Country Comfort Barrycourt Accommodation & Event Centre
by: Alison Plummer
New Zealand's largest city has a vibrant urban edge in a fantastic setting woven
around the Manukau and Waitemata harbours and the sailing paradise of
the Hauraki Gulf.
As anyone who has flown into Auckland on a fine day will know, the best way to appreciate this city’s exceptional
setting is from the air. The landscape is dominated by volcanic hills many of which were once the site of Maori
pas (fortified villages) with great views of the city, twin harbours, bays, beaches and islands beyond.
If there’s a problem with Auckland it is how to see and do everything in the time you have, especially if you
are here on business and don’t have much free time. The shopping is great for a start and there are stylish bars, cafes
and restaurants everywhere including the waterfront.
There’s the lure of adventure with all kinds of kiwi challenges like the Sky Tower’s new Sky Walk, the 192
metre Sky Jump or the Auckland Luge gravity ride. The Hauraki Gulf is the place for sailing, diving and other
watersports and Waiheke Island is a lovely place with great beaches, walks, vineyards, galleries, restaurants and
cafes. If you have a car, then Auckland’s vineyards and some fantastic beaches are within easy driving distance.
Like all big cities, Auckland is divided into suburbs and districts, each with its own character. Constellation’s
Country Comfort Barrycourt Accommodation & Event Centre is located in stylish and historic Parnell, famous
for its great range of restaurants, cafés and bars, galleries and shopping. This is a place to find great examples of
NZ’s wonderful contemporary designers in boutiques such as The Cupboard (417 Parnell Road) and to
browse the temptations of an impressive collection of jewellers who have made Parnell their base.
Galleries to check out include Sanderson Contemporary Art (251 Parnell Road) is a new gallery
featuring local and contemporary New Zealand Artwork, weavings and sculpture.
Galtons of Parnell (287 Parnell Road) specialises in high quality designer giftware, tableware art glass from Sweden, jewellery from
Denmark, fine china and cookware from Germany.
Essenze (285 Parnell Road) stocks leading edge New Zealand designer furniture, ceramics, and
jewellery while Tolaga Bay Cashmere Company is the place for knitwear.
Shopping in the city
Head for High Street and the shopping area known as Chancery which are home
to many fashion boutiques and designer stores. The area, which also encompasses Vulcan Lane, O’Connell
and Lorne Streets, is popular for trend spotting and streetwear shopping.
Names to look for include New Zealand’s most famous fashion designer Karen Walker (15 O’Connell
Street), Ricochet (35 High Street) for funky fashion from Auckland designer Tatjana Windhager, World (57
High Street) one of the most avant-garde New Zealand fashion labels with fashion for men and women by
designers Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Francis Hooper. Zambesi (crnr Vulcan Lane and O’Connell
Street) is also an internationally known NZ label.
Ponsonby Road is a shopping destination for fashion aficionados a five-minute drive west of the central city
with a combination of contemporary shopping and café dining. Shops include Shell Shock (53 Ponsonby Road)
for handmade jewellery and accessories, Sabine (63 Ponsonby Road) an up and coming NZ fashion brand
from designer Angela Todd and Liz Mitchell Design (9 Maidstone Street), NZ’s leading couture designer.
Shopping in Newmarket is on a long street named Broadway with a variety of footwear, lifestyle and
clothing boutiques, plus a shopping mall complex housing some top international brands.
Nuffield St, Newmarket is a boutique-style destination where 29 new stores opened in 2006.
Iconic kiwi brands also feature including Swanndri, the newly-emerging fashion adaptation of the practical
farm clothing icon, NZ Girl, Isakelle, Trelise Cooper Kids, Kingan Jones, Lucie Boshier and Strada. Kate
Sylvester (1 Teed Street), Workshop (18 Morrow Street) are others while Dress Smart has more than 100 factory
outlet stores.
Botany Town Centre is Auckland’s newest and largest shopping centre, built in a “town centre” style.
The centre has more than 150 stores amidst picturesque streets, lanes and piazzas. The conservatories and
pavilions boast international award winning architecture with overhead sculptures depicting the New Zealand
Kauri forest and native flora and fauna floor etchings.
Adventuring
Not here for the shopping? Check out these possibilities:
Sky Walk 360
Having opened on 8 December 2007, Sky Walk is Auckland’s newest adventure – a walk around the
perimeter of the top of Sky Tower. www.skywalk.co.nz
Sky Jump
At 192 metres, Sky Jump offers one of the world’s longest land based adventure jump off Sky Tower (the
tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere). Jumpers wear a special flying suit and harness, which is clipped
onto a cable to control the descent. Jumpers fall at around 60 km per hour until near the ground then
decelerate to a safe landing speed.www.skyjump.co.nz
Auckland Luge
Located 20 minutes north of Auckland City next to Snowplanet, the Auckland Luge is a fun ride for all ages.
A luge is a gravity ride on a three-wheeled cart with a unique braking and steering system that provides the
rider full control to travel as fast or slow as desired down a hill on a concrete track. www.aucklandluge.co.nz
Auckland bridge climb
A one-hour climb under, in, through and over Auckland’s iconic harbour bridge. Accompanied by a
climb leader, this activity offers unique 360º views of the Hauraki Gulf, Viaduct Harbour and cityscapes. Full
commentary covers the history, geology, geography and culture of Auckland, as well as some colourful secrets.
www.ajhackett.com
Spookers Haunted Attractions: More terrifying than watching the Exorcist, an old mental health hospital has
been turned into Spookers Haunted House and is home to the Corn Evil – a cornfield maze filled with dark and
looming creatures of the night. Weta Workshops, of Lord of the Rings fame, assisted in designing the sets.
Whether it is day or night, it is certainly not a place for the faint hearted. www.spookers.co.nz
Eating Out
Auckland’s eat streets are many as you will discover starting with Parnell where Iguaçu Restaurant & Bar
(269 Parnell Road), voted Best New Zealand Restaurant 2007, serves great Pacific Rim cuisine in a setting
with an earthy décor and lively bars. The Chocolate Boutique Café (1/323 Parnell Road) specialises in
gourmet chocolates and coffee and has a dessert café.
Viaduct Harbour is a big attraction for waterfront bars and dining and Liquid Bar, Bistro and Café (48 Market
Place, Viaduct Harbour) is highly regarded by locals, corporates and visitors alike. Bungalow 8 (crnr Market
Place and Customs Street West, Viaduct Harbour) has a 60 square metre island bar, a sun-drenched verandah
wrapped by a 3,000 litre aquarium and funky sounds played by Djs, open Tuesday to Sunday 3pm -late.
The Loaded Hog and Spy Bar are two more bars at Viaduct Harbour while Plum is a place for cocktails and
Minus5 (Prince’s Wharf) is Auckland’s ice bar. Match Lounge Bar (crnr Hopetoun & Pitt Sts) is sleek and
intimate with great cocktails, while Coco Club (Fort Lane, Auckland City), Crow Bar (Wyndham Street)
and The Occidental Belgian Beer Café (6 Vulcan Lane, Auckland City) are also on the list to check out.
Clooney (33 Sale St, Auckland City) is a former industrial warehouse now a dining space where chef
Glen Taylor has an innovative daily menu using the best NZ produce. Ponsonby Road is another great eat street
destination lined with all kinds of interesting eateries while Mission Bay has a great café restaurant scene with
views across the water to Rangitoto Island.
In the mood for sushi? The Auckland Fish Market (crnr Jellico and Daldy Streets, Auckland Central has a
Sushi and Sashimi Café as well as gourmet food stores, retail fish counters, Seafood School and, of course, fish
and chips.
On the Water
The Hauraki Gulf is considered to be one of the most biologically and geographically diverse marine parks in
the world. It is also one of the world’s richest habitats for marine mammals with no less than 22 species of
dolphins and whales having been seen here. Exciting sailing days and trips are readily available check out
sailnz.co.nz and www.dolphinsafari.co.nz.
Not into sailing? Catch the ferry across to must-see Waiheke Island, famous for its beautiful beaches, walks,
cafes, galleries and fine wineries.
Places to Stay
Country Comfort Barrycourt Accommodation
& Event Centre, Auckland
10-20 Gladstone road, Auckland, NOrTH 0600
T: +64 9 303 3789 F: +64 9 377 3309
Aus: 1300 650 464 NZ: 0800 700 433
Email: reservations@constellationhotels.com
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