Auckland photos

About Auckland

Our photos of Auckland capture the unique mix of urban landscape, coastlines, and nature that merge together in New Zealand’s largest city. While it is the country’s biggest urban area, it is also surrounded by two beautiful harbors, Pacific beaches, and forested hills.

Auckland is the name of a region and a city. It is the most populous city in the country. In fact, the amount of people here outnumber all citizens of the South Island, about a third of the country in total. The largest Polynesian population in the world is contained in Auckland even outnumbering their total population elsewhere.

Auckland frequently ranks in the top five cities worldwide for livability, according to the Mercer Quality of Living Survey. The city scores highly for various reasons, such as its accessibility to natural reserves and beaches. As a result, boating is a popular pastime among Aucklanders, with more boats per person than any other city in the world. The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest marina, Westhaven Marina, is located near the city center.

The SkyTower, the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere, dominates Auckland’s skyline. The nearby Auckland Harbour Bridge spans the Waitemata Harbour, offering access to the picturesque Northshore. Looking out to sea from the beaches in the area provides an unobstructed view of Rangitoto Island, a conical volcano. Auckland also has stunning beaches on the west coast, such as Piha and Bethells Beach.

Auckland sits on a volcanic field consisting of 50 extinct volcanoes, many of which have been transformed into nature reserves with scenic viewpoints at their peaks. Some noteworthy cones include One Tree Hill, Mt Eden, and Mt Victoria.

For earlier photos of Auckland, visit Virtual New Zealand.