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Auckland

City in New ZealandAuckland covers a narrow isthmus in the upper North Island of New Zealand, less than 2 km wide at its narrowest point, between the Waitematā Harbour to the north and the Manukau Harbour to the south.

What it's known for

Auckland is the most populous city in New Zealand and is popularly nicknamed the 'City of Sails'. Its Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, means 'Tāmaki desired by many', because of the area's valuable natural resources.

Fun facts

  1. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world with a harbour on each of two separate major bodies of water: one leads to the Pacific Ocean, the other to the Tasman Sea.
  2. The city is dotted with 53 volcanic centres, and the most recent eruption, at Rangitoto, happened around 1450 AD.
  3. The Sky Tower is 328 m tall, and brave visitors can do the 'SkyJump', a 192 m jump from its observation deck.

Finding it on the globe

Go almost straight north from Wellington, about 490 km, to where the North Island pinches into a thin neck of land between two harbours.

Easy to mix up

Auckland is New Zealand's biggest city and was its capital from 1841 to 1865, but Wellington has been the capital since 1865.

Sources: Wikipedia: Auckland, Wikipedia: Sky Tower (Auckland)