Auckland

Most journeys to New Zealand begin in Auckland, and it rewards travellers who give it more than a single night. The city is built across a narrow isthmus between two harbours, the Waitematā and the Manukau, on a volcanic field of 53 cones that shaped its hills and coastline. Climb Maungawhau at dawn and the geography resolves at once: water on both sides, islands scattered east across the Gulf, the ranges standing dark against the west coast. The Hauraki Gulf is the city's front garden, and Waiheke Island lies forty minutes across the water, its terraces planted with vineyards and olive groves above the sea. An hour west, Piha and Karekare are black sand, heavy surf, and rainforest running down to the shoreline.

The city itself is the reason to stay. Auckland's dining holds its own against far larger places, from the harbourside restaurants of the Viaduct to the laneways of Britomart, where heritage buildings now house some of the country's best chefs, roasters, and cocktail rooms. Ponsonby and Parnell offer New Zealand design, contemporary galleries, and boutiques within an easy walk. The Auckland War Memorial Museum sits above the Domain with one of the finest collections of Māori and Pacific taonga anywhere, and a daily cultural performance that is among the best introductions to the culture a visitor can have.