Auckland Sky Tower

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Auckland Sky Tower is the biggest of Auckland attractions !!

The Sky Tower, located in downtown Auckland City is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere at 328 metres.

Take one of the three glass fronted elevators up to the observation decks. The lifts travel at 18 km/hr so it only takes 40 seconds to reach the top, quick enough to make my ears pop !

Of course, if that's too fast you could walk the 1267 steps instead !

If you are new to the city, the Sky Tower is one of the best places to get your bearings from. The 360° views across the city and surrounding areas are stunning so remember to take a good Auckland map and for those great Auckland pictures don't forget your camera.

There are three observation decks at the top. The first level has plexiglass floors so you feel like you're walking on air - a little unnerving looking past your feet at the Auckland traffic below !

The upper deck is reached by foot and costs an extra NZ$3- Around the observation deck there are boards explaining what you are looking at-

To the north, Leigh Peninsula and the impressive, dormant volcano of Rangitoto Island. In the east, the Eastern suburbs and Hauraki Gulf. South, the Bombay hills and west Manakau Heads and the Waitakera Ranges. On a clear day you can see up to 82km.

We took a Sun and Stars ticket which costs NZ$1- more than the normal one. This allowed us to visit the Skytower in the day and to come back another time and see the sun set over Auckland, well worth the extra, the views are magical as the city lights up.

There are three cafes in the Sky Tower, Blend, Rebo and Sky Lounge or you could take a seat in the revolving restaurant, Orbit and enjoy the views while you dine. It's advisable to book in advance as it can get quite busy.

We didn't eat this time, choosing to just have a drink in the Sky Lounge.

If you're one of those adrenaline junkies who prefer the quick way down you should try the Sky Jump.

Something like a bungy jump without the spring back as you are safely controlled down by steel cables. This will get you down the 192m (630') to the landing deck in a mere 16 seconds.

Not for me, I prefer the elevator!

Safety was top in the minds of the Auckland Sky Tower designers being well over the set standards. The tower is designed to withstand gusts of wind up to 200km/hr and earthquakes within 20km up to 8 on the Richter scale !

Of course one problem with being on the tower is you can't photograph the tower itself, try one of the nearby volcano top parks for a great view of the city and the Sky Tower - for free !

At night the tower is bathed in various colours and looks spectacular.

You can choose to experience all the fun Skycity has to offer.

There's free live entertainment every night, 17 restaurants and bars, two gaming floors and Sky Theatre, or you can just relax in the serenity of the four plus star hotel.

Would we recommend it ? Absolutely.