On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Paul in St. Augustine
I visited Auckland for a couple of days in 2002. At the time, the America’s Cup racers were training in Auckland Harbor.
The Sky Tower is the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere, In addition to broadcasting television and radio signals, there is an observation deck at the top of the tower, which provided the vantage point for some of the pictures that follow. You also have the opportunity to bungee jump off the top of the tower, if you are wont to do so.
Preparation for the 2003 Louis Vitton Cup was underway in the Hauraki Gulf. Craig Mccaw, who helped start the cell phone industry, owned one of the racing boats, named One World.
Oracle’s Larry Ellison also had a boat in the competition. His crew eventually lost the Cup race to the Swiss challenger Alinghi, which happened to be skippered by the Kiwi Russell Coutts. Ellison’s yacht is the white vessel.
New Zealand won the first of it’s four America’s Cup trophies in 1995. I had the opportunity to spend half a day on one of the boats, NZL 40.
Once away from the dock, raising the sail is accomplished by crew members designated as ‘grinders’.
Mission accomplished.
The Auckland skyline from Auckland Harbor.
The Auckland Harbour bridge. What makes this different than most bridges like this you are familiar with? You can give the AJ Hackett Bungy company your money, and they will allow you to either bungee jump off the bottom of the bridge (about 130 feet), or walk under, around, and above the traffic along the very top of the bridge.
eclare
Looks like it was a great time!
YY_Sima Qian
The best fried calamari I have ever had was at a restaurant in Auckland. Lovely city!
arrieve
I spent one day in Auckland at the end of an eight day trip through the country and would love to go back. I used to think I might not make it back to New Zealand because it’s so ridiculously far away, but now that feels like such an advantage.
Thanks for sharing!
randy khan
Hard no on the bungee jumping.
It must have been fun to see all of the America’s Cup boats, and to get to be on one would have been a real thrill.
stinger
What interesting photos! And no thanks to AJ Hackett for the kind offer!
Doug
@randy khan: Guy goes bungee jumping, once he’s tied up and everything the attendant asks if he wants the scary version or the really scary version. Guy figures what the heck, “Give me the really scary version.” Attendant says ok, I’ll count to three and then I want you to jump.
“One … two … three”
<jumps>
“NO WAIT STOP DON’T”
Betty
Another place we can long to visit some day. How nice to be there with the yachts.
Dan B
McCain is another Seattle area billionaire. The opera house is named after the family. Rumor has it they’re nasty people. No income tax in WA and the most regressive taxation in the nation.
New Zealand seems like a paradise, with some problems, and bonkers bungee jumpers.