Auckland is a harbour city where every day commercial and cruise ships come and go from all over the world. It is a garden city with beautiful parks, drives, beaches and reserves. Every day of the year, on the sparkling Waitemata Harbour, sailboats can be seen catching the wind. Rain or shine, sailing is the number one pastime for Aucklanders, who are proud to be defending the America's Cup in 2003 after the successful defence of 2000 as well as hosting the Volvo Round the World Race yachts, and who call their town "The City of Sails".

Outdoor Attractions
New Zealanders are very fond of outdoor sports such as rugby, sailing, cricket, fishing. Visitors can usually go to Eden Park stadium and watch a live rugby match. For those who love water sports; fishing, sea kayaking, wind surfing, sailing, jet skiing and water-skiing are popular all year round.

In summer, the many city beaches are crowded with sunbathers and swimmers enjoying the clean ocean and warm weather. Joggers, roller bladers and bikers can always be seen on the paths along the water front or through the many parks and domains in the city itself.

The Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf are full of green islands, some inhabited, and like Rangitoto Island, are regional parks and all accessible by boat. The beautiful surf beaches of Kare Kare and Piha (featured in the film the Piano) are 40 minutes west of the city centre. To the east, on the Pacific coast, is the Coromandel Peninsula, famous for its unspoiled rocky coast line, white sandy beaches, and giant Kauri forests.

Transport
There is a good public bus system servicing downtown Auckland and connecting it to the suburbs. The city is divided into three zones. Service is regular ( every 10 to 20 minutes) during the week, and less frequent ( every 30 - 60 minutes) on weekends. Buses generally run from 5:30 am till 11:00 pm.

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