Travellers Guide to Auckland

Female Travellers

Auckland is generally a very safe place for women travellers, although the usual sensible precautions apply. It's best to avoid walking alone late at night. And if you're out on the town, always keep enough money aside for a taxi back to your accommodation. When the pubs and bars close and there are inebriated people tottering around, it's not a great time to be out and about. Lone women should also be wary of staying in basic pub accommodation unless it looks safe and well managed. Sexual harassment is not a widely reported problem in NZ, but it does happen.

Don't presume that male chauvinism or downright aggressive attitudes are the preserve of so-called rural backwaters - urban/suburban males can also be adept at making fools of themselves.

Gay & Lesbian Scene

The gay and lesbian tourism industry in NZ is not as high-profile as in that other country across the Tasman Sea, but Auckland's homosexual communities are prominent, and there is a Pride centre in central Auckland. Auckland's main gay scene is along K Rd.

Express is a fortnightly magazine with masses of information on the Auckland gay scene. Auckland hosts a HERO festival every February with two weeks of events, including the Big Gay Out, the HERO parade and drag king workshops.

Disabled Travellers

Auckland's accommodation generally caters fairly well for disabled travellers, with a significant number of hostels, hotels, motels and B&Bs equipped with wheelchair-accessible rooms and disabled bathrooms; rooms that are truly barrier-free, however, are few and far between. Many tourist attractions similarly provide wheelchair access, with wheelchairs often available at key attractions with advance notice.

Some tour operators have accessible vehicles - call ahead for more information. Some of Auckland's buses are kneeling buses and taxi companies have wheelchair-accessible vans.

For all hotel bookings, visit http://hotelrates.com

Most international flights to New Zealand go through Auckland. Direct flights connect to and from west coast USA; east coast Australia and Perth; London and Frankfurt, and several cities in Asia. There's a departure tax for all international flights from Auckland, payable at the airport. A number of domestic airlines connect Auckland with other major centres in New Zealand.

There are regular bus services between Auckland and most larger towns and tourist areas; they operate from the Sky City Coach Terminal on Hobson St. There's an early morning train and an overnight train to Wellington daily.

Hiring a car and driving around New Zealand is easy, although the roads can be spoiled by cowboy behaviour. Auckland airport is 21km (13mi) southwest of the city centre and airport shuttles run to several accommodation places and Aotea Square in the city. A taxi will cost around 30.00.

The Britomart Transport Centre provides a hub where you can access buses, trains and ferries as well as general transport information.

Because it is such a sprawling city, the car is king in Auckland. The place is crawling with car-hire operators. If you're a cyclist, hire a bicycle and try the pleasant waterfront rides. Taxis are easy to hire from ranks or from the sidewalk. Ferries run between the city centre and various spots on the North Shore and the gulf islands.