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South Auckland
Region of Auckland, New Zealand

South Auckland

South Auckland is one of the major geographical regions of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand.

Plan a trip to South Auckland→From Wellington

The area is south of the Auckland isthmus, and on the eastern shores of the Manukau Harbour. The area has been populated by Tāmaki Māori since at least the 14th century, and has important archaeological sites, such as the Ōtuataua stonefield gardens at Ihumātao, and Māngere Mountain, a former pā site important to Waiohua tribes.

Get in

Getting to South Auckland

  1. 01
    Auckland International Airport

    The main international gateway to New Zealand is at Mangere in South Auckland.

  2. 02
    Papakura

    Major station Intercity Coaches stop in Manukau City on the way to Central Auckland from Wellington, Gisborne, Rotorua, Palmerston North and New Plymouth.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Auckland Botanic Gardens

    102 Hill Rd, Manurewa (366 bus from Manurewa or Manukau station).

  2. 02
    Butterfly Creek

    10–12 Tom Pearce Dr (10–15 minute walk from airport terminals).

  3. 03
    Howick Historical Village
  4. 04
    Maraetai Beach

    206/198 Pacific Coast Hwy, Maraetai, Auckland 2018.

  5. 05
    Otuataua Stonefields

    Site of ancient Maori gardens on a low volcano.

  6. 06
    Papakura Museum

    Museum run by Papakura & Districts Historical Society.

Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Rainbow's End

    2 Clist Cres, off Manukau Station Rd, Manukau Central (10-min walk from Manukau station & bus interchange).

  2. 02
    Mangere Mountain

    An extinct volcano and former site of a pre-European Maori village, overlooking the Manukau Harbour.

Eat

Where to eat

Finn McCools Irish Pub Manukau, 712 Great South Rd, Manukau Central. A great pub with great grub. With a wide variety of food from bar snacks, steaks, & gourmet pizzas. The Hangi Shop, 583 Great South Road, Otahuhu. Restaurant serving traditional Māori food including Hangi, a meal cooked by rocks in an underground pit.

How locals move

Getting around South Auckland the local way

  • Get inFullers run a ferry approximately once every two hours from Central Auckland to Half Moon Bay.
  • Go nextFerries leave from Half Moon Bay for Hauraki Gulf islands and central Auckland.

From Wikivoyage: Auckland/South Auckland, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Iswzo (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.