Day 01
East Auckland Coastal Sights and Heritage
- Meet your tour guide, who will pick you up from your hotel at 9 am to begin your sightseeing journey.
- Visit Bucklands Beach. This is not only a popular local beach, but also an upmarket suburb because of Macleans College, which produces many brilliant students, as well as the fantastic views. From the beach, you can view Rangitoto Island, a dormant volcano that erupted 700 years ago. Rangitoto is a Maori word meaning "sky blood," possibly because of eyewitness accounts of the eruption at that time.
- Travel from Bucklands Beach to Howick Musick Point, the headland of the peninsula, named in 1942 after American pilot Ed Musick visited New Zealand in 1937. It is a very scenic place and a favourite spot for walking, taking wedding photos, and sightseeing over the harbour. The Musick Memorial Radio Station was constructed in 1940 to meet the need for international air communication in New Zealand because of the increase in aircraft in the 1930s. American naval forces used it during World War II. See Howick Golf Club, also known as the golf course with a million-dollar view because of its spectacular outlook over the water and harbour.
- Stop at Howick Historical Village, situated in Lloyd Elsmore Park, one of Auckland's largest sports parks, with facilities for cricket, rugby, badminton, netball, and swimming, among others. Howick Historical Village is a living history museum with 7 acres of grounds and gardens, and a collection including art, furniture, and textiles that show early Auckland life between 1840 and 1880 through the story of the Fencibles. The Fencibles were retired soldiers or marines who had fought in wars for Britain in the 1830s and 1840s and had retired on a small pension. They were offered a new life for themselves and their families in Auckland. The wooden buildings in the village are original. You can open the doors to real homes and experience living history for yourself.
- Head to Half Moon Bay, well known for Half Moon Bay Marina, home to over 500 boats and picturesque, spectacular views over the bay. There is a walking path around the bay and a ferry connecting to Auckland downtown and Waiheke Island. You will have lunch in a local cafe and take a short walk afterwards to enjoy the scenery, breeze, and fresh air.
- Depart at around 1:30 pm from Half Moon Bay and return to the hotel to conclude the tour.
