The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area of the country.
With over 1.2 million people Auckland has over a quarter of the country's population, and demographic trends indicate that it will continue growing faster than the rest of the country.
It is a conurbation, made up of Auckland City (excluding the Hauraki Gulf islands), North Shore City, and the urban parts of Waitakere and Manukau cities, along with Papakura District and some nearby urban parts of Rodney and Franklin Districts. In Maori its name is Tamaki Makau Rau, or the transcribed version of Auckland, Akarana.
Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean.
Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water........
History of Auckland:
The isthmus was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many pa (fortified villages) were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks. Maori population in the area is estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. This event - and the guns which they traded to local iwi - upset the local power balances.
This resulted in extensive inter-tribal warfare, which together with some introduced plagues resulted in the area having relatively low numbers of Maori when European settlement in New Zealand started in earnest (there is however no indication that this was the result of a deliberate European policy).
After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840 the new Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson chose the area as his new capital. However, even in 1840, Port Nicholson (later Wellington), was seen as a better choice for an administrative capital, due to its proximity to the South Island, which was being settled much more rapidly.
Nonetheless, even after losing its status as capital in 1865, immigration to the new city stayed strong.
Becoming a base against the Maori King Movement in the early 1860s, and continued road building towards the south into the Waikato, enabled Pakeha (European New Zealanders) influence to spread out from Auckland. It also grew fairly rapidly, from 1,500 in 1841 to 12,423 by 1864. The growth occurred similarly to other mercantile-dominated cities, mainly around the port, and with many of the problems of overcrowding and pollution common to it.
Trams and railway lines shaped Aucklands rapid extension in the early first half of the 20th century, but soon after the dominance of the motor vehicle emerged and has not abated since, with arterial roads and motorways becoming a defining (and geographically dividing) feature of the urban landscape. They also allowed further massive expansion, resulting in the growth of associated urban areas like the North Shore (especially after the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, and Manukau City in the south.
A large percentage of Auckland is dominated by a very suburban style of building, giving the city a very low population density: although it has not much more than a seventh of the population of London, it sprawls over a considerably larger area - a fact that serves to make public transport by Auckland's rail and bus systems unpopular and uneconomic (car usage costs fall slightly with decreasing urban density, while public transport costs rise sharply, even if less capital-intensive types like bus services are used in the less dense zones).
Auckland Geography and climate:
Auckland straddles the volcanoes of the Auckland Volcanic Field. The 50 volcanic vents in the field take the form of cones, lakes, lagoons, islands and depressions, and several have produced extensive lava flows. Most of the cones have been partly or completely quarried away. The individual volcanoes are all extinct, although the volcanic field itself is merely dormant.
The most recent and by far the largest volcano, Rangitoto Island, was formed within the last 1000 years, and its eruptions destroyed the Maori settlements on neighbouring Motutapu Island. Rangitoto's size, its symmetry, its position guarding the entrance to Waitemata Harbour and its visibility from many parts of the Auckland region make it Auckland's most iconic natural feature.
It is eerily quiet as almost no birds and insects have settled on the island because of the rich acidic soil and type of flora that has adapted to grow out of the black broken rocky soil.
Hauraki Gulf islands:
Several islands of the Hauraki Gulf are administered as part of Auckland City, though they are not officially part of the Auckland metropolitan area. Parts of Waiheke Island effectively function as Auckland suburbs, while various smaller islands near Auckland are mostly recreational open space or nature sanctuaries.
Isthmus and harbours:
Auckland lies on and around an isthmus, less than 2 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between Mangere Inlet and the Tamaki River. There are two harbours in the Auckland urban area surrounding this isthmus, Waitemata Harbour to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf, and Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea.
Bridges span parts of both these harbours, notably the Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing the Waitemata Harbour west of the Auckland CBD. The upper reaches of the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours are spanned by Mangere Bridge and the Upper Harbour Bridge respectively. In earlier times, portage paths crossed the narrowest sections of the isthmus.
Climate:
Auckland has a warm-temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters. Temperatures are moderated by the primarily coastal climate, but the sun is often quite intense from September to March. January temperatures average 21-24°C. February can be warmer than January, but temperatures rarely exceed 30°C. July maximum temperatures average 14-16°C. High levels of rainfall occur almost year-round (an average of 1249 mm per year), especially in winter. Climatic conditions vary in different parts of the city owing to geography such as hills, land cover and distance from the sea. On 27 July 1939 Auckland received its only snow fall in recorded history. This is unlike South Island cities like Christchurch, which regularly gets snow down to sea level.
The unusual early morning calm on the isthmus during settled weather, before the sea breeze rises, was described as early as 1853: "In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. At that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails..." Many Aucklanders use this time of day to walk and run in parks.
As car ownership rates are very high and emissions controls relatively weak, Auckland suffers from an elevated level of air pollution. This can sometimes be visible as smog, especially on calm winter days in Auckland. However, the maritime local climate ensures that most pollution is eventually dispersed, and thus the smog never reaches levels as seen, for example, in Los Angeles or Mexico City.
Lifestyle:
Positive aspects of Auckland life are its mild climate, plentiful employment and educational opportunities, as well as numerous leisure facilities. Meanwhile, traffic problems (compared to other New Zealand cities), the lack of good public transport, and increasing housing costs have been cited by many Aucklanders as among the strongest negative factors of living there, together with crime (which is still low for a city of its size [citation needed]). Nonetheless, Auckland currently ranks 5th behind Zürich and Geneva in a survey of the quality of life of the world's top 55 cities. In 2006, Auckland placed 23rd on the UBS list of the world's richest cities.
Auckland Leisure:
City Of Sails - View over the Westhaven Marina.Auckland is popularly known as the "City of Sails" because the harbour is often dotted with hundreds of yachts and has more per capita than any other city in the world. Viaduct Basin hosted two America's Cup challenges, and its cafes, restaurants, and clubs add to Auckland's vibrant nightlife.
High Street, Queen Street, Ponsonby Road, and Karangahape Road are also very popular with urban socialites. Newmarket and Parnell are upmarket shopping centres. Otara's and Avondale's famous fleamarkets and Victoria Park Market are a colourful alternative shopping experience. There are major shopping malls at Sylvia Park, Botany Town Centre, Albany and St Lukes.
The Auckland Town Hall and Aotea Centre host conferences and cultural events such as theatre, kapa haka, and opera. Many national treasures are displayed at the Auckland Art Gallery, such as the work of Colin McCahon.
Other significant cultural artefacts reside at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the National Maritime Museum, and the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). Exotic creatures can be observed at the Auckland Zoo and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World. Movies and rock concerts (notably, the "Big Day Out") are also well patronised.
Auckland Parks and nature:
Auckland Domain is one of the largest parks within the city, situated close to the CBD and having a good view of the Gulf and of Rangitoto island. Smaller parks also close to the city centre are Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.
While most volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now ensconsed within parks, and retain a somewhat more natural character than the surrounding city. Prehistoric earthworks and historic fortifications feature in several of these parks, including Mount Eden, North Head and One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie).
Other parks around the city are in Western Springs, which has a large park bordering on the MOTAT museum and the Auckland Zoo. The Auckland Botanical Gardens are located further south in Manurewa.
Many Ferries provide transport to parks and nature reserves at Devonport, Waiheke Island and Rangitoto Island. The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park to the west of Auckland offers beautiful and relatively unspoiled bush territory, as do the Hunua Ranges to the south.
Sports:
Eden Park is the city's primary stadium and a frequent home for All Blacks rugby and Black Caps cricket matches.
Mt Smart Stadium is used mainly for rugby league and soccer matches, but also used for concerts.
Western Springs Stadium is a natural amphitheatre used mainly for speedway races, rock and pop concerts.
North Harbour Stadium is mainly used for rugby league, rugby and soccer but it is also used for concerts.
Waitemata Harbour has popular swimming beaches at Mission Bay, Devonport, Takapuna, Long Bay and Maraetai, and the west coast has popular surf spots such as Piha and Muriwai. Many Auckland beaches are patrolled by surf lifesaving clubs, which are part of Surf Life Saving Northern Region.
Auckland Attractions & Buildings:
Auckland Civic Theatre - a famous heritage "atmospheric theatre" in downtown Auckland. It is still operating as a theatre and was recently renovated to its original condition.
Auckland War Memorial Museum - a large multi-exhibition museum in the Auckland Domain, known for its impressive neo-classicist style.
Aotea Square - the hub of downtown Auckland besides Queen Street, it is often the site of crafts markets, rallies or arts festivals.
Britomart Transport Centre - the main downtown public transport centre located in a historic Edwardian building.
Eden Park - the city's primary stadium and a frequent home for All Blacks rugby and Black Caps cricket matches.
Harbour Bridge - connecting Auckland and the North Shore, an iconic symbol of Auckland.
Karangahape Road - known as "K' Road", a street in upper central Auckland famous for its bars, clubs and smaller shops.
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World - a well-known aquarium in the eastern Mission Bay suburb, built in a set of former sewage storage tanks, and showing fish like sharks.
MOTAT - Auckland's Museum for Transport and Technology, at Western Springs.
Mt Smart Stadium - a stadium used mainly for rugby league and soccer matches. Also the site of many concerts.
Ponsonby - a suburb and main street west of central Auckland known for arts, cafes and culture.
Queen Street - the main street of the city, from Karangahape Road down to the harbour.
Sky Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, it is 328 m tall and has excellent panoramic views.
Viaduct Basin - a marina and residential development in downtown Auckland, the venue for the America's Cup regattas in 2000 and 2003.
Western Springs Stadium - a natural amphitheatre used mainly for speedway races, rock and pop concerts.
Auckland Landmarks & Nature:
Auckland Domain - one of the largest parks of the city, close to the CBD and having a good view of the harbour and of Rangitoto Island.
Mount Eden in Auckland is a volcanic cone with a grassy crater. As the highest natural point in Auckland City, it offers 360-degree views of Auckland and is thus a favorite tourist outlook.
Mount Victoria - a volcanic cone in North Shore City offering a spectacular view of Auckland. A brisk walk from the Devonport ferry terminal, the cone is steeped in history, as is nearby North Head.
One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) - a volcanic cone that dominates the skyline in the southern, inner suburbs. It no longer has a tree on the summit (after a politically motivated attack on the old tree) but is still crowned by an obelisk.
Rangitoto Island - guards the entrance to Waitemata Harbour, and forms a prominent feature on the eastern horizon.
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Paralumun New Age Village