Here in Auckland we love to moan about the traffic and the weather and the price of housing. But, despite these things, we still love our beautiful city and we’re proud to live here. Why? Here’s a list of eight things that make us proud to be Aucklanders.

The Waitematā Harbour

Almost any vantage point in Auckland will afford you a view of the stunning coastline and sparkling waters of the Waitematā. It’s 180km² of sheltered, deep water that provides an incredible aquatic playground for yachties, beach-goers and marine life. It’s one of the few places in the world that you can look out of your office window and spot Orca playing in the surf.

The Auckland Santa Parade

Dating back to 1934, this magical annual event is one that every Auckland child looks forward to, with its brightly coloured floats, music and magic. Today, the parade takes place along a 2.2km route through Auckland city, involves over 4,000 participants and attracts a crowd of 250,000 people.

 

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The New Zealand Breakers

Based in Auckland at Spark Arena, the New Zealand Breakers are the only non-Australian team currently competing in the National Basketball League. Since they entered the league in the 2003-2004 season, The Breakers have won the championship four times, and have been runners-up once – an outstanding record in just 16 seasons of competition.

 

The Auckland volcanic field

Auckland owes much of its stunning landscape to the Auckland Volcanic Field, comprised of 53 cones of varying shapes and sizes. Some form incredible vantage points and landmarks, such as Mt Eden, One Tree Hill and Rangitoto. Others are filled with water, such as lake Pupuke and Orakei Basin. The unique volcanic soil produced by many eruptions has made Pukekohe a vegetable-growing paradise.

Amazing food

When you go out for dinner in Auckland, you’ve got access to some of the world’s finest restaurants.  Tops chefs like Nic Watt, Al Brown, Gareth Stewart, Ben Bayly and Sid Sahrawat have all chosen to set up shop in Auckland, and The Grove in Wyndham Street was voted ninth-best in the world in the 2018 Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.

The economy

Statistics NZ figures for 2018 show that Auckland has, by far, the largest regional economy in New Zealand, with the nominal GDP topping $100 billion for the first time. Auckland’s 18 biggest industries are all valued at more than $1 billion each, and we command a 37.5% share of the New Zealand economy.

The Sky Tower

An iconic Auckland landmark, the Sky Tower is the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere. At 328 metres, it is 19 metres taller than the Sydney Tower. It was built between 1994 and 1997 and now attracts over 400,000 visitors per year to its viewing decks, restaurants, and SkyJump.

A diverse population

The 2015 World Migration Report found that Auckland was more culturally diverse than Sydney, London, Los Angeles and New York, with more than 220 ethnic groups living here. This makes for a wonderful multicultural mix of food and culture, such as the Otara Markets, the Pasifika Festival, the Lantern Festival, and the Auckland Diwali Festival.

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