My first night in Auckland was a fiasco…I stayed at Nomads Fat Camel, which turned out to be the worst hostel of my NZ travels. I couldn’t cook or shower there…it was that bad! The next morning I packed up and walked to Parnell and checked into Auckland International Backpackers. To say it was a vast improvement would be an understatement. Parnell is a nice little suburb within walking distance of the city center. It is also very close to the ASB Tennis Center.
One of my reasons for going to Auckland was to visit my buddy Zoltan who was in town for the Heinekin Classic. We met up and got to watch some of the ASB Women’s Classic doubles and singles final. The Heinekin Classic started the next day, so most of the men’s players were in town. I watched some of them practice on the outer courts after the women’s final. Pretty cool to see what their workout and practice demeanor is like.
I checked out Princes Wharf and some of the weekend markets on my last day in Auckland. Overall, it seemed like most other cities. I could have been walking around downtown Dallas or Nashville. So, if you fly into Auckland, get out to the suburbs and don’t plan on too many days for checking out the city itself.
