静静地偎依在两个大港口之间的奥克兰是新西兰的第一大城市，它在闪闪发光的海水衬托下，素有"帆船之都"的美誉。

    奥克兰市民酷爱扬帆出海，醉心于"三B"活动，即：去海滩、划船和烧烤野餐。他们抓住一切机会，成群结队地离家奔向最近的海滩或港口，随身带着用久了的野炊用具和装满冰冻啤酒的聚丙烯"冷箱"，从而使这种场景显得十分壮观。每年一月底在怀特玛塔港举行的帆船竞赛，千帆并举，更是奥克兰城的一大盛景。

    谁能怪罪奥克兰人呢？是上苍赐予了他们两个美丽的港口，数十个可以供人们游泳的海滩，遍布幽静小岛的海岸，较高的生活水准以及适合户外运动的夏季气候。

    皇后大街

    皇后大街是奥克兰传统的主要街道或"黄金地段"，是新西兰的最佳商业区，它汇集了市内所有购物商店及大型百货公司。这里的商品，琳琅满目，令人目不暇接。礼品商店和羊毛制品店出售手工羊毛袍、毛利族人雕刻品、翡翠、饰品、贝壳首饰、由美洲负鼠皮制成的皮衣以及羊毛汽车座套。

    伊丽莎白女王广场

    伊丽莎白女王广场位于皇后大街的尽头，广场上没有中心邮局、市区综合大楼和新西兰航空公司。该广场是上班族最喜爱的就餐场地，在这里，也常常可以见到街头演说者和抗议游行者。他们可以在此尽情倾诉大至因核舰艇来访小到因幼儿园经费严重不足所引起的悲伤和怨恨。多彩的水果推车出售基伟果、费约果、番茄、拍平缕瓜、枯麻拉果和其它新鲜的新西兰农产品。丹麦冰淇淋冷饮室更使喜爱甜食的人们垂涎欲滴。

    老海关大厦

    老海关大厦坐落于市区综合大楼对面，正好在海关和阿尔伯特街的拐角处，这个大厦80多年来一直是奥克兰的金融中心。

    老海关大厦是按照法国文艺复兴时期的建筑风格设计的，落成于1889年，它也是目前在中心商业区遗留下来的具有维多利亚风格的最后一批纪念物之一。大厦每周七天均向游客开放，设有电影院、工艺礼品商店、饭店、客栈、咖啡厅，还有对外出售书籍、木制品以及羊毛制品的商店。

    维多利亚派克市场

    自老海关大厦向西步行10分钟就可以看到维多利亚派克市场，派克市场就建在奥克兰市原来的垃圾处理场的旧址处。

    市场建成于1905年，由当年的亚瑟。梅瑟市长为其剪彩。市长坐在供船上用的高空操作坐板上，被送到40米高的烟囱顶部，为这座黄色的砖楼砌上了最后一块砖。现在，这座历史上著名的建筑物每周七天均对外营业，内设有果品店、菜店、水产品店和工艺品店以及供小贩叫卖用的多彩手推车和食品摊位。

    AUCKLAND——"THE CITY OF SAILS"

    Nestled between the sparkling waters of two large harbours is Auckland， the largest city of New Zealand. Auckland is affectionately known as" the City of Sails".

    Most of the residents of Auckland love sailing very much， and they are preoccupied by three B's： beaches， boats and barbecues. They take every available opportunity to desert their homes in droves to head for the nearest beach or boat harbour， armed with battered barbecue sets and polystyrene "chilly bins" packed full with ice-cold beer. It is really a magnificent scene. And towards the end of January， an annual sailing competition is held， in which up to l， 000 sailing boats compete on the Waitemate Harbour. That is the sporting highlight of the year of Auckland.

    But who can blame Aucklanders？ They happened to be blessed with two beautiful harbours， scores of swimming beaches in which people can swim， a coast line dotted with secluded offshore islands， sophisticated living standards and a summer climate that insist on outdoor life.

    （1） QUEEN STREET

    Queen Street is Auckland's traditional main street or "Golden Mile"， offering the best range of shopping. All the shops and big department stores of the city are gathered in this street. It is the best commercial center of New Zealand. Souvenir and sheepskin shops sell hand-made woolen garments， Maori carvings， greenstone （jade） ornaments， shell jewelry， opossum fur coats and wooly car-seat covers.

    （2） QUEEN ELIZABETH SQUARE

    The bottom of Queen Street is occupied by Queen Elizabeth Square which contains the Central Post Office， Downtown Complex and Air Zealand. The Square is a favorite haunt of lunchtime office workers， soapbox orators and protest marchers bewailing grievance ranging from visits by nuclear ships to stingy kindergarten funding. A gaily colored fruit for offers kiwi fruit， feijoas， tamarillos， pepino， kumara and other fresh New Zealand products while a Danish icecream parlour tempts the sweeter tooth.

    （3）THE OLD CUSTOMHOUSE

    Sitting majestically opposite to the Downtown Complex on the corner of Customs and Albert streets is the Old Customhouse which is the financial heart of Auckland for more than 80 years.

    Designed in French Renaissance style， the building was completed in 1889 and is one of the last remaining examples of Monumental Victorian architecture to be found in the central business district. Open seven days a week， the Old Customhouse houses a cinema， arts and crafts emporium， gift shop， restaurants， tavern， coffee bar and shop selling， wood and woolen products.

    （4） VICTORIAPARK MARKETS

    Ten minutes' walk to the west of the Old Customhouse are the Victoria Pat Markets. The markets are located on the disused site of the city's former rubbish destructor.

    Completed in l905， the yellow brick buildings were opened by Mayor Aithur Myers， who was hauled to the top of the 40-metre chimney in a ship's bo' sun chair to lay the final brick. The historic site now offers seven-day buying at fruit， vegetable， fish and craft shops or hawkers barrows and food stalls.