New Zealand’s South Island gets all the glory, but North Island has plenty of its own magic waiting to be discovered
Auckland has been on my mind for a long time. Three things finally pushed me to make the trip a reality: a great Business Class promotion on Malaysia Airlines and a taste of the new A330neo; a dear friend’s decade-long pleas to visit since emigrating there; and lastly, the promise of Bluff oysters.
Cast your sights a little further than the central business district when you touch down in Auckland. A short drive north across the Auckland Harbour Bridge will take you to Murrays Bay, a quaint, coastal suburb in the East Coast Bays area with a distinct beach-retreat vibe. Think lovely beaches, long nature walks and local restaurants and cafés to while away a lazy afternoon. A convenient public bus service will get you to the city centre for the obligatory shopping and sightseeing.
Murrays Bay Beach is a wonderful place to spend a sunny day, with a long sweep of sand for sunbathing, calm waters for canoeing and swimming, and a Sonder Sauna hut to warm up in after a bracing dip in the sea. The wharf at one end of the beach is a popular spot for fishing and jetty diving.
During low tide, Murray’s Gauntlet turns into a 1.4km coastal walkway leading to Mairangi Bay. The views out to the Hauraki Gulf are stunning as you walk along exposed waterfront pipelines flanked by interesting rock formations. A scenic track along the clifftop runs perpendicular to this, giving you elevated views of the coast as you walk amid lush coastal bush and plants.
My first food stop in Murrays Bay was for the award-winning pies at Mairangi Bay Bakery. Their mince & cheese pies won Gold at the 2023 Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards. A great place for dinner after a beach walk is El Greco, a family-run Greek Italian restaurant at Campbells Bay, with a relaxed alfresco setting and cosy indoor seating when the evenings get cool.
Seafood lovers can keep an eye out for local oyster varieties, including the elusive Bluff oyster. Widely considered as one the world’s finest delicacies, “bluffies” as they’re affectionately known are seasonal and rare. Elegantly round, its meat is thick and creamy with a definite punch of saltiness. For a reliable year-round option such as Mahurangi oysters, one of New Zealand’s finest, head to the Queens Rooftop & Wineshop on Queen Street, a classy spot overlooking the Waitematā Harbour.
