This bus right here is the bus service for the lazy and the ones that aren't willing to walk from…read moreBritomart to K Road. Sometimes ain't nobody got time to walk up and down Queen Street. I catch this bus when I have time because believe it or not the bus service can actually delay you. Those damned traffic lights that always favour the passengers cause the bus to travel slow. But if you have time and aren't in a hurry then take the bus. It travels from Britomart up Queen Street to Kroad then another travels from Wynard Quarter to Britomart up Queen Street to K Road.

Our hotel was a walking distance from the ferry terminal. Really nice to stroll around. We boarded…read morethe Fullers 360 to Waiheke Island. The information and ticket offices was just in front of the terminal. Very easy to find.

Nice and easy. Tap on/off (remember the off part...that wasn't explained to me) and quick ride to…read moreDavenport. Also did the Waiheke ferry which was a bit chaotic on Thursday midday. The line for the 11 am was sooo long, I missed that ferry and had to wait another hour. Thankfully the peeps I was around engaged in conversation which made the time fly by.

I love the discovery tours because they taught me something. Okay so I managed to snatch a sweet…read moredeal that had a tour of the Auckland Harbor, a stopover at Tongariro and a return trip from Auckland to Devenport. After living in Auckland for 8 years one would think I would know where Devenport was. I remember calling nt boyfriend saying oh baby we are going to Devenport. He started laughing and told me that his house was only a few minutes drive from Devenport. I didn't know that one could drive there. I was so embrassed as we had just started dating, now I look back and laugh at myself. The day was a bit windy but we had so much fun on the ferry. Walking on Tongariro and taking pictures was the highlight. This is a trip that those that want to explore Auckland should make.

While Fullers have a near monopoly on most of the major high-demand ferry routes, 360 Discovery…read moreruns services to all the destinations that Fullers doesn't cover. That means a bunch of tourist-oriented routes (Tiritiri Matangi Island, Rotoroa Island, Motiuhe Island, Coromandel), and a couple of commuter routes too (Beachhaven, Hobsonville). Some of these are truly wonderful destinations, so it's great to have a second ferry operator providing access to them. Tiritiri Matangi is probably the best known, and makes for a great day trip or overnighter - it's a bird sanctuary island with great nature walks, panoramic vistas and beaches. The 360 vessels are generally smaller than the Fullers boats so you need to book for some destinations, but they're fast and comfortable and the service is a bit more personal so that's nice.

I was looking to find out what I can do in Auckland for a few hours with a friend visiting from…read moreabroad, and had heard about a company called Stray from a traveller friend. Conveniently located with a funky bright sales office on Fort street super friendly and helpful staff can book you a free day stray bus tour around Auckland showcasing our magnificent city. The Vintage orange bus takes you to highlights of Auckland such as a Bungy jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge for a discounted fee, or at the Sky tower the Sky Jump where you free fall with security ropes off a ledge and down to the waiting platform in a matter of seconds, what a thrill! You also take in the sights and great view at Bastion Point near Mission Bay, go for a bush walk in the Auckland Domain, have a pub meal if you feel like it and a free beer at Speight's Ale house. Last but not least you even get to wander around the world class sailing village of the Viaduct and hop on a Whale and Dolphin Safari if weather and your wallet permits. The amazing sales staff at the office can also book you any activity In Auckland which is fabulous to have as a service.

When it comes to Stray, the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I have…read morelearned a very expensive lesson and hope my bad experience with Stray will help you decide if this is the type of company you want to deal with. Before considering this supposed hop-on, hop-off bus service I would urge you to do a deep-dive of research. Start by sifting through all the Stray marketing surrogates who provide a glowing review (especially if it's the only/first review they've posted) or superlative photo-laden blogs since many have identified in the small print that they received their trip either free or deeply discounted. I desperately wish I had done so prior to enthusiastically falling for Stray's slick presentation. Unfortunately, I am not a travel blogger nor a social media "star" so I used my hard-earned money for a standard fare and am now paying the price in the form of a HUGE penalty for cancelling (20%) even though it was far in advance and I never stepped foot on a Stray bus. Stray's MINIMUM cancellation policy is 20% and they won't budge on it no matter the reason. You may eventually find, like I did, that there are some problems with Stray's model and not everyone has an over-the-top experience described with gleeful hyperbole. Those who have legitimate complaints like me are quickly drowned out by sarcastic on-line statements from company reps. I must stress this again - be fully aware that from the second you hit "book" Stray will immediately charge you for the total amount of the bus trip. From then on, there are no full refunds whatsoever - even if you haven't selected a start date (and maybe won't travel for months yet) and even if you haven't stepped foot on one of their buses. The policy states that there is a MINIMUM 20% penalty for ANY cancellation, no exceptions. The first problem I discovered is it isn't as easy to hop on and hop off as they portray. But you only find this out AFTER you've booked and get access to the app. They also obfuscate the fact that "Straymark" locales are MANDATORY. You MUST stay at these locations for the number of days/nights listed and you must pay the listed additional charges for doing so. There is no way around these mandatory stops without booking an alternate bus service other than Stray and you must pay out of pocket for it. If the Straymark location does not have activities that appeal to you or are too expensive, then you may find yourself sitting around a remote area for a couple of days while you twiddle your thumbs. While some people may thoroughly enjoy these stops and what they offer and are fine with spending their money at a place Stray dictates, there are others who would rather be free to do something else. Stray "guarantees" a bed for you for the first night on your stops which seems appealing. But I then learned it may be in a mixed dorm (meaning men and women sleeping in the same room and sharing a bathroom). While that may not be a problem for many it may not appeal to all and for some, it can present an extremely uncomfortable situation if their RELIGIOUS OR CULTURAL beliefs prohibit such arrangements. Also be aware there is an exclusive and COMPULSORY overnight stop at one of the Straymark locations where shooting "feral" animals is one of the optional ENTERTAINMENT activities. This may be fine for those who enjoy hunting in order to balance the natural environment but VEGANS and animal advocates may find it highly objectionable. This information should be identified very clearly and locations like these should not be "compulsory." If you do NOT want to spend a few days at a compulsory Straymark location then you must find another means of transportation (at your own cost) to meet up with the bus further down the line. Stray buses don't run every day to each location so that means finding your own lodging while you wait. BTW, trying to read Stray's bus schedule is like trying to break a cold war-era encryption code. IMO, all these issues may rise to the level of deceptive marketing practices and can be reported to the NZ government. I plan to do so and encourage others with bad experiences to do the same. I attempted to resolve my complaints by asking to deal with a member of Stray management but I was just directed to another glib staff member who abruptly blew me off. I trust the NZ government office of oversight won't. Be sure to read all - and I mean read ALL, every word - of Stray's policies! Be well aware that you will automatically lose AT LEAST 20% of what you paid should you cancel at ANY time for ANY reason!! While I certainly understand that companies may need to charge a small administrative fee for a cancellation, charging a minimum of 20% full cost when it's many months or weeks before travelling is far beyond the pale. In my experience, Stray's "fine-print" marketing maneuvers and cancellation polices are the most rapaciously egregious I've had in many years of travel.

Rural bus station! This place is on the outskirts of…read moreAuckland in Albany. No, this isn't New York. It's their version of the capital of New York, I guess. This transit park n ride terminal is nice, but that's about it. The buses run on time, so I didn't spend too much time here. The bus tickets are automated via kiosk, which are available in the Maori language. There are helpful signs to let you know which bus stops where. They could've used some public art up in here. It's kinda plain looking. There was an inside area where you could get out of the wind or rain, but not much to this place. The bus drivers were friendly, and I managed to get where I wanted to go.

Since moving out to Torbay, this Park and Ride has been so good! It's saved me so much money on…read moreparking and is such a good idea from the city council. It's always packed with cars so you do have to get there early if you want a park. Otherwise you might find yourself walking a bit up the hill to the bus. There are constantly buses arriving so no matter what time you turn up there will usually be a bus not too far off. There's also a great place to wait if you do need it. It's fully covered so is great in the winter months or those rainy summer days that too often frequent our city. Because the bus just hops on the bus lane on the motorway and skips all the traffic. And because you don't need to drive you can read, listen to music, or play games while you're driven there. Brilliant.

Due to being new, Sylvia Park Train Station is clean and caters to a wide range of people. It has…read morestairs and an elevator to take you across to the platform, and they are usually prompt at signalling the lateness of a train. It's really handy being next to the Shopping Centre, but I find it annoying that there are no Park & Ride facilities. Most people I know would need to park and take the train, so naturally we park on nearby streets. Then they started painting yellow lines over the nearby streets, so it became impossible to use the train. Surely there's a solution somewhere? Aside from that, it's a good train station and you never feel uneasy due to the Security Guards of Sylvia Park keeping an eye on the place. They also have a useful board in the mall to tell you when the next train is coming.

This ferry is changing the lives of so many Westies and North Shoreites. In a hop, skip, and a jump…read moreyou can miss all the traffic and be in town. It leaves from the Hobsonville Point wharf and stops at Beachhaven, Birkenhead and finishes at downtown Auckland. You can take in all the beauty of the Auckland Harbour and you'll get a prime view of the Harbour Bridge as the ferry actually travels underneath it. The price is a little steep but I just count is as being part of helping my mental health haha. Starting and ending the day out on the water does wonders for your stress levels. There's nothing like salty wind blowing in your hair to make you remember what life is all about. And this ferry helps you remember it daily. And if you use your hop card you can get a cheaper fare, which helps a lot.

Excellent viewing spot of Auckland city and southern motorway looking north. Park on hopetown road…read moreand walk up.

Sometimes I feel like growing up in central Auckland was a bit like growing up in a bubble. I never…read morereally had any reason to explore out west or the north shore, and so it's only been in the last few years that I have discovered places like the West Harbour Marina. I honestly didn't know it was possible to catch a ferry from West Harbour to Auckland CBD. Not only is it indeed a regular occurrence, it is actually the preferred mode of travel for many West Harbour locals as getting in to town during rush hour traffic on the motorway can take an hour or so. Though the trip in to town must be quite picturesque on a nice day, it is pretty pricey. At $12 for an adult one way trip, it's definitely more expensive than it'd be to drive - but I guess not having to pay for parking or sit in traffic makes it worth it! As well as hosting this ferry service, the view of the West Harbour Marina is actually pretty nice. Lots of boats are moored there, and with the Auckland skyline and the Harbour Bridge in the background, the Marina is a nice place to sit in the afternoon and have some quiet time.

I mainly wanted this glowworm tour because they allow pictures to be taken while in the cave. The…read moretour date I was looking at was fully booked but you can email them to be added to the waitlist. I asked to be added to the waitlist for 2 on October 12, and got off the waitlist on November 9, for a tour on December 28 so don't give up hope if it is originally fully booked! I did the spellbound explorer tour which included a walk through a cave as well as a boat ride through a cave for the glowworms. The tour guide was great and allowed pictures during the first back and forth on the boat ride and asked us to put away our phones during the second. This is because the first go-around allows for the eyes to adjust and see the glowworms better so the second go-around the glowworms are much brighter. The cave walk was also a nice add on for 20 NZD but if the tour with the cave walk is not available the regular boat ride is perfect on its own. I loved this tour as our tour guide took pictures for each group that wanted some with glowworms and also provided us with personal pictures of glowworms taken with a nicer camera with a longer shutter speed.

Oceane was an informative and friendly guide. We were able to see so many glow worms! It was like…read moreseeing the milky way! Ask her about Mama Mia if you like aquatic wildlife.