January 29 - February 27, 2025 New Zealand February 25

Last impressions of Auckland

Auckland [ˈɔːklənd], officially known as Auckland Council, in Māori: Tāmaki Makaurau or Ākarana, is a major city and simultaneously a Unitary Authority on the North Island of New Zealand. With over 1.4 million residents, it is the largest city in New Zealand, home to about a third of the country's population. The Māori name Tāmaki Makaurau translates to “A young beauty with 100 lovers,” while Ākarana is an adaptation of the English “Auckland” to fit Māori phonetics.

The landscape of multicultural Auckland is shaped by 53 dormant volcanoes scattered throughout the city. These volcanoes give the city extensive parks that extend into the city center. Its location at sheltered harbors significantly contributes to Auckland's image, not least due to the numerous sailboats that earned the city the nickname City of Sails.

As of November 1, 2010, the Auckland metropolitan area (English: Greater Auckland or Auckland Metropolitan Area), which previously comprised independently administered cities such as Auckland City, Manukau City, North Shore City, and Waitakere City, along with the districts of Franklin District, Papakura District, and Rodney District and the Auckland Regional Council, was unified to form the Auckland Council, aimed at addressing the issues of the Auckland metropolitan area under a single and centrally organized administrative structure. The Auckland Council was politically legitimized through municipal elections held on October 9, 2010 and has since governed all previous administrative units under the leadership of a mayor and 20 councilors.

In a global quality of life ranking, Auckland was ranked third in 2018, and seventh in 2025.