Auckland, well worth a stopover.

Last year we flew to Auckland for a two week cruise around New Zealand and ending in Sydney. As this was our first visit to New Zealand and as it is a long way from the UK, we decided to spend three nights in the city.

Dominating the skyline is the Sky Tower. At 328m tall, there is no better way to get fantastic 360 degree views and, after checking into our hotel, this is where we headed for the stunning sunset. For adrenalin junkies, you can participate in a SkyJump, a cross between a sky dive and a bungee, or SkyWalk outside the halo held only by a wire. There are also glass sections of the floor inside the observation deck to walk across. Our tickets allowed us to return the following day to see everything in daylight. As someone with little sense of direction, a tower in any city is comforting as it gives a point of direction when out and about.

A metro system is currently under construction but getting around the centre of Auckland is fairly easy by foot if staying fairly close to Sky Tower. The waterfront has many bars and restaurants and you can take whale and dolphin watching tours. You can also take ferries to outlying islands such as Devonport which is only 15 minutes away and a complete contrast to the busy city. Devonport has a feel of a seaside town and has some quaint shops and cafes and a range of restaurants. For better beaches, a 40 minute ferry journey will take you to Waiheke Island with stunning beaches, cliff top walks and vineyards specialising in red wine.

From Auckland, we took a full day trip to Rotorua and Waitomo.  This was well worth the early start and long drive as we covered several places including the amazing glow worm caves in Waitomo, a traditional sheep ranch, beautiful countryside and the Maori cultural centre and geothermal geysers of Rotorua.

The cruise terminal is easy to get to, just a short taxi ride away. If you are planning a sailing from Auckland, consider more than the obligatory 1 night stay.