really something: the experience of sailing in one of the boats which were built for the America's Cup, the world's oldest sporting trophy and most prestigious watersport event. The NZL 40 and NZL 41 were originally built for the America's Cup 1995, but the first one was not finished in time and was used as a trial boat for the 2000 America's Cup in Auckland, and the second was raced by the Japanese Nippon Challenge which sailed in the Louis Vuitton semi-finals (this is a kind of preliminary competition of the America's Cup). Later it was used as a training boast and raced in the America's Cup Julilee 2001.

Both boats have been changed as little as possible to give passengers an authentic experience. The most surprising thing is that the boats are so basic and do not even have a toilet... ;-) They really use buckets in the case of emergency! And there is no room for comfortable seats. Depending on which side you stand, either you are high above the water and fear to fall onto the passengers on the other side, or you sit on the lower side with your bottom nearly touching the waves... A little scary for non-sailors and fascinating at the same time.

These boats have nothing to do with the million-dollar cruise ships of the billionaires that anchor in Waitemata Harbour. They are pure racing boats for races that last some hours. The crew encourage the passengers to become crew, take the helm or wind the grinders. But it is also allowed to just sit back against the railing and let the others do the work, sailing though Auckland Harbour and under the Harbour Bridge.

The sailing tour takes two hours and costs NZ$135 for adults, 110 for kids (Jan. 2007), a match race like at the America's Cup takes three hours and costs NZ$ 195/175.

What do you do with a run down marina? Renovate it into high priced restaurants and apartment buildings aimed for the posh downtown nightlife crowd, of course!

With major sporting events like the America's Cup yachting race, the All Blacks rugby matches versus Australia and the world, amongst others, this area has become quite the international social scene now. There are also high end souvenir shops and the Maritime museum.

Enjoy the bars, restaurants, and nice waterview! If you make it down here around the daytime, you can also enjoy sailing a real America's Cup yacht!

Great place to sit and have lunch. It was raining when i was here on the first day, but i came back a few days later with some sushi. You can have a little browse of the maritime museum, but i think there is an entrance fee (and since i was traveling on a tight budget) i didnt enter.
The viaduct basin has a few nice (and expensive i reckon!) cafes too, so u might want to spend the afternoon here for lunch and admire the tranquility of auckland's beautiful harbour.

The Ferry Building, built in 1912, is one of the most impressive buildings in Auckland. It is listed in the NZ Register of Historic Places. It was built to be leased, and tenants included ferry companies, trade unions, and corporate offices. After the Harbour Bridge was built, the building's importance diminished and it fell into disrepair. It was refurbished in 1986 and converted into office space.

Viaduct Harbour and America's Cup Village. About 5 years ago the viaduct was a backwater for a small collection of craft and fishing boats. When Team New Zealand won The America's Cup yachting race, the viaduct, which is now known as America's Cup Harbour, set about making a huge upgrade. Its now become a compound of Plazas and promenades, luxury apartments, challenge syndicate's compounds, marinas and has seen some of the big names in international boating. It is reputed to be the best America's Cup venue ever. At any time of year you can enjoy the many restaurants that now down there.

If you are tired of shopping and want a wander around the water front, extend your walk around Viaduct Basin, past the restaurants and cafes and move on towards Halsey Street. Halsey Street once hosted the bases for the America's Cup yachts, but is now slowly being turned into waterside apartments. You will see remnants of some of the old bases as well as new apartments.