There are a variety of ways to get around including bus, train, ferry, taxi, shuttle and hiring your own car. You can use the MAXX website (http://www.maxx.co.nz/) to find ways to get round Auckland using public transport. MAXX also has a text messaging service which can be used to find out the time of the next bus, ferry or train or to find the quickest way to get to your destination using public transport.
Auckland is a very car-dependent city and for most tourists used to extensive public transport systems, frustrations can mount. It may be more prudent to hire a car if you wish to do a lot of cross city travel, particularly if you plan on leaving to see the nearby natural beauty, though roads frequently become heavily congested and driving standards can be poor. New Zealand law allows you to drive for up to a year if you have a licence in your home country or an International Driving Licence. (http://www.newzealand.com...) Beware that New Zealand drives on the left.
The Britomart Transport Centre on the corner of Queen Street and Customs Street is the main information centre for public transportation in Auckland. You will be able to find free bus, train or ferry schedules in this centre - something that is very handy since the frequency of some public transportation services is low and sometimes irregular. These timetables are also downloadable from the MAXX website.
The Auckland Discovery Pass can be purchased for $14, and provides travel on all forms of public transportation in Auckland, except the Fullers ferries and the Airbus that runs from the CBD to the airport.
By car
The road network experiences severe congestion at rush hour. The geography of Auckland constrains the network to a limited number of routes. Auckland has a comprehensive road networks for a city its size, but lack of investment in public transport means the city is largely dependent on the private automobile.
It is often easier and cheaper to hire a car instead of using taxis, simply because the city is so large and spread out.
Auckland city is well covered by the main global car rental companies, such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty & Europcar. All car rental companies offer competitive pricing for economy class vehicles and unlimited mileage options. Local car rental companies like Apex & Jucy may also offer competitive pricing.
The three main motorway systems running through Auckland are the Northern Motorway from Orewa to the Central Motorway Junction (CMJ a.k.a. Spaghetti Junction), the Southern Motorway from the CMJ past Bombay Hills, where it merges to the Waikato Expressway, and the Northwestern Motorway from Auckland Port through CMJ to Westgate. These motorways clog up during the morning rush in the CBD-bound direction, and the same thing happens in the opposite direction during the evening rush. The Harbour Bridge has a method of mitigating this traffic load - it changes the lane system from 4-4 to 5-3 favouring the side which has the heavier traffic load, so be careful when crossing the bridge during different times, some lanes might not be there at some times!
Some motorway on-ramps have traffic lights operating in busy periods - they allow one car to proceed every three seconds to ease the merging onto the motorway. Cameras are operating to catch red-light runners.
By bus
Bus is the most-used method of public transport in Auckland, carrying over 40 million passenger trips a year. Buses to popular destinations usually run every 5-15mins. For example Kelly Tarltons and Mission Bay have buses numbers 745-769 running at least every 15 mins Monday to Saturdays though much less frequently Sundays.
If you don't mind a 5 to 10 min walk to a bus stop you can get by without a car in Auckland. However buses are not always reliable, especially during peak hours. Delays of up to 15 min are common on certain routes. Buses are also a slow way to travel long distances, and travel is remarkably more difficult going across town than on a main north-south route. If possible consider taking a train or ferry instead. If you are travelling to less frequented areas or outer suburbs be prepared for long travel times and long wait periods 30+mins between services.
Auckland's bus services are not integrated - there are different bus companies serving different parts of Auckland. The largest operator,NZ Bus, has relabelled their own brand with different names indicating parts of Auckland that it serves. The following are buses that run to different parts of Auckland:
Central Auckland - Metrolink includes the Link bus and the City Circuit, Urban Express
North Shore including Hibuscus Coast - North Star, Ritchies, and Birkenhead Transport
Waitakere - Go West and Ritchies
Manukau South Auckland - Waka Pacific
Manukau East Auckland - Howick and Eastern
The Link bus $1.70 services Auckland CBD and the surrounding areas of Newmarket, Parnell and Ponsonby - it is fairly frequent and is a useful way of getting around these areas. The City Circuit bus runs around the CBD and is since 01.01.2012 not free anymore, but still very affordable 50c. Bus fares are measured in stages, with one stage being $1.70 cash, $3.30 for two stages, $4.40 for three and $5.50 for four as of May 2010. Any bus travel within the CBD will cost $0.50 for at most a 5 min ride.
There is a new integrated bus system in Auckland, the Hop card which allows transport on all NZbus services and will soon allow transport with train, ferry and other bus providers.
Bus passes in Auckland are troublesome since there is a lack of an integrated bus system - each bus service uses its own card system and they are mutually incompatible. All NZbusi.e. Metrolink, North Star, Go West, Urban Express, Waka Pacific buses use a snapper based contactless smart card system, Ritchies uses a touch sensor, and Howick and Eastern uses a wayfarer chip system.Buy bus cards they can be bought from different locations in Auckland, Britomart being one of them if, and only if you are certain about where you'd be travelling to - otherwise you'll find yourself paying cash.
One exception to this is bus travel on the North Shore. They have recently introduced a Northern Pass system whereby travellers and commuters can purchase a day- or week-long pass which covers inter-operator travel on the North Shore. You can buy day passes on the buses heading to and in the North Shore - just keep the ticket and show it to the next bus driver, and you will be let on the bus.
Most bus services run to and from the CBD, and so there are relatively few "cross-town" buses. It might sometimes be faster and more convenient to take buses into the city to take another bus out! If you want to get around the same area easily, it is also possible to take the bus to a "hub" where lots of buses run through, to connect to another bus. The bigger bus hubs are but are not limited to:
Takapuna on the North Shore
Bus stations on the North Shore
Otahuhu in Manukau
New Lynn in Waitakere
Most bus stops that are frequently used have displays showing the times the next buses arrive. These are fairly reliable but do not place all your faith in them - sometimes the signs display that a bus has come and gone, and then several minutes later the bus arrives.