AUCKLAND 's urban sprawl
completely smothers the North
Island's wasp waist, a narrow
isthmus where the island is all but
severed by river estuaries probing
inland from the city's two harbours.
To the west, the shallow and silted
Manukau
Harbour opens out onto the
Tasman Sea at a rare break in the
long string of black-sand beaches
continually pounded by heavy surf.
Maori named the eastern anchorage
the
Waitemata Harbour for its
"sparkling waters", which
constitute Auckland's deep water
port and a focus for the heart of
the city. Every summer weekend the
harbour and adjoining Hauraki Gulf
explode into a riot of brightly-coloured
sails.
There could hardly be a more
appropriate venue for the Americas
Cup , which was held in the
Hauraki Gulf with great fanfare over
the summer of 1999-2000
. Team New Zealand's emphatic
victory brings the event back to the
Waitemata Harbour over the summer of
2002-2003, and with the
infrastructure now firmly in place -
there seem to be pavement cafés and
trendy restaurants everywhere -
Auckland seems set to consolidate
its position as New Zealand's most
progressive city. Despite Auckland's
cosmopolitan bustle and harbourside
setting, few fall in love with the
city on short acquaintance or stick
around long enough to scratch below
the surface. Those who persist might
just find themselves as enthusiastic
about the place as Aucklanders.
The City
Auckland's city centre clings to the
southern shores of the Waitemata
Harbour , with Queen Street , the
main drag, striking south through a
downbeat business district largely
sustained by banks and insurance
companies, as the...
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