A Thrifty Guide to Auckland

Take a journey through New Zealand/Aotearoa’s largest city and you’ll discover an adventure waiting for you around every corner. Nestled into two large harbours in the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui, Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau is brimming with exciting activities and hidden pockets to explore, and all of them easy to get to in your Thrifty rental car.

Embrace Nature Around the City

Being a city that isn’t all skyscrapers and concrete jungles, there are boundless beautiful environments to explore in and around Auckland. To begin with, you have to check out some of the gorgeous lush parks that populate the area, like Auckland Domain and Cornwall Park. Auckland Domain, right in the heart of the city, is Auckland’s oldest park and boasts relaxing walking tracks, wide open spaces for a picnic, as well as the historic Winter Gardens. Only a ten minute drive from central Auckland, Cornwall Park also delivers peaceful paths to traverse and expanses of grassy places to relax. Submitting One Tree Hill/Maungakiekie is the perfect kind of activity to get your heart pumping and your muscles working—at the top, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping panoramic views. If you really want to stretch those legs, check out the 16km coast-to-coast from Waitematā Harbour to Manukau Harbour. Wander along this path and take in the picturesque snapshots of Auckland around you, from the ocean at the waterfront to the beautifully maintained parks, with even some volcanic cones in between. 

Explore the Seaside

Discover Auckland’s very own slice of coastal paradise in the seaside village of Devonport, only a twenty minute’s drive north of the city. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, take the ten minute ferry from downtown Auckland across Waitematā Harbour and feel the breeze in your hair and the salt on your skin as you float across to this quaint coastal suburb. While home to a handful of stunning beaches to explore, like Cheltenham Beach, Devonport Beach and Narrow Neck Beach, Devonport also provides its fair share of adventure on dry land. Check out the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum and experience life as it was in New Zealand’s navy, or hire a bike and cycle from Devonport to Takapuna on the Green Route. You’ll get a dose of history on this bike ride, with sweeping views of North Shore’s oldest cemetery soaring past, as well as a good dose of nature in the mangroves and greenery that line the path. Finish off your adventure in Devonport with some good old fashioned fish’n’chips by the beach as you watch the sun sink below the horizon of the ocean.

Find Culture in the Arts

Auckland is home to a variety of places to scratch that art itch and be amazed by some of the city’s and the country’s exciting talents. The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki offers free entry to a lot of their exhibitions, and as New Zealand’s largest art institution with over 15,000 works, there’s no chance you’ll run out of art pieces to be awed by. The gallery even offers free interactive workshops, like the Lunchtime Drop-in Drawing class or the Whānau Drop-ins for families, so you can see if you’ve got what it takes to make a masterpiece. The New Zealand Maritime Museum is another great affordable activity to fill half a day as you’re traversing around Auckland city. Right on the waterfront at the harbour, the museum is entry by donation and offers a wealth of displays to transport you through time and history.

Discover Another Side to Auckland

The arts and culture doesn’t just stop there! You’ll find so much more of the vibrant artistry that Auckland is known for not only in its galleries and museums, but on the streets as you wander around. Park your rental car and stretch those legs—this adventure is best discovered on foot. Head out to Auckland’s K-Road and you’ll find a range of murals and artworks on display on the buildings and surfaces that surround you, reflecting the electric and eccentric artistic atmosphere of Auckland’s arts communities that make the city come alive with shape and colour. Also make sure to check out Wynyard Quarter down by the wharf to enjoy public art installation and sculptures along the waterfront as you cruise through this creative city. Wynyard Quarter is also the perfect place to stop for a happy hour drink or a scoop of delicious fluffy ice cream at the eateries in this precinct. 

A city of many kinds, for all kinds, discover the diversity of activities on offer in Auckland and embrace adventure with this helpful guide that will lead you to all the best corners of the city. In your Thrifty rental car, it’s easy to embrace exploration in Auckland.