Auckland, New Zealand - Day 3

Friday, February 28, 2025

Today was our last full day in Auckland. 

Andi and I started the day by walking to a French bakery near our airbnb to buy coffee & pastries for breakfast. It was a gorgeous morning in Auckland with sunny skies and an air temperature around 75 degrees. Generally, the city has a mild climate year-round, but it does rain frequently. Luckily, we’re visiting during a beautiful stretch of warm weather.

The neighborhood French bakery was a happening place this morning, and for good reason. The small cafe sold homemade croissants, toasties, baguettes, and macaroons. Andi ordered himself a coffee, and we picked a selection of filled croissants to take home with us to the kids — raspberry, apricot, chocolate, and blue cheese flavors.

Back at the airbnb, the four of us ate croissants while Andi worked and Tory & Aden did their school work. This airbnb has a ukulele, and Aden was so happy when he discovered it. He downloaded an app to tune the strings and immediately started playing songs he’s memorized by heart. “Noooooo!” Tory groaned when she heard the familiar sound. Aden likes to torment Tory at home by playing his ukulele for hours on end.

Around Noon, we called an Uber and drove to Auckland’s CBD (Central Business District). Today, we planned to check out the city’s harbor, and take the ferry to the nearby seaside town of Devonport. 

Andi and I were so impressed with the pristine cleanliness of downtown Auckland. The city skyscrapers, restaurants, and walkways felt brand new, though they’re obviously not. I imagine it’s gorgeous downtown in the evenings with twinkling lights glowing overhead. 

We wandered along Queen St., and then through the Viaduct Harbor. There were lots of business people having lunch on restaurant patios, and tourists strolling the sidewalks. I assume many of them came from the Princess cruise ship docked in Auckland’s port today — the same cruise ship, we noticed, that was docked in Hobart, Tasmania a few weeks ago when we were there.

The four of us entered into the ferry terminal building to buy round-trip tickets to Devonport. This seaside village is only 15 minutes from Auckland’s CBD, but feels like an entirely different world with a laid-back beach vibe. Ferries run between Devonport and Auckland every 20 minutes throughout the day. 

Andi waited in line to purchase four round-trip ferry tickets ($26 round trip for adults; $13 for kids), then the four of us boarded the boat. What a gorgeous day to be on the water! The sunshine and movement of the boat across the water felt soothing.

In Devonport, Andi, Tory, Aden, and I walked along the waterfront. Then, we strolled along the main street of restaurants and shops before deciding on Devon’s on the Wharf for dinner. We were seated at a picturesque table on the covered patio overlooking the bay. Andi and I shared a mediterranean platter of grilled chicken, hummus, tzatziki, pita, olives, and zucchini fritters. Aden ordered a plate of ribs and devoured every single one, and Tory had a kid’s sized pizza. 

We rode the ferry back to Aucklund, and then took an Uber to our airbnb in the Sanringham neighborhood. I’m so glad we had the chance to spend some time in Auckland for a few days. We loved the South Island of New Zealand when we visited in 2020, and now had the chance to see another part of the country in the capital city of Auckland. Completely different than the South Island, but wonderful in its own right.