Air New Zealand Air Points - 5 hr layover in AKL

On April 10, I'll be traveling in J on NZ HKG-AKL-MEL, with a 5.25 hr layover in AKL. I assume I can take a shower and relax a bit in the lounge in AKL. After that, any suggestions as to what to do? I recall the city is a long taxi ride from the airport, so perhaps it's not practical for a little ride into town...

I just spent 6+ hours at AKL and there isn't much to do. The ANZ lounge is truly delicious and those showers are heavenly. Take lots of reading material.

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Greetings from the land of 10,000 lakes.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by boomerang-boy:
I just spent 6+ hours at AKL and there isn't much to do. The ANZ lounge is truly delicious and those showers are heavenly.
</font>

Do you mean the food in the lounge is delicious?

Do they have massage/sleeper chairs or internet access?

In any case, sounds like it'll be a real long layover. I'll just have to take a few showers and snack a lot!

I had a similar layover once on a DUD-AKL-LAX return trip. I was going to head into town to visit some friends at one of the Universities.

Unfortunately, when we landed, it was pouring rain, and I had heard that the roads were just jammed. I decided that it wasn't worth it, so I rented a day room from the Collection Point, had a nap (was suffering from a nasty headache at the time), had a shower, and boarded by evening flight across the Pacific. This was before I was *G, of course, but those day rooms are great if you want to sack out for a bit...

Air NZ Koru Club do have free internet access from 2 terminals, though they do get very busy, particularly in the evenings.

Its around a 30 min ride into town, if you've never been there before, it might be worth taking a ride in. You can take a supershuttle, they'll drop you off where you want, and come back ie an hour or two hours later and pick you up where you want. Better than hanging out at the airport. I think if you leave the transit area you will need to pay departure tax again unfortunately.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kawoh:
I think if you leave the transit area you will need to pay departure tax again unfortunately.</font>

You don't have to pay the departure tax if you're there for under 24 hours.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
You don't have to pay the departure tax if you're there for under 24 hours.</font>

Right! You can get a tax exemption sticker on the reverse of your departure boarding pass by showing the agent your arrival boarding pass. Its that simple!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kawoh:
You can take a supershuttle, they'll drop you off where you want, and come back ie an hour or two hours later and pick you up where you want.</font>

Good idea! Even though I've been to Auckland before, this sure beats hanging out at the lounge for 5 hours!

How much is r/t on Supershuttle, and does it take credit card? (I guess I can get cash at the airport ATM for this short excursion.)

Where would be a good place to walk around for an hour or two, and is Super Shuttle reliable for pick-up to return to the airport?

My layover is from 10:15a to 3:30p, so I should be back at the airport by 2:15p. Thanks.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfvoyage:
Where would be a good place to walk around for an hour or two</font>The Auckland Museum (in the Domain) has an impressive collection of Maori and Pacific native artifacts. If you want more exercise you can walk in the part surrounding it. Alternative if you want city/cafe/shops is to visit Parnell (near downtown but nicer).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfvoyage:
[B] How much is r/t on Supershuttle, and does it take credit card? (I guess I can get cash at the airport ATM for this short excursion.)
B]</font>

The fare is about NZ$20 each way. I don't know if they take credit card. In terms of cash, why don't you change your money at the money changer. I think they have no fee for changing money below a certain amount, you can ask them that amount, but that should be enough to cover your fare, the rest you can put on your card.

Re - reliability - i've never had a problem with them, they stick to their word and are very reliable and also friendly.

If you want to pay a little less, you could try Airbus (every 20 mins):

http://www.airbus.co.nz/Airbus/index.html

For baddies who want to gamble can always go to Skycity http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif hehe. If you arrive on Tuesday, according to a custom officer, it thens to get busy around 10-2 because it is tourist day...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
You don't have to pay the departure tax if you're there for under 24 hours.</font>

Be ready to put up a fight on this one. I was told by a woman at the ANZ airport bank (where departure tax is paid) that I had to pay, even if I was there for only 22 hours. After giving her my charge card card she rang it through and the woman next to her said I shouldn't pay. So I got a credit back. In the 30 seconds that took I actually lost about US$1 due to currency flucuations!

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Greetings from the land of 10,000+1 lakes.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
You don't have to pay the departure tax if you're there for under 24 hours.</font>

Be ready to put up a fight on this one. I was told by a woman at the ANZ airport bank (where departure tax is paid) that I had to pay, even if I was there for only 22 hours. After giving her my charge card card she rang it through and the woman next to her said I shouldn't pay. So I got a credit back. In the 30 seconds that took I actually lost about US$1 due to currency flucuations!

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Greetings from the land of 10,000+1 lakes.

Super Shuttle takes credit card but often adds $1-2 for transaction fees.

Other than that, they are very good, and very relaible and you get to interact with the locals.

If money is not so much as an issue, then I would go for a Corporate Cab, nicer cars (white LTDs) and very reliable and knowledgeable.

Mark

Corporate Cabs do take credit cards and are excellent - about NZ$50 from airport to city one way but well worth it.

You can prebook on +64 9 377 0773 and have a driver waiting with your name on a board after customs in Akl.

I would recommend Devonport (across harbour - ferry trip of about 10mins) as a place to visit if been to downtown before

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by number_6:
Auckland Museum (in the Domain) has an impressive collection of Maori and Pacific native artifacts. If you want more exercise you can walk in the part surrounding it. Alternative if you want city/cafe/shops is to visit Parnell (near downtown but nicer).[/B]</font>

That's a great idea for the time available. From memory its free to get in as well... Not being much of an anthropoloigist I wasn't so interested in the impressive Maori collection, but the sections dedicated to conflicts were really well done.

A word of caution re the Museum... if you are planning on getting a cab from the museum then I would suggest leaving a little earlier than you otherwise would to get back to the airport - as the cabs are few and far between at the Museum cab rank and there has been a queue on both times I have paid a visit.

Thanks for all the great tips and suggestions. I'm off to the airport now. Hope to have an interesting layover in AKL.