Auckland, New Zealand

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The Auckland metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, 31 percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest of the country. Increasingly cosmopolitan, Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world, and has seen many people of Asian ethnicity move there in the last two decades. In Māori Auckland's name is Tāmaki-makau-rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.

The 2009 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Auckland 4th place in the world on its list. In 2008, Auckland was classified as an Alpha-City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory by Loughborough University.

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

Early Māori and Europeans

The isthmus was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many pā (fortified villages) were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks. Māori population in the area is estimated at about 20,000 people 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. On 27 January 1832, Joseph Brooks Weller, eldest

of the Weller brothers of Otago and Sydney bought land including the sites

of the modern cities of Auckland and North Shore and part of Rodney District

for "one large cask of powder" from "Cohi Rangatira".

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,

and named it after George Eden, Earl of Auckland, then Viceroy of India.

Auckland was officially declared New Zealand's capital in 1841, and the

transfer of the administration from Russell in the Bay of Islands was

completed in 1842. However, even in 1840 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,

and Wellington became the capital in 1865. Auckland was the principal city

of the Auckland Province until the provincial system was abolished in 1876.

Growth up to today

In the early 1860s, Auckland became a base against the Māori King Movement.

This, and continued road building towards the south into the Waikato,

enabled Pākehā (European New Zealanders) influence to spread from Auckland.

Its population 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 has not 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 dominated by a very suburban style of

building, giving the city a very low population density. Some services like

public transport are costlier than in other higher-density cities, but

Aucklanders are still able to live in single-family dwellings similar to the

rest of the New Zealand population, although lot sizes tend to be smaller

than many other centres.

Geography and climate

Auckland straddles the Auckland Volcanic Field, which has produced

approximately 50 volcanoes. These 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.

Unlike the explosive subduction-driven volcanism in the central North Island

such as at Mount Ruapehu and Lake Taupo, Auckland's volcanoes are fueled

entirely by basaltic magma. 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 two 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 are 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 is also one

of the sunniest, with an average of 2060 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 32.4 °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 temperature

records exist, such as a maximum of 34°C in west Auckland. On 27 July 1939

Auckland received its only recorded snowfall.

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 used this time of

day to walk and run in parks.

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.

[edit] Lifestyle

Positive aspects of Auckland life are its mild climate, plentiful employment

and educational opportunities, as well as numerous leisure facilities.

Meanwhile, traffic problems, the lack of good public transport, and

increasing housing costs have been cited by many Aucklanders as among the

strongest negative factors of living there, together with crime. Nonetheless

Auckland currently ranks 4th equal in a survey of the quality of life of

215 major cities of the world (2009 data). 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. Around 60,500 of

the country's 149,900 registered yachtsmen come from the Auckland Region.

Viaduct Basin also hosted two America's Cup challenges (2000 Cup and 2003

Cup), and its cafes, restaurants, and clubs add to Auckland's vibrant

nightlife. With the sheltered Waitemata Harbour at its doorstep, Auckland

sees many nautical events, and there are also a large number of sailing

clubs in Auckland, as well as Westhaven Marina, the largest of the Southern

Hemisphere.

High Street, Queen Street, Ponsonby Road, and Karangahape Road are very

popular with urban socialites. Newmarket and Parnell are up-market shopping

areas, while Otara's and Avondale's fleamarkets offer a colourful

alternative shopping experience. Newer shopping malls tend to be outside

city centres, with Sylvia Park (Sylvia Park, Auckland City), Botany Town

Centre (Howick, Manukau City) and Westfield Albany (Albany, North Shore

City) being the three largest.

The Waitemata Harbour has popular swimming beaches at Mission Bay, Devonport

Takapuna, and the west coast has popular surf spots such as Piha and

Muriwai. Many Auckland beaches are patrolled by surf lifesaving clubs, which

are part of Surf Life Saving Northern Region.

Sport

The most popular sports in Auckland are rugby union and cricket. Auckland

has a considerable number of rugby union and cricket grounds, and venues for

motorsports, tennis, badminton, netball, swimming, soccer, rugby league, and

many other sports.

Economy

Most major international corporations have an Auckland office, as the city

is 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 and the western parts of Manukau City, mostly

bordering the Manukau Harbour and the Tamaki River estuary.

Housing

Housing varies considerably between some suburbs having state owned housing

in the lower income neighbourhoods, to palatial waterfront estates,

especially on the Waitemata. Traditionally, the most common residence of

Aucklanders was a bungalow on a 'quarter acre' (1,000 m²), however

subdividing such properties with 'infill housing', has long been the norm.

Aucklanders' housing preferences resulting from a lack of apartments and

poor public transport has resulted in a large urban sprawl and reliance on

motor vehicles. This will probably continue, as the vast majority of

Aucklanders live in low-density housing, which is expected to remain at up

to 70% of the total share even in 2050.

In some areas, the Victorian villas are being increasingly torn down to make way for large plaster mansions with tennis courts and swimming pools. The demolition of the older properties is being combated by the Auckland City Council passing laws that cover heritage suburbs or streets. Auckland has been described as having 'the most extensive range of timbered housing with its classical details and mouldings in the world', many of them Victorian-Edwardian style houses.