Tumeke (Awesome)

Auckland on $10 or less

An A - Z of Auckland on $10 or less ..... (Updated January 2010)

(For more Auckland attractions & day trip suggestions click here)

Ambury Regional Park, 20 minutes south of down town Auckland
Visit this small working farm for free and get up close to dairy cows, sheep, pigs, turkeys etc. There are two short walks, a BBQ and camping facilities. Camping charges are $5 per person, per night and a permit is required. It's a convenient place to camp if you need to get to/from the airport. Visit  www.arc.govt.nz/parks for directions and information on how to obtain a camping permit.

Auckland Luge, 2102 East Coast Road, Silverdale
www.aucklandluge.co.nz
Ride a luge for $7, see the website for super specials including Twilight riding Friday and Saturday nights. Open Friday & Saturday, 10am - 10pm and Sunday 10am - 6pm (weather permitting).

Auckland Symphony Orchestra FREE Family Concerts in May, August, November and December 2010. See www.aucklandsymphony.gen.nz for details and other upcoming concerts.

Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Domain
www.aucklandmuseum.com
Visit the museum, suggested donation $5.  Open Mon – Sun 10am-5pm.

Auckland Writers & Readers Festival (12-16 May 2010)
www.aucklandcity.govt.nz
Click the above link to view the FREE events that took place in 2009, it's likely similar events will be offered in 2010.


BBQ your sausages for free on a sunny Auckland evening. Get a “Park BBQs in Auckland City” brochure from an Information Centre or check out www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/outdoors.

Book lovers who like books and coffee will enjoy a visit to the restored Carnegie Free Library that is now The Library Cafe (with a reading lounge attached) at 55 Princes Street, Onehunga. www.librarycafe.co.nz

Breakfast - Wake up with a cup of coffee and a croissant ($5) at stylish Kermadec in Viaduct Harbour. Alternatively, head to Soul Bar & Bistro www.soulbar.co.nz (opens 11am). Viaduct Harbour has over 20 bars, cafes and restaurants that look out over a marina. The New Zealand National Maritime Museum is located here and boat excursions including dolphin and whale safaris depart daily. It's a short walk to Queen Street, Britomart Transport Centre and the ferry terminal.

Dessert
Chocolate Boutique Café, Shop 1, 323 Parnell Road, Parnell
www.chocolateboutique.co.nz
Treat yourself to a mug of hot chocolate or a sweet dessert at this delightful cafe, given the very reasonable prices you may well be able to buy both for $10. Open from 11am til 10pm, 7 days. To find more chocolate shops in Auckland and around the country visit our Chocolate Directory.

Ellerslie races
www.ellerslie.co.nz
Fancy a day at the horse races?  Ellerslie is New Zealand’s premier racecourse and hosts 26 meetings a year. Confirm race dates and admission fees (often free) on the website. If you are in Auckland in March check the website for Auckland Cup Week events.

Email - check it for free on a library computer. Use the Internet for 20 minutes for free at the Auckland City Library, 44-46 Lorne Street. Look for the red couch on the ground floor, no booking required, join the queue on the couch. Free Wifi (100MB limit per day) is also available at most Auckland libraries. www.aucklandcitylibraries.com

Ferry
www.fullers.co.nz
Catch a Fullers ferry from down town Auckland and cross the harbour to Devonport ($10 return or $6 return if you can get a super saver fare online at Fullers).  www.devonport.co.nz will help you decide what to do while you’re there … sample Devonport chocolates, browse through the old book shops or climb Mt Victoria. Auckland Discovery Pass - buy this pass for $14 and use it to get to Devonport on the ferry and out and about around Auckland on buses and trains. The Discovery Pass is good value - visit www.maxx.co.nz for more information.

Food - Eat out on $10
Bolliwood Restaurant, 110 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
www.bolliwood.co.nz
Bolliwood offers a $10 lunch special that includes curry, naan and beverage.

Brew on Quay, corner Quay Street & Britomart Place
www.brewonquay.co.nz
Brew on Quay have a $10 express lunch menu available every day in March. They also stock beer from around the world.

City Farmers Market, Britomart, city
www.cityfarmersmarket.co.nz
Have breakfast at the City Farmers Market or collect the ingredients to prepare a fresh feast. Saturdays 8.30am–12.30pm.

Fish 'n chips
Mission Bay Fisheries, Atkin Avenue (next to Sage Italian restaurant), Mission Bay
Pick up some fish 'n chips and head over to the beach in Mission Bay. Add some Maori kai (food) by including some kumara (sweet potato) hot chips. Hours: Monday & Tuesday, 4pm-9pm; Wednesday - Sunday 11am-10pm.

Food Alley, 9 Albert Street, city
Chow down at Food Alley - Winner Metro magazine Best Cheap Eats 2008, 3 x Metro winner of Best Food Hall. Open 10.30am – 10.30pm.

Food for Life, Hare Krishna Restaurant, 268 Karangahape Road, city
A cheap combo at Food for Life includes dhal soup, rice and a curry. Open Monday - Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 11am-2pm.

Fritz's Wieners, Quay Street, city
www.fritzswieners.co.nz
Fritz and his wieners have headed north - grab a take away German style hot dog for around $5.

Genzui Ramen Bar, 21-25 Elliott Street (Level 4), city
www.atriumonelliott.co.nz
Try out the teriyaki chicken for $9 or tofu steak for $7. The stylish Genzui Ramen Bar is open Monday - Friday, 11.30am - 10pm; Saturday and Sunday, 6pm - 10pm. It is located opposite the entrance to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. See the website for the other eating/drinking options in the light and bright food court located on the lower floors of the Atrium on Elliott - Gourmet Thai and Banana Leaf (Malaysian) also offer meals for under $10.

Hansan Vietnamese
Pho and noodle soups ($8-9), Vietnamese chicken salad $7, shrimp and pork rolls $4. Hansan's is so popular it now has three locations - 525 Ellerslie Panmure Highway, Mt Wellington; 55 Nuffield Street, Newmarket; 31 Link Park Drive, Wairau Park.

il buco, 113 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
www.ilbuco.co.nz
This small pizzeria and cafe serves pizza by the slice for $5 and biscotti made by a chef who once worked for Madonna. If you can't find a seat inside you can take a walk down the road to Western Park. Open Monday - Saturday.

Joy Bong Thai Restaurant, 531 Karangahape Road, central city
www.joybong.co.nz
Pick up a Thai Express Noodle Box and drink for $10 from the takeaway window on Hereford Street. Available 11.30am - 2pm.

Masala Indian Restaurants
$10 lunch special (see "Indian curry" below).

Moksha Indian Restaurant, 5 Short Street, Newmarket
www.moksharestaurant.co.nz
Moksha offers an lunch buffet for $10, Monday-Friday.

Ponsonby International Foodcourt, 106 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
www.ponsonbyfoodcourt.co.nz
The taste of Asia is prominent here, there's also a licensed bar. Dishes from $7.50. Open 7 days, 10am-10pm. Metro magazine chose this foodcourt as the "Best Foodcourt" in Auckland for 2009.

Gelato – Taste before you buy at Casa del Gelato, 288 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby (or at their new store in Mt Eden village). Vegan friendly options available. Take the opportunity to wander down Ponsonby Road, a favourite meeting place for Auckland's latte lovers. Western Park (photo below) is a good spot for a picnic, it is opposite Cafe Byzantium, 80 Ponsonby Road. Ponsonby Road is around 1.7kms of cafes, bars, book shops, homeware stores, clothing stores and other retail outlets, to take a virtual tour check out www.ponsonby.org.nz.

Get Active in Auckland - there are more than 450 parks and reserves and over 20 free public tennis courts. Visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz for more information. There are also 500kms of walking and tramping tracks and 100km of coastline. Check out www.arc.govt.nz.


Head to Albert Park, the inner city garden where you can rest in the shade of an old oak tree or work out those leg muscles after days on the road. Pick up a cheap lunch or snack from nearby Hollywood Bakery Cafe, 54 High Street.


Indian curry
www.masalarestaurant.co.nz
Masala Indian Restaurant
$10 lunch special, dine in only, 7 days a week, includes any curry, rice, naan plus your choice of beverage. $10 mains are also available Monday - Wednesday nights (dine in only). Restaurants located in Birkenhead, Mission Bay, Pukekohe & Whangaparaoa. We highly recommend Masala, Mission Bay for service, setting and excellent value.

Jump on the City Circuit Bus for a free ride. The bus runs every 10 minutes from 8am - 6pm, 7 days. Visit www.maxx.co.nz for more information.

Kete of Kiwi Kai aka Basket of Kiwi Food
Fill a kete at a local supermarket for $10. Select a couple of kiwifruit, hokey pokey ice cream, a kilo of mussels and a Ponsonby Pie. Add a packet of jaffas if you’ve got change. 

Kite Flying
Buy a kite on the beach in Mission Bay on a fine windy weekend. Climb the steps close by on Tamaki Drive to the top of Bastion Point to fly it high or launch it off the beach. (To get to Bastion Point from Mission Bay head along Tamaki Drive in the direction of Burger King and continue on until you reach a bus stop, behind the bus stop are steps and a path to Bastion Point).

Lantern Festival (26 - 28 February)
www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events
Celebrate Chinese New Year in inner city Auckland with lovely lanterns, food stalls, fireworks and more. (Free)

Matariki Festival (Maori New Year)
www.matarikifestival.org.nz
Auckland celebrates Maori New Year with a range of events and activities including tree planting, craft workshops and cultural performances. Many activities and events are free. In 2010 the celebrations will run from 14 June to 14 July.

Mini Golf
Lilliputt Mini Golf, 3 Tamaki Drive, Orakei
www.lilliputt.co.nz
Try for a hole in one at Lilliputt 18 hole mini golf located on the waterfront, a couple of minutes drive from down town Auckland. First round $10, second round $5. Open from 10am, 7 days. Add a few dollars to your tenner and you can also play mini golf at www.albanyminigolf.co.nz, www.piratesisland.co.nz and if glow in the dark golf sounds like fun then check out www.transylvania.co.nz.

Movies
Catch a movie on Tuesdays for $10.00
www.skycitycinemas.co.nz (various Auckland locations)
www.lido.co.nz -  427 Manukau Road, Epsom
www.rialto.co.nz – Newmarket
www.bcg.net.nz – Berkeley cinemas - Mission Bay, Botany Downs, Takapuna & Hibiscus Coast

Music
Cock & Bull English pubs
www.cockandbull.co.nz
Get a free live band with your beverage at one of the Cock & Bull English pubs. Visit the website for their gig guide.

The Groove Guide
www.grooveguide.co.nz
To see what's free and happening around Auckland's music venues look out for the free weekly nationwide groove guide. Another website worth checking out is www.mukuna.co.nz - it loads fast and lists lots of free gigs.
 
The Ivory Lounge, 421 Parnell Road, Parnell
www.ivorylounge.co.nz
Entertainment is free at this piano bar, check the website for their Summer Season of entertainment. Open Monday - Saturday from 4pm.

The Kings Arms, 59 France Street, city
www.kingsarms.co.nz
The Kings Arms has been around since 1880 and has live music most nights of the week. The pub isn't swanky but most people are there for the entertainment. Gigs come cheap, a few months back we saw Masters of Metal for $10 which included a knock out performance by Labretta Suede & The Motel 6. Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 are currently touring in the USA and have secured a record deal so you might just see some hot talent on the rise at The Kings Arms.


New Zealand Writers - Pick up a copy of “The Six Pack” – six winning stories by New Zealand writers for $6. (Three editions have been published: Six Pack 1, '06; Six Pack 2, '07 & Six Pack 3, '08. There will be no Six Pack in '09). Buy your copy from Borders book store on Queen Street or at Borders Sylvia Park shopping centre and head to the in-store Gloria Jeans café and settle in for a Kiwi read. If you can't find a Six Pack, Borders seem to be happy for customers to take magazines and books into Gloria Jeans cafe, if you don't pick up any yourself there will probably be a selection on the cafe tables.

Nothing – that’s what it costs for WiFi at Esquires Coffee House at 215 Parnell Road. Upmarket Parnell Road is lined with charming old buildings, many of them are occupied by cafes, restaurants and art outlets. The Link Bus will take you there and if you want a piece of quiet walk to the Parnell Rose Gardens on Gladstone Road. www.parnell.net.nz

On Ya Bike
http://www.nextbike.co.nz
Head round the bays on a bike. Ride in the designated cycle lane that runs all the way from Quay Street in the city to St Heliers. Casual riders pay $4 per hour and up to $16 for 24 hours. (Please note: Next bikes are stored over winter - available from October).

Outdoor movies - Free movies on inflatable screens in Auckland parks. Check the website for times, locations and screenings - www.openair.co.nz. Also visit the Movies in Parks section of www.musicinparks.co.nz for summer screenings that are preceded by live music.

Parking a vehicle in Auckland can cost as much as a night out. For excellent value weekend parking in the central city head to the Viaduct and pay $6 for up to 24 hours. (If the Maritime Museum is on your right as you enter you are going in the right direction). Do a good deed and pass your ticket on to someone else as you leave if there is still time remaining.

Pasifika Festival (March)
www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events/pasifika
Your chance to find out about the many cultures of the Pacific. Sample food, watch dance demonstrations and learn about Pacific art. (Free)   

Photography Festival (4 June - 27 June 2010)
www.photographyfestival.org.nz
Visit a range of free photography exhibitions at various venues around Auckland. Look out for a festival brochure or view the calendar of events online.

Picnic
Buy a large bottle of L&P or a cheap bottle of NZ wine on special from a supermarket, add some cheese and bread and have a picnic. Head for the inner city hills for good views - Bastion Point, Orakei; the Parnell Rose Gardens or one of Auckland’s volcanic cones like Mt Eden.

Q & A
Get a small group of travellers together and enter a quiz for free at one of Auckland’s pubs, eg. Cock & Bull or Dogs Bollix. Bar tabs for the winners, see their websites for further details. www.cockandbull.co.nz & www.dogsbollix.co.nz

Rock, Blues, Jazz and Reggae are four types of music you will hear at the Music In Parks events that run from January until the end of March. Each Sunday listen to jazz in the Band Rotunda in Auckland Domain. In 2010 the jazz concerts start on Sunday 10 January and finish on Sunday 28 March.


Swimming Pools
Olympic Swimming Pools, 77 Broadway, Newmarket
Parnell Saltwater Pools, Judges Bay Road, Parnell
Tepid Baths, Custom Street, city
Take a dip in any one of these pools for less than $10. Auckland’s numerous beaches free.

Swim in any of the seven swimming pools in Manukau City FREE - www.manukauleisure.co.nz/pool

Themed bars
The Attic Bar & Restaurant, 55 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay
The Attic opened its red door and rolled out the red carpet at the end of June. Head upstairs for coffee ($4.50), beer or wine ($8+), bar snacks ($5+). The attic theme is prominent and is carried around to a seating area with book lined walls and other bits and pieces you might find in an ancient aunt's attic. Open Tuesday - Sunday.

Lenin Bar, Princes Wharf, city
A Russian theme bar with plush booths inside, plenty of seating outside and of course, vodka. If you're thinking of rugging up for the Minus 5 ice experience get a sneak preview through the window that joins Lenin and Minus 5.

Please note: Shanghai Lil's is currently closed (March 2010) but it will be moved to a temporary location, we'll let you know when it's open for business again.

Tramping

Unique gifts can be found in the city on Karangahape Road (K Road for short). Visit Buana Satu at 229 for Polynesian inspired wares and Third Eye at 177 for Indian inspired clothing and jewellery. K Road is Auckland's red light district by night, bars and clubs are open late and by day you will find an eclectic mix of cafes and shops. www.kroad.com will tell you more about what's going down on K Road. Free heritage walks are available by appointment all summer long, visit the Events section of the K' Road website.

Vulcan Lane – Located near the bottom of Queen Street Vulcan Lane is car free and home to some of Auckland’s heritage buildings. Have a drink in Auckland’s oldest bar – Queens Ferry Hotel or order a coffee from one of the street side cafes like Spanish themed Tasca.

Walk Auckland – Pick up a Coast to Coast Walkway information sheet from an Auckland Visitor Centre that provides a map and details about the walk from The Viaduct to Onehunga (16km / 4 hours) or visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz for more details and to find out about other walkways in Auckland.

North Shore Literary Walks - Literary walks around Devonport, Takapuna and Castor Bay. Get a copy of the guide from a Visitor Information Centre or view it here - www.northshorecity.govt.nz.

Walk of Art - Art enthusiasts can take a walk of art through a selection of galleries in the central city. Pick up a brochure from the New Gallery, cnr Lorne & Wellesley Streets (the main Auckland Art Gallery is currently closed for development).

Waterfront walk - Walk alongside the Waitemata Harbour from Quay Street in the city to Mission Bay (6.3 kms), add another 3kms to get to St Heliers beach via Kohimarama. Buses drive this route frequently to get you to/from the city if need be. (Toilets and drinking fountains are available in Okahu Bay, Mission Bay, Kohimarama and St Heliers).

Xmas Lights, Franklin Road, Ponsonby
Each year many of the residents of Franklin Road in Ponsonby light up their homes and gardens to celebrate Christmas. It's well worth visiting Franklin Road to see the festive display of lights, the Link Bus will drop you close by if you don't have transport. The lights are switched on 1 December. If you stay at Ponsonby Backpackers the lights are on your door step.

You might find what you’re looking for at one of Auckland’s many markets:

Avondale - Avondale Racecourse, Ash Street. Sunday 6am - 12pm
An Asian and Pacific influenced market selling fruit, veges, clothing, odds and ends.

City Designers Market, cnr High St & Freyberg Pl, city
www.citydesignersmarket.co.nz
Meet local jewellery and fashion designers and browse their wares at this small indoor market held on Fridays, 10am-6pm and Saturdays, 10am-5pm. You probably won't find anything for $10 but you will find unique jewellery and NZ flavoured t-shirts for around $40.

Zzzz – catch some zzzs in an Auckland Regional Council Park. Pitch your tent ($10 per person) and camp in Wenderholm Regional Park north of Auckland. While you're there take the opportunity to explore Orewa, Puhoi and surrounds. Visit www.arc.govt.nz/parks for more information and other camping options. Orewa has a beautiful long stretch of sand ideal for walking and swimming and the Orewa Beach Top 10 Holiday Park (cheapest sites around $36 for two) is next to the beach and close to the town centre. Puhoi was settled by Bohemians in 1863 and still retains a small village feel. You can have a Devonshire Cream Tea at the Puhoi Cottage Tearooms for $10, visit the small Bohemian Museum ($3) or have a cold one at The Puhoi Pub & Bistro, a popular meeting place for leather clad bikers and open from 11am.

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