Auckland – A Sailor’s Paradise

by Walter Glaser

As picturesque as Hong Kong, Sydney or San Francisco, Auckland is arguably even better as a sailing-contest venue. No one who loves serious sailing and a great holiday should miss it!

Stepping off your flight at Auckland International Airport, one of the first things you see is the sign ‘Auckland, the City of Sails’. And the more you see of this, the largest city in New Zealand, the more you will realise that the description is true.

Aucklanders seem to take to boating and sailing like a baby to mother’s milk, and this is backed up by the fact that New Zealand has the highest proportion of boat owners per capita of any country on earth. It was little New Zealand, with a population of just over 4 million, that beat the mighty United States for the America’s Cup.

New Zealand had amazed the world in 1995 by beating Dennis Conner’s American Cup team off San Diego, and stunned the yachting world again by winning that cup for a second consecutive time in 2000 on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

And now, in 2009, this amazing nation of ‘yachties’ did it again. In February, their Emirates Team New Zealand defeated Switzerland’s ‘Alinghi’ and ‘America’s Cup Class’ boats from USA, France, South Africa, Italy, the UK, China and Greece in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

So what makes Auckland so special?

The city is a sailor’s paradise. Built on a narrow stretch of land, it has two superb, natural harbours on both sides – the Waitemata to the north and east and Manukau to the south. So the visitor to Auckland will find marinas in almost every small inlet, with the main Auckland marina being the largest in the southern hemisphere. The Viaduct Harbour marina was home to the 2000 America’s Cup yachts, and today you will find it filled with every conceivable size and shape of luxury sailboats and motor yachts. From here, the boating enthusiast can enjoy harbour cruises, either on tourist boats, or on actual racing yachts that competed in both the America’s and the Louis Vuitton Cups. No visitor to the City of Sails should miss out on this experience!

Around the Viaduct Harbour developers have built luxury apartments that match the world’s best, and the waterfront on one side is a continuous row of outstanding bars, gourmet restaurants, and entertainment venues. The landmark Hilton Hotel, an Auckland icon, looks like a large cruise ship and is perched at the end of the city’s main pier so that the giant ocean liners docking alongside look like sister ships of the hotel.

On the other end of this marina are all the yacht-servicing facilities which, when major yacht races take place here, become the hubs for all the international participants. Between these races they service visiting super-yachts and those of wealthy New Zealand owners.

But if you are a mere tourist and not an active ‘yachtie’, there are still some water-related outings that you should not be missed on a visit to Auckland.

THE HARBOUR AND HAURAKI GULF

With water, water everywhere, why should only New Zealand’s yachtsmen and sailing-enthusiasts have all the fun?  We started exploring Auckland's two glittering harbours by taking a 'coffee cruise' on the first day, following this by taking a lunch cruise and a dinner cruise to historic Devonport at other times. Even a short ferry trip is a great way to enjoy the harbour.

Beyond the harbour is the Hauraki Gulf.  With over 20 islands as destinations, we chose the 35-minute cruise to Waiheke Island with its fantastic beaches and native forest reserves, cafes, vineyards and art shops.  But if the getting there plays a big part in your travelling, it is possible to hire a kayak and paddle over.

Rangitoto Island, with its weird rock formations and strange, primeval vegetation is another popular destination.  Though it is only half an hour from central Auckland, it offers an environment of extremes.  Since this volcano was only pushed up from the sea 600 years ago, there has been no time for soil to form.  Yet the island is covered with thick vegetation of the type that is usually found in primeval rainforest canopies.  We were completely enchanted by our walk to the top of the extinct volcano on this island, followed by a tour through a cave of lava.  Our guide explained that two animal species bought from Australia - the kangaroo-like wallaby and the possum - had begun to endanger the fragile environment and vegetation, but that these two pests were being successfully eradicated.

There is so much sightseeing to do around Auckland’s harbour!  We took a relaxing two hour cruise to Great Barrier Island and its magnificent kauri forests, through which walking tracks led us to picturesque dams and secluded natural hot-springs. Another trip took us to Tiritiri Matangi Island, known affectionately as Tiri, which will delight naturalists and conservationists.  It is home to around a dozen species of endangered birds including the rare Takahe, as well as the lizards and insects that live in a specially planted three-million native-tree sanctuary.

Back in Auckland harbour another surprise awaited us at Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World.  Here hungry sharks, rays and moray eels swam over and past as we stood safely in a giant underwater perspex tube. We could also see King and Gentoo penguins in an authentic environment of ice and snow specially created for them.

Returning to the Viaduct Harbour area, picturesquely located right next to the city’s Central Business District, it was impossible not to be reminded that this city is a sailor’s paradise. Few other harbours have mooring opportunities with such stunning views. On our left we could look across to the Auckland Bridge and then visually follow the shore line to the opposite side of this photogenic harbour.

On the right we found a waterfront abuzz with action, with wall-to-wall people enjoying a waterfront outing, and watching yachts that had competed in some of the most prestigious races and regattas of the South Pacific being prepared for today’s sailings.

During the 2000 America’s Cup preparations, clever architects redeveloped the waterfront, resulting in superb and luxurious apartments that looked right across the yachts, the marina, and the main pier where international ocean mega-liners frequently docked and disgorged their 2000 - 4000 inhabitants for Auckland sightseeing. A local friend told us that Auckland’s richest citizen then brought his 4-storey high mega-yacht and moored it right in front of a block of luxury apartments for over three months, effectively blocking out the whole view for the apartment owners and nearly causing a not-so-civil war. The mega-yacht still comes in to this mooring from time to time, but the apartment owners and the yacht-owner appear to have come to some kind of satisfactory arrangement.

And here’s an insider’s tip for those with sailing in their blood! There is a magnificent two day sailing trip on a maxi-yacht, the ‘Lion New Zealand’, that was Sir Peter Blake’s 1985 Whitbread Round-the-World challenger. The trip includes on-board crew style dorm accommodation and will add a whole new dimension to your New Zealand visit. Check it out at www.firstlighttravel.com/sail_cruise_lion.html  

Of course, the harbour and yachting are only the tip of the iceberg for those coming to the ‘City of Sails’. Auckland is a kaleidoscope of fabulous restaurants, fascinating museums, world-class shopping and wonderful day trips to enjoy, and then there is the whole of this magnificent ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ to explore.

But that’s another story.

INFORMATION FOR SERIOUS ‘YACHTIES’
PLANNING A SAILING TRIP TO AUCKLAND

The Hauraki Gulf is home to many islands. The harbour is quite sheltered by its 80 or so islands, making Auckland one of the sailing capitals of the world. It provides excellent year round sailing conditions with average wind strengths of 10-25 knots.

The best sailing season is over the summer months of December to February, and this is the season when many of Auckland’s regattas are held.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron website is a great source of information, as they organise many of Auckland’s regattas, as is Tourism Auckland, whose website is www.aucklandnz.com    

If you are planning to sail your boat to Auckland, the city has seven major marinas. Their websites are –

West Park       www.westpark.co.nz  

Westhaven      www.westhaven.co.nz    

Bayswater       www.bayswater.co.nz  

Orakei              www.orakeimarina.co.nz

Half Moon Bay www.hmbmarina.co.nz  

Pine Harbour   www.pineharbour.co.nz  

Gulf Harbour   www.gulf-harbour.co.nz

The best sailing areas around the harbour are in the Gulf bounded by Great Barrier and Coromandel. A popular sail is up to Kawau Island, anchoring in Mansion House Bay, where you can either visit the historic homestead on the island or just enjoy the stunning views from your yacht.

Another famous New Zealand sailing area, the Bay of Islands, is about 3 or 4 hours drive north of Auckland and there are charter companies operating there.

REGATTAS

Regattas are usually closed to all but members of the sailing clubs who organise them, with the exception of the best and biggest which is open to all – the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta which is currently planned for February 1, 2010.

The regatta is New Zealand’s oldest sporting event. Since 1840, the event has been held on the Waitemata Harbour, which comes alive in celebration of New Zealand’s maritime history. It sees hundreds of craft from centreboards, tall ships, keelers and sailing dinghies to a fleet of historic, restored classic vessels and the roaring vintage tugboats, all competing in their different classes for line honours in a full day of racing. For more information, visit www.regatta.org.nz

Some of the major sailing clubs in Auckland are –

Murrays Bay Sailing Club       www.murraysbay.org  

Devonport Yacht Club            www.dyc.org.nz  

Howick Sailing Club                www.howicksailingclub.co.nz

Point Chevalier Sailing Club   www.sailptchev.org.nz  

Royal Akarana Sailing Club    www.rayc.org.nz  

Bucklands Beach Yacht Club www.bbyc.org.nz

They are best contacted through your own sailing club to observe protocol.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Singapore Airline Sail Auckland Regatta Kohimaramara Beach 03 Feb 10 - 07 Feb 10

2010 A Class Catamaran National Championships Takapuna Boating Club 08 Feb 10 - 12 Feb 10

2010 National Bank Youth International Match Racing Championships Westhaven 17 Feb 10 - 22 Feb 10

2010 Access Liberty Class National Championships Auckland Harbour 24 Feb 10 - 28 Feb 10

2010 420 Class National Championships Murrays Bay Sailing Club 25 Feb 10 - 01 Mar 10

2010 Elliott 5.9 Class National Championships Royal Akarana Yacht Club 03 Mar 10 - 05 Mar 10

2010 NZ Womens Match Racing National Championships Westhaven 03 Mar 10 - 07 Mar 10

2010 NZ Women's National Keelboat Champonships Waitemata Harbour 12 Mar 10 - 14 Mar 10

2010 Javelin Class National Championships Bay of Islands 01 Apr 10 - 05 Apr 10

2010 Farr 1020 National Championships Waitemata Harbour 09 Apr 10 - 11 Apr 10

2010 Young 88 National Championships Hauraki Gulf 16 Apr 10 - 18 Apr 10

2010 Platu 25 Class National Championships Waitemata Harbour 23 Apr 10 - 25 Apr 10

CHARTERING IN NEW ZEALAND

There are many opportunities to charter excellent yachts of all types and sizes for those who want to sail with friends but haven’t got time to bring their own yachts. One of the best charter companies is First Light Travel --www.firstlighttravel.com/sail_loc_auckland.html#yachts_auckland  -- who have yachts, catamarans and motor cruisers available. Their website has exact details of individual vessels available. Another excellent website listing a great variety of available charter companies is the New Zealand Tourism site at http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/sights-activities-home.cfm