Auckland New Zealand
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, built across a narrow isthmus between two harbours and dotted with the cones of around fifty extinct volcanoes. Roughly a third of the country lives here. For a conference visit the useful thing to know is that the central business district is small and walkable, running downhill from Karangahape Road to the waterfront in about twenty minutes, with the convention centre and most of the hotels inside that triangle.
It is also a long way from almost everywhere. Flights from Europe run 24 hours or more with at least one stop, and from North America around 13 hours from the west coast. That makes Auckland a trip you build around rather than drop into, and it is worth adding days at either end rather than flying that distance for a four-day conference.
- Waiheke Island - 40 minutes by ferry, and the best day trip from the city: vineyards, beaches and coastal walks. Easily the thing to do with a spare day.
- Auckland War Memorial Museum - the Maori and Pacific collections are the reason to go, and the building sits in the Domain, a short walk from the centre.
- Sky Tower - the observation deck gives you the whole isthmus and both harbours at once, which makes the city’s geography suddenly make sense.
- Devonport - a 12-minute ferry to a Victorian seaside village with two volcanic cones to climb for harbour views.
- Rangitoto Island - the youngest volcano in the field, erupted about 600 years ago, an hour’s climb across black lava from the ferry wharf.
- Karangahape Road - the bar and restaurant strip at the top of the city, a ten-minute uphill walk from the convention centre.
Auckland Airport (AKL) is 21 km south of the centre and is the country’s main international gateway. There is no train; the options are the SkyDrive express bus to the city centre in about 40 minutes, a taxi or rideshare in 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic, or the slower public bus. Budget an hour at peak times. Domestic connections to Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown run constantly from the adjacent domestic terminal, which is a short walk or shuttle from international arrivals.
The central city is walkable and that is how most attendees will get to the convention centre. For anything further, get an AT HOP card, which covers buses, trains and ferries and is substantially cheaper than paying cash. The ferry terminal at the bottom of Queen Street is the departure point for Devonport and Waiheke Island and is worth a trip in itself. Driving in the centre is not necessary and parking is expensive; the city is also notorious for motorway congestion at peak times, which matters mainly for airport runs.
Remember the hemisphere. Late September and October, when MICCAI runs, is early spring: around 15 to 18C, often sunny but genuinely changeable, and Aucklanders will tell you the city can produce four seasons in a day. Bring a waterproof layer regardless of the forecast. December to February is summer and the peak season for both weather and prices, with the city emptying out over the Christmas and New Year fortnight. June to August is winter: mild by northern standards, around 10 to 15C, wet, and the cheapest time to come.
Map
1 upcoming conference in Auckland
Auckland is straightforward: the New Zealand International Convention Centre is on Hobson Street in the middle of the CBD, and everything we list is within 800 m of it. The convention centre adjoins the SkyCity complex, so the SkyCity Hotel at 168 m and The Grand by SkyCity at 203 m are effectively on site and the obvious picks if you want to roll out of bed into a session. The Grand Millennium on Mayoral Drive is 429 m away and has a pool; the Holiday Inn Express on Albert Street is 462 m and the best value of the mid-range options; and Haka House on Turner Street is the hostel at 770 m, uphill towards the university, which suits students and longer stays. The CBD is lively but not especially charming; if you want character over convenience, Ponsonby and Parnell are both a short bus ride out and have the better restaurants. Rates climb over the southern summer and during the big stadium events, so book ahead.
Our picks in Auckland
A curated selection of hotels chosen for location, value, and fit for conference travellers.
Grand Millennium Auckland
71 Mayoral Drive, Auckland 1010
Large four-star on Mayoral Drive with an indoor pool, 429 m from the convention centre and a short walk from the Aotea...
Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre
58 Albert Street, Auckland 1010
Reliable mid-range hotel on Albert Street, 462 m from the convention centre and close to the waterfront. Good value for attendees on...
SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Corner Victoria and Federal Streets, Auckland 1010
Hotel inside the SkyCity complex beside the Sky Tower, 168 m from the convention centre and the closest bed to the venue....
The Grand by SkyCity
90 Federal Street, Auckland 1010
The upmarket half of the SkyCity complex, 203 m from the convention centre, with a spa and larger rooms. Best for attendees...
Haka House Auckland City
5 Turner Street, Auckland 1010
Hostel on Turner Street with a large shared kitchen and curtained bunks, 770 m uphill from the convention centre towards the university....
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