Auckland
Tāmaki-makau-rau (Māori) |
|
Auckland CBD skyline from Devonport
|
|
|
| Settled: |
1350 (Early Maori) - Late 18th Century (first Europeans) |
| Population: |
1,329,900
Greater urban area - (2007 estimate)
404,658
Auckland City - (2006 Census)1 |
| Density: |
1,199.9/km² |
| Demonym: |
Aucklander |
| Area: |
1,086 km² (419 sq mi) |
| Location: |
|
| Mayor(s): |
Multiple, including John Banks, Len Brown, Bob Harvey, John Law, Andrew Williams |
| Urban Area |
| Extent: |
North to Waiwera,
northwest to Kumeu,
east to Maraetai,
south to Drury and Runciman;
excludes Waitakere Ranges
& Hauraki Gulf Islands |
| Territorial Authorities |
| Names: |
Auckland City
North Shore City
Urban parts of Waitakere City and Manukau City
Papakura District
Some parts of Rodney District and Franklin District
|
| Regional Council: |
Auckland Regional Council |
| Website: |
http://www.arc.govt.nz/ |
| 1Statistics New Zealand Final counts – census night and census usually resident populations, and occupied dwellings, Auckland Urban Area, 2006 Census |
The
Auckland metropolitan area or
Greater Auckland, in the
North Island of
New Zealand, is the largest
urban area of the country. It is also New Zealand's
most populous city with over 1.3 million people, it has over a quarter of the country's population (32.4% of NZ's total population), and demographic trends indicate that it'll continue growing faster than the rest of the country. Auckland also has the largest
Polynesian population of any city in the world.
It is a
conurbation, made up of
Auckland City (excluding the Hauraki Gulf islands),
North Shore City, and the urban parts of
Waitakere and
Manukau cities, along with
Papakura District and some nearby urban parts of
Rodney and
Franklin Districts. In
Māori its name is
Tāmaki-makau-rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland,
Ākarana.
Auckland lies between the
Hauraki Gulf of the
Pacific Ocean to the east, the low
Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the
Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the
Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow
isthmus between the
Manukau Harbour on the
Tasman Sea and the
Waitemata Harbour on the
Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water.
History
» Main article History of Auckland
Early Māori and Europeans
The isthmus was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many
pa (fortified villages) were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks. Māori population in the area is estimated at about 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. The subsequent introduction of firearms, which began in Northland, upset the balance of power and led to devastating inter-tribal warfare, causing
iwi, who lacked the new weapons, to seek refuge in areas less exposed to coastal raids. As a result, the region had relatively low numbers of Māori when European settlement of New Zealand began. There is, however, nothing to suggest that this was the result of a deliberate European policy.
After the signing of the
Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840, the new Governor of New Zealand,
William Hobson, chose the area as his new capital. Even in 1840, however,
Port Nicholson (later
Wellington), was seen as a better choice for an administrative capital because of its proximity to the
South Island, which was being settled much more rapidly. At the same time, Auckland was the capital and principal city of the
Auckland Province, remaining so until the provincial system was abolished in 1876. Immigration to the new city remained strong, however, even after it lost its status as national capital in 1865.
Growth up to today
Becoming a base against the
Māori King Movement in the early
1860s and continued road building towards the south into the
Waikato enabled
Pākehā (European New Zealanders) influence to spread from Auckland. Its population also grew fairly rapidly, from 1,500 in 1841 to 12,423 by 1864. The growth occurred similarly to other
mercantile-dominated cities, mainly around the port and with problems of overcrowding and pollution.
Trams and railway lines shaped Auckland's rapid expansion in the early first half of the 20th century, but soon afterward the dominance of the motor vehicle emerged and hasn't abated since; arterial roads and motorways have become both defining and geographically dividing features of the urban landscape. They also allowed further massive expansion that resulted in the growth of associated urban areas like the
North Shore (especially after the construction of the
Auckland Harbour Bridge), and
Manukau City in the south.
A large percentage of Auckland is still dominated by a very
suburban style of building, giving the city a very low
population density. Although it has little more than a seventh of the population of
London, it sprawls over a considerably larger area, making public transport costlier than in other high-density cities.
Future growth
Auckland is expecting substantial population growth via immigration and natural population increases (which contribute to growth at about 1/3rd and 2/3rds, respectively), and is set to grow to an estimated 2 million inhabitants by 2050. This substantial increase in population will have a major impact on transport, housing and other infrastructure that's in many cases already considered under pressure. It is also feared by some organisations, such as the
Auckland Regional Council, that
urban sprawl will result from the growth and, as a result, that it's necessary to address this proactively in planning
policy.
A 'Regional Growth Strategy' has been adopted that sees limits on further subdivision and intensification of existing use as its main
sustainability measures. This policy is contentious, as it naturally limits the uses of private land, especially the subdivision of urban fringe properties, by setting 'Metropolitan Urban Limits' in planning documents like the
District Plan.
Geography and climate
Volcanoes
Auckland straddles the
volcanoes of the
Auckland Volcanic Field. The approximately 50 volcanic vents in the field take the form of cones, lakes, lagoons, islands and depressions, and several have produced extensive lava flows. Most of the cones have been partly or completely
quarried away. The individual volcanoes are all considered extinct, although the volcanic field itself is merely
dormant.
The most recent and by far the largest volcano,
Rangitoto Island, was formed within the last 1000 years, and its eruptions destroyed the Māori settlements on neighbouring
Motutapu Island some 700 years ago. Rangitoto's size, its symmetry, its position guarding the entrance to
Waitemata Harbour and its visibility from many parts of the Auckland region make it Auckland's most iconic natural feature. Few birds and insects inhabit the island because of the rich acidic soil and the type of flora growing out of the rocky soil.
Harbours and Gulf
Auckland lies on and around an
isthmus, less than 2 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between
Mangere Inlet and the
Tamaki River. There are two harbours in the Auckland urban area surrounding this isthmus:
Waitemata Harbour to the north, which opens east to the
Hauraki Gulf, and
Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the
Tasman Sea.
Bridges span parts of both harbours, notably the
Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing the Waitemata Harbour west of the
Auckland Central Business District (CBD). The
Mangere Bridge and the
Upper Harbour Bridge span the upper reaches of the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours, respectively. In earlier times,
portage paths crossed the narrowest sections of the isthmus.
Several islands of the
Hauraki Gulf are administered as part of Auckland City, though they're not officially part of the Auckland metropolitan area. Parts of
Waiheke Island effectively function as
Auckland suburbs, while various smaller islands near Auckland are mostly zoned 'recreational open space' or are nature sanctuaries.
Climate
Auckland has a warm-
temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters. It is the warmest main centre of New Zealand and for the past 3 years has also been the sunniest, with an average of 2170 sunshine hours per annum. The average daily maximum temperature is 23.7
°C in February, and 14.5
°C in July, the absolute maximum recorded temperature is 30.5°C, while the absolute minimum is -2.5. High levels of rainfall occur almost year-round with an average of 1240 mm per year spread over 137 'rain days'. Climatic conditions vary in different parts of the city owing to geography such as hills, land cover and distance from the sea, hence unofficial Auckland temperature records exist, such as a maximum of 32.4°C in
Henderson during February 1998. On
27 July 1939 Auckland received its only snow fall in recorded history.
The early morning calm on the isthmus during settled weather, before the sea breeze rises, was described as early as 1853:
"In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. At that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails..." Many Aucklanders use this time of day to walk and run in parks.
As car ownership rates are very high and emissions controls relatively weak, Auckland suffers from some
air pollution, especially in regards to
fine particles emissions. There are also regular breaches of guideline levels of
carbon monoxide. While maritime winds normally disperse the pollution relatively quickly it can sometimes become visible as
smog, especially on calm winter days.
Climate Table: Auckland (Owairaka)>
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Mean daily maximum temperature | 23.3°C
74.0°F |
23.7°C
74.7°F |
22.4°C
72.3°F |
20.0°C
68.0°F |
17.4°C
63.3°F |
15.2°C
59.4°F |
14.5°C
58.1°F |
15.0°C
59.0°F |
16.2°C
61.2°F |
17.8°C
64.1°F |
19.6°C
67.3°F |
21.6°C
70.9°F |
18.9°C
66.0°F
|
| Mean daily minimum temperature | 15.3°C
59.6°F |
15.8°C
60.5°F |
14.6°C
58.3°F |
12.3°C
54.2°F |
10.0°C
50.0°F |
8.0°C
46.4°F |
7.1°C
44.8°F |
7.6°C
45.7°F |
8.9°C
48.0°F |
10.5°C
50.9°F |
12.1°C
53.8°F |
13.9°C
57.0°F |
11.3°C
52.4°F
|
| Mean total rainfall | 75 mm
2.95 in |
65 mm
2.56 in |
94 mm
3.70 in |
105 mm
4.13 in |
103 mm
4.06 in |
139 mm
5.47 in |
146 mm
5.75 in |
121 mm
4.76 in |
116 mm
4.57 in |
91 mm
3.58 in |
93 mm
3.66 in |
91 mm
3.58 in |
1240 mm
48.82 in
|
| Mean number of rain days | 8 |
7 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
15 |
16 |
15 |
14 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
137
|
Source: Niwa Science climate data |
People
Cultures
Auckland is home to many cultures. The majority of inhabitants claim
European - predominantly
British - descent, but substantial
Māori,
Pacific Islander and
Asian communities exist as well. Auckland has the largest
Polynesian population of any city in the world and a higher proportion of people of Asian origin than the rest of New Zealand. Ethnic groups from all corners of the world have a presence in Auckland, making it by far the country's most
cosmopolitan city.
Demographics
The proportion of Asians and other Non-European immigrants has increased during the last decades due to immigration, and the
removal of restrictions directly or indirectly based on race. Immigration to New Zealand is heavily concentrated towards Auckland (partly for job market reasons). This strong focus on Auckland has led the immigration services to award extra points towards immigration visa requirements for people intending to move to other parts of New Zealand.
The following table shows the ethnic profile of Auckland's population, as recorded in the 2001 and 2006
New Zealand Census. The percentages add up to more than 100%, as some people counted themselves as belonging to more than one ethnic group. Figures for 2006 refer to the whole Auckland Region, not just the urban area. The substantial percentage drop in the numbers of 'Europeans' was mainly caused by the increasing numbers of people from this group choosing to define themselves as 'New Zealanders' - even though this wasn't one of the groups listed on the census form.
| Ethnic Group |
2001 (%) |
2001 (people) |
2006 (%) |
2006 (people) |
| European |
66.9 |
684,237 |
56.5 |
698,622 |
| Pacific Island |
14.9 |
152,508 |
14.4 |
177,936 |
| Asian |
14.6 |
149,121 |
18.9 |
234,222 |
| Māori |
11.5 |
117,513 |
11.1 |
137,133 |
| Middle East/Latin America/Africa |
n/a |
n/a |
1.5 |
18,555 |
| Others |
1.3 |
13,455 |
0.1 |
648 |
| 'New Zealanders' |
n/a |
n/a |
8.0 |
99,258 |
| Total giving their ethnicity |
|
1,022,616 (individuals) |
|
1,237,239 (individuals) |
The 2006 Census also provides information about the
multilinguality of the region. Accordingly, 867,825 people in the Auckland Region spoke one language only, while 274,863 spoke two, and 57,051 could converse in three or more languages. together with crime. Nonetheless, Auckland current ranks 5th in a survey of the quality of life of the world's top 55 cities (2007 data, rank unchanged from 2006).
In 2006, Auckland placed 23rd on the
UBS list of the world's richest cities.
Leisure
Auckland is popularly known as the "City of Sails" because the harbour is often dotted with hundreds of yachts and has more per capita than any other city in the world, with around 135,000
yachts and
launches estimated. Around 60,500 of the country's 149,900 registered yachtsmen also come from the Auckland Region.
High Street,
Queen Street,
Ponsonby Road, and
Karangahape Road are also very popular with urban socialites.
Newmarket and
Parnell are up-market shopping areas, while
Otara's and
Avondale's famous fleamarkets and
Victoria Park Market offer a colourful alternative shopping experience. Newer shopping centre-type developments in the Auckland area tend to be outside of the older city centres, with
Sylvia Park (Sylvia Park, Auckland City),
Botany Town Centre (Howick, Manukau City) and
Westfield Albany (under construction as of 2007) (Albany, North Shore City) being the three largest.
The
Auckland Town Hall and Aotea Centre host conferences and cultural events such as theatre,
kapa haka, and opera.
Auckland also boasts a
symphonic ensemble in the
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Many national treasures are displayed at the
Auckland Art Gallery, such as the work of
Colin McCahon., while many other significant cultural artefacts reside at the
Auckland War Memorial Museum, the
National Maritime Museum, or the
Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). Exotic creatures can be observed at the
Auckland Zoo and
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World. Movies and rock concerts (notably, the "
Big Day Out") are also well patronised.
Parks and nature
Auckland Domain is one of the largest parks within the city, situated close to the
CBD and having a good view of the Gulf and of
Rangitoto island. Smaller parks also close to the city centre are
Albert Park,
Myers Park,
Western Park and
Victoria Park.
While most volcanic cones in the
Auckland Volcanic Field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now ensconced within parks, and retain a somewhat more natural character than the surrounding city. Prehistoric earthworks and historic fortifications feature in several of these parks, including
Mount Eden,
North Head and
One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie).
Other parks around the city are in
Western Springs, which has a large park bordering on the
MOTAT museum and the
Auckland Zoo. The
Auckland Botanic Gardens are located further south in
Manurewa.
Ferries provide transport to parks and nature reserves at
Devonport,
Waiheke Island and
Rangitoto Island. The
Waitakere Ranges Regional Park to the west of Auckland offers beautiful and relatively unspoiled
bush territory, as do the
Hunua Ranges to the south.
Sport
Locations
Auckland has its fair share of rugby and cricket grounds, and venues for motorsports, tennis, badminton, netball, swimming, soccer, rugby league, and many other sports.
Main teams
The Auckland rugby franchise The Blues, formerly known as the 'Auckland Blues' is one of the more successful of New Zealand's five Super 14 franchises. Many All Blacks have also come from Auckland.
Cricket also has a strong following in Auckland. The Auckland cricket franchise, the Auckland Aces won the State Shield Trophy against the Otago Volts in February 2007. The Aces had narrowly lost against the Canterbury Wizards the previous year.
Major events
Popular annual sporting events include:
The 'Cross Harbour Swim' from Devonport to the Auckland CBD is a yearly summer event, covering 2.8 km (often with some considerable counter-currents) and attended by up to a thousand mostly amateur competitors.
The 'Round the Bays' fun-run, starting in the city and going 8.4 kilometres (5.2 miles) along the waterfront to the suburb of St Heliers. It attracts many tens of thousands of people and has been an annual March event since 1972.
The Auckland Marathon (and half-marathon), an annual competition for thousands of enthusiasts.
Economy
Most major international corporations have an Auckland office, as the city is seen as the economic capital of the nation. The most expensive office space is around lower Queen Street and the Viaduct Basin in the Auckland CBD, where many financial and business services are located, which make up a large percentage of the CBD economy. A large proportion of the technical and trades workforce is based in the industrial zones of South Auckland.
The largest commercial and industrial areas of Greater Auckland are in the southeast of Auckland City as well as in the western parts of Manukau City, mostly in the areas oriented towards the Manukau Harbour and the Tamaki River estuary.
Auckland's status as the largest commercial centre of the county reflects in the high median personal income (per working person, per year) which was NZ$44,304 (approx. US$33,000) for the region in 2005, with jobs in the Auckland CBD often earning more. The median personal income (for all persons older than 15 years of age, per year) was NZ$22,300 (2001), behind only North Shore City (also part of the Greater Auckland area) and Wellington. While office workers still account for a large part of Auckland's commuters, large office developments in other parts of the city, for example in Takapuna or Albany, both North Shore City, are slowly becoming more common, reducing concentration on the Auckland CBD somewhat.
Education
Auckland has a number of important educational institutions, including some of the largest universities in the country. Auckland is also known to be a major centre of overseas language education, with large numbers of foreign students (particularly East Asians) coming to the city for several months or years to learn English or study at universities - although numbers New Zealand-wide have dropped substantially since peaking in 2003. As of 2007, there are around 50 NZQA certified schools and institutes teaching English in the Auckland area.
Auckland has a multitude of primary and secondary schools, with the Auckland (Boys') Grammar School, Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland Girls' Grammar School and the Epsom Girls' Grammar School being amongst the most famous.
Amongst the most important tertiary educational institutes are the University of Auckland (city and Tamaki Campus), Auckland University of Technology (city campus), Massey University (Albany campus) and the Manukau Institute of Technology (Otara campus), with Unitec New Zealand (Mt Albert campus) being the largest technical institute in Auckland.
Housing
Housing varies considerably between some suburbs having state owned housing in the lower income neighbourhoods, to palatial waterfront estates, especially on the Waitemata. The most common residence of Aucklanders is a bungalow on a 'quarter acre' (1,000 m²),
Transport
Travel modes
Road and rail
Auckland is highly dependent on private vehicles as the main form of transportation, with only around 5% of all journeys in the Auckland region being undertaken by bus. This results in substantial traffic congestion during peak times.
Bus services in Auckland are mostly radial rather than ring-routes, due to Auckland being on an isthmus. Late-night services (for example past midnight) are limited, even on weekends. Train services are mainly limited to some commuter services routes to the west and southeast of Auckland, with longer-distance options scarce. Currently (2007) approximately NZ$ 5.3 billion worth of large-scale projects are underway or planned (and budgeted for) in the Auckland area to improve rail and public transport patronage over the next decade, a share of 31% of the whole transport budget.
Other modes
Auckland's ports are the largest of the country, and a large part of both inbound and outbound New Zealand commerce travels through them, mostly via the facilities located to the northeast of the Auckland City CBD. Freight usually arrives / is distributed from the port via road, though the port facilities also have rail access. Auckland is also a major cruise ship stopover point, with the ships usually tying up at Princes Wharf. Auckland CBD is also connected to various outlying coastal suburbs, to North Shore City and to outlying islands by ferry.
Auckland has various small regional airports as well as Auckland International Airport, the busiest of the country.
Policies
Research at Griffith University has indicated that in the last 50 year, Auckland has engaged in some of the most pro-automobile transport policies anywhere in the world. With public transport use declining heavily in usage and provision during the second half of the 20th century (a trend mirrored in most Western countries such as the US), and increased spending on roads and cars, New Zealand (and specifically Auckland) now has the second-highest vehicle ownership rate in the world, with around 578 vehicles per 1000 people.
Infrastructure
The State Highway network connects the cities located in the Auckland urban area, the most frequently travelled being the Northern, Southern, Northwestern and Southwestern Motorways.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge (Northern Motorway) is the main connection to North Shore City, and also a major road bottleneck. The Central Motorway Junction, also called 'Spaghetti Junction' for its complexity, forms the intersection between the two major motorways of Auckland (State Highway 1 and State Highway 16) as well as connecting them to the surrounding parts of the city.
Two of the longest arterial roads within Greater Auckland are Great North Road and Great South Road - the main connections in those directions before the construction of the State Highway network.
Auckland has three main railway lines, serving the general western, southern, and central eastern directions from the Britomart Transport Centre. Located in downtown Auckland, it's the terminal station for all lines, and connects them to ferry and bus services.
Famous sites
The following is a list of tourist attractions and landmarks in the Auckland metropolitan area:
Attractions and Buildings
Auckland Civic Theatre - a famous heritage atmospheric theatre in downtown Auckland. It is still operating as a theatre and was recently renovated to its original condition.
Harbour Bridge - connecting Auckland and the North Shore, an iconic symbol of Auckland.
Auckland Town Hall - with its concert hall considered to have some of the finest acoustics in the world, this 1911 building serves both Council and entertainment functions.
Auckland War Memorial Museum - a large multi-exhibition museum in the Auckland Domain, known for its impressive neo-classicist style.
Aotea Square - the hub of downtown Auckland besides Queen Street, it's often the site of crafts markets, rallies or arts festivals.
Britomart Transport Centre - the main downtown public transport centre located in a historic Edwardian building.
Eden Park - the city's primary stadium and a frequent home for All Blacks rugby and Black Caps cricket matches.
Karangahape Road - known as "K' Road", a street in upper central Auckland famous for its bars, clubs and smaller shops.
Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World - a well-known aquarium in the eastern Mission Bay suburb, built in a set of former sewage storage tanks, and showing fish like sharks.
MOTAT - Auckland's Museum for Transport and Technology, at Western Springs.
Mt Smart Stadium - a stadium used mainly for rugby league and soccer matches. Also the site of many concerts.
Ponsonby - a suburb and main street west of central Auckland known for arts, cafes and culture.
Queen Street - the main street of the city, from Karangahape Road down to the harbour. Somewhat rundown, it's currently (2006-2008) undergoing extensive works.
Sky Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, it's 328 m tall and has excellent panoramic views.
Vector Arena - the recently completed new events centre in downtown Auckland. Holding 12,000 people, it can be used for sports and concert events.
Viaduct Basin - a marina and residential development in downtown Auckland, the venue for the America's Cup regattas in 2000 and 2003.
Western Springs Stadium - a natural amphitheatre used mainly for speedway races, rock and pop concerts.
Landmarks and Nature
Auckland Domain - one of the largest parks of the city, close to the CBD and having a good view of the harbour and of Rangitoto Island.
Mount Eden - a volcanic cone with a grassy crater. As the highest natural point in Auckland City, it offers 360-degree views of Auckland and is thus a favorite tourist outlook.
Mount Victoria - a volcanic cone in North Shore City offering a spectacular view of Auckland. A brisk walk from the Devonport ferry terminal, the cone is steeped in history, as is nearby North Head.
One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) - a volcanic cone that dominates the skyline in the southern, inner suburbs. It no longer has a tree on the summit (after a politically motivated attack on the old tree) but is still crowned by an obelisk.
Rangitoto Island - guards the entrance to Waitemata Harbour, and forms a prominent feature on the eastern horizon.
External results
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