Too many international visitors fly or cruise into Auckland – then leave straight away for the world-famous destinations to the south like Rotorua and Queenstown. Now, tourism leaders are investigating how we can tell Auckland's story better.
In the long queue for taxis, Susie and Marcus Wright wait patiently with their 14-year-old son, Matthew. The French-English family have just disembarked a cruise liner and are heading straight to the rental car depot, to get the hell out of Dodge.
They'll be gone by lunchtime, halfway to Hobbiton. Auckland has nothing for them. "There's the tower – but we've looked at so many towers, Eiffel tower, CN Tower, Burj Khalifa," says Susie, wearily. "There gets a point you get panoramic view fatigue. Auckland didn't shout anything special; it offers what other cities a similar size offer."
Project Forever Waiheke invites you to read another installment from New Zealand Herald’s Tourism Tidal Wave series.
