Auckland and the Coromandel

Auckland is situated on a narrow strip of land, bounded by two harbours, the Waitemata and the Manukau.

Auckland is the main gateway to New Zealand and New Zealand's largest urban area, with a population of about one million. Auckland offers something for everyone including great beaches, a beautiful harbour, fantastic shopping, and the nightlife and culture of a metropolitan city.

Right on Auckland's doorstep is the magnificent Hauraki Gulf that stretches a great 250km sweep of coastline north and south of the city. Auckland is known as the City of Sails, and is the current home of the America's Cup, yachting's greatest trophy.

The Coromandel Peninsula lies east of Auckland, across the Hauraki Gulf. The Coromandel is only 90 minutes away from Auckland. The Coromandel is one of New Zealand's premier holiday destinations.

The Coromandel has a dramatic and unspoiled coast, with native pohutukawa trees on the western side and beautiful white sandy beaches on the east, it offers endless opportunities for fishing, diving, boating, surfing and swimming.

The South Island is cooler than the North Island by a few degrees. Winter in New Zealand is from June to August and summer is from December to February. There are regional variations: It is quite warm and pleasant up in the Northland region at any time of the year. Higher altitudes are always considerably cooler, and it is usually windy in Wellington, which catches the winds whistling through the Cook Straight.

Snow is mostly seen in the mountains, although there can be snowfalls, even at sea level, In the South Island, particularly in the extreme south. Some of the plains and higher plateaus also receive snow in winter, notably the Canterbury plains and the high plateau around the Tongariro National Park, especially on the east side. Snow is seldom seen near sea level on the West Coast of either and not at all in the far north.

An important thing you must know about the New Zealand climate is that it is a maritime climate, as opposed to the continental climate typical of larger land masses. This means the weather can change with amazing rapidity.