Travel guide describes City of Sails as being 'geographically blessed' and with a 'vibrant Polynesian culture' ?????????????????????????
Auckland is noted for its thriving dining, drinking and live-music scene. Photo / Greg Bowker ????????????????????
"Is there another 1.4-million-strong city with access to two oceans and such vibrant Polynesian culture?" ??140?????????????????????
At the top of Lonely Planet's list was Auckland Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf. Second was urban Auckland.
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The city was ranked ahead of tourism spots, such as Queenstown, Milford Sound, Waitomo Caves and the Bay of Islands.
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"Auckland isn't your average metropolis," the guide says. "It's
regularly rated one of the world's most liveable cities, and while it's
never going to challenge NYC or London in the excitement stakes, it's
blessed with good beaches, flanked by wine regions and has a large
enough population to support a thriving dining, drinking and live-music
scene.
"Cultural festivals are celebrated with gusto in this ethnically
diverse city, which has the distinction of having the world's largest
Pacific Island population."
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The travel guide noted that Auckland Council was trying to clean up the "mess" that is Auckland's public transport system.
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Lonely Planet's NZ experiences
1) Auckland Harbour, Hauraki Gulf 2) Urban Auckland 3) Geothermal Rotorua 4) Wellington 5) Kaikoura 6) Franz Josef, Fox Glaciers 7) Waitomo Caves 8) Bay of Islands 9) Tongariro Alpine Crossing 10) Rugby 11) Abel Tasman National Park 12) Maori culture 13) Otago Peninsula 14) Heaphy Track 15) Central Otago 16) Skiing and snowboarding 17) Queenstown 18) Milford Sound 19) TranzAlpine 20) Akaroa and Banks Peninsula