How to Get Around in Auckland

Victoria Street from Kitchener Road.

When I was still choosing where to study in New Zealand, I took into consideration the terrain because I had planned to commute by bike. I read somewhere that Wellington was very hilly (and windy!), so even if I got accepted to the public policy program of Victoria University, I chose to study in Auckland instead. I assumed that the latter was flat and conducive to cycling. Well, as you can see in the above photo, Auckland CBD is NOT flat. It is hilly as well--at least within the vicinity of the University of Auckland-City Campus! 

You see, Auckland Uni sits on a hill alongside Albert Park, so any commute to or from the campus would require an uphill battle. If, for example, you'd like to go to Queen street, then you walk (or bike) down this street (Victoria Street). Want to get back to campus? Then you have to walk (or bike) back up. Going to Britomart? Same thing. Parnell? The same! Newmarket? Worse, you climb further up the street! I tried commuting by bike for a month and it just wasn't worth it. It was easier to walk.

Which brings me to the topic for this post, "How to get around in Auckland." The short answer is: WALK. Campus is near the central business district. It's just a 10 minute walk to Queen Street (750m). While Britomart is 15 minutes away (1 km). Malapit lang ang campus sa kainan, sinehan at supermarket. Walking is free, and you get to exercise.

Now if you have to go out of the CBD, then that's a different story. Here are your commuting alternatives:

BUS

If you wish to go to places a bit far to walk to (say, 3 to 5 kms away) like Ponsonby or Cornwall Park, then you could ride the bus. They're efficient and convenient. But let me caution you if you are used to bus travel in Manila. Buses here in Auckland drop and pick-up passengers only at designated bus stops. Which means hindi uubra yung pagpara kung saan saan. Magagalit yung tsuper. Trust me. It happened to me quite a few times. Also, buses here run on schedule. Sometimes every 10 minutes (during peak hours). Sometimes as long as 30 minutes or even up to an hour. You can get a printed timetable of your bus at Britomart. Bus stops also have their own timetables posted so you'd know when the next bus will arrive. The fares are kinda expensive here. NZ$1.90 (PhP65.00) for the Inner Link bus to go to Ponsonby. And NZ$3.40 (PhP115.00) for the Outer Link bus to go to Balmoral or Mount Eden. You pay in cash or HOP Card (pictured below).

Above is the HOP Card for buses. Below is the AT Card for trains and ferries.

I suggest you get a HOP card because you can apply for tertiary student discount. They're available at Britomart. The HOP card works like any public transport card, which you can load money into.

TRAIN

Train approaching the Sylvia Park Station

If you are travelling further out (more than 5kms away from the CBD) like Onehunga or Sylvia Park, then you can ride the train. The main train station is at Britomart, which is a 15 minute walk from campus. The trains here are like our LRT and MRT trains, only slower. They're supposed to be efficient and on time, but I find them to run a bit late. Also, recently (2013) they've been suspending train services during the weekends, which is a turn-off. Fares range between NZ$1.90 (PhP65.00) for a single trip to Newmarket (Stage 1) and NZ$4.50 (PhP$150) for a single trip to Onehunga (Stage 3). You can purchase train tickets at the station paying in cash or EFPOS, or use an AT Card. Like the one for buses, I recommend getting an AT Card because you can avail of the tertiary student discount. The NZ$1.90 fare becomes NZ$1.17, while the NZ$4.50 is reduced to NZ$2.92. Hey, a discount is a discount! 

For added convenience, Auckland Transport (AT) developed a journey planner App! Just type where you are and where you want to go, and the app will tell you what bus stop or train station to go to, the number of the bus or train, how long it will take, and calculate your fare. It's a great app! I wish we had one for Metro Manila.

AT Public Transport app. Downloadable at the App Store.

The only problem of the train system here in Auckland (aside from being a bit tardy) is its limited coverage. Konti pa lang kasi ang stations. For instance, there's no train service to the North Shore.

FERRY

Ferry Terminal at Devonport.

If you'd like to visit the North Shore, Devonport to be specific, which is across the harbour, then you can ride the ferry. Ferries here are clean and reliable. Plus they offer a great view of the CBD from the sea. A single trip to Devonport costs NZ$6.00 (PhP200.00)--round-trip would be NZ$11.00 (PhP370.00). You can purchase tickets at the ferry terminal paying in cash or EFPOS, or use an AT Card. Like all forms of public transportation here, the ferries run on schedule. For more information on bus, train and ferry services, visit www.maxx.co.nz.

TAXI
They have taxis over here but they are very expensive. So unless the bus or train are not available, then avoid taking the taxi. Flag down is NZ$3.00 (PhP100.00), but then every kilometer is NZ$2.60 (PhP90.00)! A ride to Cornwall Park (just 5 kms from campus) can cost you NZ$20.00! Let the taxi be your last resort.

BIKE

Photo does not show yung paghingal ko to get to the top of Mt Victoria.

If you love cycling and you are a strong cyclist, then go ahead and ride your bike! Lots of people do that here. Although there are no dedicated bike lanes on the streets, most intersections have bike boxes in front of the line. You can go on multi-modal commutes as both trains and ferries allow bikes on board.

There are numerous places to park and lock your bike around the city.

Again, Auckland CBD is not flat. If you have weak legs like me, then it might be challenging for you to bike. But if you enjoy cycling up to Tagaytay, then Auckland will be a walk in the park.

CAR

Here I am driving a rental.

Finally, you can drive a car. Second-hand cars come very cheap here. You can buy one for as low as NZ$1,000.00 (PhP34,000.00). And, according to my friend, it's very easy to transfer car ownership here in New Zealand. But let me warn you, driving here can be a bit tricky for Filipinos. They follow the British traffic system here, so they drive on the left side of the road. Familiarize yourself with their traffic rules, like who goes first at a roundabout (rotunda) before attempting to drive as Kiwis are known to have short tempers behind the wheel.

That's it. I wish this post was helpful. Ingat sa biyahe!