Queens Academic Group

About Auckland

Overview

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city and home to a population of 1.3 million, consisting of 180 ethnic groups, which makes the city an exciting place to live. At 328 metres the Sky Tower is the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere.

Economy

Auckland is a modern, business-friendly city with unique lifestyle opportunities and the largest regional economy in the country. It is positioned as the economic powerhouse of the Asia-Pacific region. It is a cosmopolitan centre for arts, education, culture and tourism for the region and the country.

Currently, the labour market is tight with firms having difficulty finding skilled and unskilled labour, and the city's unemployment rate falling to 4.1 per cent in March 2004. Wages in Auckland city have risen faster than wage inflation in the Auckland region and New Zealand as a whole over the past 12 months.

There are almost 8,500 businesses in the CBD, representing 18 per cent of businesses in Auckland city. The largest businesses in terms of employment are financial services, ICT and business services. Approximately 73,000 people enter the CBD between 7am and 9am each weekday.

Lifestyle and Entertainment

Auckland is consistently voted one of the world's best lifestyle cities in international surveys and is a popular international tourist destination. Auckland is a harbour city and has many islands and beaches. The city is very beautiful with many parks, gardens and volcanic cones. Visual arts are on show at the city's numerous galleries, the largest of which are the Auckland Art Gallery and its neighbour the New Gallery, which focuses on modern art. All of New Zealand's top fashion designers have stores in Auckland.

There are plenty of options for enjoying Auckland's nightlife. Multicultural restaurants, lively bars, pubs and dance clubs can be found all over the city. Live music and theatre can be found in large venues such as the Aotea Centre, the Bruce Mason Theatre and Sky City Theatre.

Transport

Transport to Auckland

Auckland international airport is 21km southwest of the city centre. Direct international flights are available to Fiji, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tonga, Samoa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Tokyo, Incheon, Seoul, Singapore, Osaka, Nagoya, Rarotonga, Santiago, Buenos Aires and all major cities throughout Australia.

Transport within Auckland

Auckland city has a safe and developed public transport system consisting of ferries, buses and trains. Buses are available to all corners of the city. The new central bus and railway station is located 5 minutes from the school. Taxis are also available. A return bus fare from the suburbs to the school will cost about $6.

Intercity Transport

Public transport between NZ cities is available by bus, shuttle bus, intercity bus or less frequently train. The majority of New Zealanders travel between cities in private motor vehicles.

Climate

Auckland enjoys a warm coastal climate without extremes of temperature. The weather can change rapidly due to the fact Auckland is located next to the sea.

Summer: December – February 19 - 25°C
Autumn (Fall): March – May 16 - 20°C
Winter: June – August 11 - 16°C
Spring: September – November 16 - 18°C

Further Information

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/introduction/
http://www.aucklandnz.com/

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