As you’d expect from a city with two harbours, endless parks, volcanic cones, and many nearby islands, Auckland looks pretty good from the air.
Trickier than you’d expect though to get good views of Auckland from the air. The airport is south of the city, as are most destinations for regional flights, flights from Australia tend to follow the West Coast before turning at the head of the Manukau Habour, and long haul international flights often leave or land in darkness at the start or end of the day.
Most of these photos were taken flying to and from Great Barrier Island in a rather small plane.
The lovely Eastern Bays – Orakei, Mission Bay and Kohi, 15 mins from the CBD
Auckland CBD and Hobson Bay
Penrose, 15 mins from the CBD, the start of industrial Auckland
Mangere Mountain, aptly named volcano
Meadowbank to the Eastern Bays
Hamlin Hill Regional Park, little visited oasis of greenery in Penrose
Manukau Memorial Gardens, future proofed cemetry
Tahuna Torea Nature Reserve and Bucklands Beach
Managere Watercare Treatment Plant and Puketutu Island
Auckland by day…
…and by night
Browns Island, a small volcanic cone, start of islands in the Hauraki Gulf
Rangitoto, a rather larger volcano
Right next to but not quite joined to Motutapu
Motutapu
Motuihe Island
Waiheke Island
