Summer Feature He Tohu Raumati
Orewa Beach, North Auckland © Getty Images
POCKETS OF BLISS EXIST EVERYWHERE
Dazzling Tāmaki Drive connects downtown Auckland to a string of sandy beaches. Along the route is Parnell Baths, an historic 60m outdoor Lido with hot pools, loungers and a grassy picnic area. Entry is free for children under 16 and it’s open throughout summer. If you’ve brought your surfboard, head north to golden Orewa or continue to Te Arai. This small coastal community is a 90-minute drive north of Auckland, and a little-known gem. Its regional park has a campground, silky beach and sheltered swimming holes. Hardened wave-chasers should hit the surf along West Auckland’s rugged beaches, followed by a massage at Castaways Resort. Straddling the cliffside, its wild location also boasts glamping with a sunken outdoor bathtub.
THERE ARE DREAMY ISLANDS ON THE DOORSTEP Home to New Zealand’s largest marine reserve, the Hauraki Gulf stretches from Auckland’s shores to the Coromandel Peninsula and is freckled with islands, many of which are beautifully remote but accessible by ferry from downtown Auckland. You can sunbathe on the white sands of Waiheke Island, climb the volcanic cone of Rangitoto or
venture to adjoining Motuora Island for its campground and crystalline water. Tiritiri Matangi is governed by wildlife and flush with birds, and Great Barrier Island is so gorgeously rugged, it’d make Robinson Crusoe swoon (and we’re pretty sure he wouldn’t mind the natural hot springs here, either). That’s just a handful of several islands you can sail to and from.
SUMMER AUCKLAND – FREE OFFICIAL GUIDE
9
