Maraetai

Just past Omana this little seaside community on the edge of Auckland is a great place to head on a hot summers day.  There are nice sandy beaches for lying on, rocky points to fish from and a couple of jetties for playing/fishing from.  There are a few shops to provide your ice-creams or snacks in summer and the place never gets too crowded.  A hint would be to head past the first jetty near the shops and drive around to the next couple of bays where there is another jetty (many an Aukland lad has learn't to catch Sprats here) and even more seclusion.

Eastern Bays to Sandspit Estuary

Located in the Howick area these bays are mostly shelly and rocky so not the best for playing on the beach.  However if you go there at low tide you can start walking from Eastern Beach or Music Point and walk around Mellons Bay>Howick Beach>Cockle Bay and onto Sandspit Estuary.  There are lots of rock pools, shell fish beds, cliffs and grassy areas.  Sandspit Estuary is also one of Auckland's best kept fishing spots where from shore you can still catch Kahawai year round and Snapper between February-June.  Go to the estuary Channel (in front of Cockle Bay) when low tide coincides with sunrise or sunset and you will probably see other fisherman in the area.  Make sure you wear gumboots and be careful of getting snagged on the boat moorings. 

Auckland City Farmers Market

"A farmers’ market is a food market where local growers, farmers and artisan food producers sell their wares directly to consumers. Vendors may only sell what they grow, farm, pickle, preserve, bake, smoke or catch themselves from within a defined local area. The City Farmers’ Market operates in the centre of Auckland’s Britomart precinct and brings a bounty of regional produce to town for Aucklanders every week. Fresh, seasonal, quality fruit and vegetables, eggs, meat, olives and olive oils, condiments, coffee, artisan breads and much more — direct from local growers, farmers and makers. The market operates all year long on Saturdays between 8.30am & 12.30pm on a site behind the Britomart Trainstation, on Gore Street."

Above information sourced from http://www.cityfarmersmarket.co.nz/

Arataki Vistors (Waitakere Ranges)

"Arataki is Maori for 'place of learning' and this visitor centre lives up to that name! Perched 400m above sea-level, [most times] the panoramic views of Auckland city and the surrounding countryside are just awesome. Located in the Waitakere Ranges, this geography causes the area to receive much more rain than Auckland city does, so this is why the region is known as “Auckland's rainforest”. It’s also the reason why (sometimes), the weather can be a little cloudy/foggy/raining...Because this visitor centre is packed with lots of information, it is recommended that the overseas visitor go around it with a guide, rather than by themselves (simply to get better appreciation on history and the telling of local stories and knowledge). Sadly, the main Pou (Maori carving) that towered the entrance to the centre has had to be removed for restoration, (as it was decaying badly!). The new version is eagerly awaited, (due later in 2010).  Driving along the road to this centre (known as ‘the Scenic Drive’), look out for the New Zealand native tree, the Kauri, as you will have an idea of just why these trees were sought for its timber! The whole region of the Waitakere Ranges is a great place to escape to, and it’s so close to Auckland city! There are also many hiking tracks dotted throughout the area and a visit to the Arataki visitor centre will help you decide what ones are suitable for your level of fitness. "

Above information sourced from http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1811043-d566861-r51311473-Arataki_Visitor_Centre-Waitakere_City_North_Island.html

More infomration available from http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-parks/arataki-visitor-centre/

FYI the Pou has now been replaced :)

Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum

Located next to the viaduct basin this place became free to Aucklanders (or those who can pass themselves off as such) in 2010 and is definitely worth a visit at that price.  It is a monument to the regions important ties to the maritime world and while I haven't been there for some years now (due to the over-priced entrance fee in the past) I remember it very fondly from earlier days.  There are paintings, exhibits, interactive displays and lots of boast showcasing both indigenous and European maritime history in the region.  If you have any kind of interest in boats or the sea you will enjoy yourself.   

http://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/