Hot spots for photography in Auckland – Scenic stops & views
There are many amazing photography points in Auckland. Keen photographers and sightseers will want to check out this guide to our must-visit locations in the City of Sails!
Auckland is a very photogenic city with a range of beautiful locations to take AMAZING landscape photographs!
The City of Sails has it all! Beautiful beaches to explore, amazing volcanoes, islands, wineries, bridges – the list goes on.
We have narrowed down some of our favourite photography points in Auckland to help you take the perfect image of this good-looking city.
So get your camera ready, pack some snacks and let’s get out there!
The Best Spots for Photography in Auckland
Westhaven Marina
Westhaven Marina is home to over 2,000 boats of all shapes and sizes. So big in fact, it is the largest marina in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the biggest in the world!
Among all the boats (ranging from dinghies to superyachts), Westhaven Marina has a spectacular view of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. There, the calm protected waters between the boats in the marina, often offer beautiful reflections on the harbour.
The moorings of the boats bobbing calmly in the water also offer the perfect leading lines out to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
If you’re keen on a nice walk in between shots, take a stroll along the Westhaven Promenade. The Promenade is a 5m wide boardwalk along the water’s edge in the heart of Westhaven Marina.
This area is a key linkage for cyclists and walkers, connecting the Harbour Bridge in the west, with the city centre and St Heliers in the east.
Unit 2/135 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland 1011
Top tip: If you’re an NZ-loving nomad, there is even space to park AND camp in your motorhome at Westhaven Marina, near Pier Z! This is the perfect way to keep costs down if you’re backpacking in Auckland (or just looking to save some money whilst visiting).
How to Get to Westhaven Marina
Westhaven Marina is located on the western edge of the Auckland Central Business District.
It is about a 20-minute walk to Westhaven Marina from Auckland Central. Or, if you are driving from the city, it will take you less than 10 minutes to get there (with ample car parking available on your arrival).
Northcote Point – City and Bridge View
The Northcote Point city and bridge viewing area has some of Auckland’s best sea, city and harbour bridge views.
Head to the wharf to get panoramic shots of the Auckland Harbour Bridge with Auckland City in the background.
Or if bridges are your thing, you can get up close and personal with the Auckland Harbour Bridge along the Northcote Point Walk. This walkway leads you right underneath the bridge with beautiful views across the harbour!
Northcote Point is one of the North Shore’s most interesting heritage areas. Furthermore, in addition to spectacular views, it has many old villas, a beautiful coastline and other historic features.
Visit the Northcote Point Heritage Walk to learn more about the area!
1 Queen Street, Northcote Point, Auckland 0627
Top tip: Head to Northcote Point at sunset to capture a long exposure shot of city lights and the impressive bridge lights as they dance across the skyline!
How to Get to the Northcote Point City and Bridge View
Northcote Point is about a 15-minute drive from Auckland Central or a 20-minute ferry trip from downtown Auckland.
Achilles Point Lookout in St Heliers
Achilles Point lookout is a great photography point in Auckland offering sweeping views over Auckland Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.
This spot commemorates the 1939 battle of the River Plate, where the New Zealand-crewed ship Achilles engaged with other allied vessels to defeat the German cruiser Graf Spee.
Though the aforementioned battle was long ago, today the extended viewing platform offers breathtaking panoramic views. You can see from Auckland City in the west all the way to the distant peaks of the Coromandel Peninsula in the east. In addition, it’s hard to miss the amazing view of Rangitoto Island in the centre of your frame.
This is also a great vantage point to capture some amazing sunrise or sunset photographs in Auckland.
St Heliers, Auckland 1071
Top tip: Head to St Heliers in summer to capture beautiful photographs of the bright red blooming pohutukawa trees along the water’s edge. It’s a great place to get creative; compose your shot out over the ocean to Rangitoto, framed by Pohutukawa trees in full bloom. Magic!
How to Get to Achilles Point Lookout
Achilles Point is a scenic 20-minute car ride along Tamaki Drive from Auckland Central.
Another option is a 20-minute bus ride from Auckland Central to St Heliers. From there, you can take a leisurely 30-minute stroll along the pathway from Cliff Road in St Heliers to Achilles Point, with spectacular views over St Heliers Bay, Rangitoto Island and Browns Island.
Batch Winery on Waiheke Island
Batch Winery is the highest vineyard on Waiheke Island, sitting at 200m high. So naturally, it is one of the best locations for taking amazing photographs in Auckland.
This winery is surrounded by rolling green hills, sun-soaked grapevines and stunning sea views. It really is unbeatable!
The vineyard itself has spectacular 360-degree views over the gulf islands and sweeping vistas of Auckland City. On a clear day, you can easily see out to the Coromandel Peninsula too.
With amazing food, including a renowned high tea, any time of day is the perfect time of day, both to take photos and to enjoy the Batches’ hospitality.
129 Carsons Road, Waiheke Island 1971
Top tip: Batch Winery boasts amazing sunset views all year round, so it’s the perfect place to get out your tripod and snap a long exposure photo.
How to Get to the Batch Winery on Waiheke Island
One of the easiest ways to get to Waiheke Island is by ferry. It takes approximately a 35 minutes ferry from downtown Auckland City to the Matiatia ferry terminal on Waiheke Island.
Once you are on Waiheke Island, a great way to get to the Batch Winery is on its very own ‘Batch Bus’. The shuttle bus connects hourly from Matiatia ferry terminal to the Batch Winery & Thomas’s Bach restaurant, running Friday through Sunday during the winter.
To allow yourself to relax and enjoy the good wine onsite, we suggest you go ahead and book your spot on the bus!
The Batch Bus is a scenic 15-minute ride to the winery and costs only $12 per person return.
Maungawhau/Mount Eden
Mount Eden, or Maungawhau in Te Reo, is 196 metres above sea level. It is, therefore, the highest natural point in Auckland and the site of Auckland’s highest volcano!
Whew, that’s high!
This level of elevation provides a spectacular panoramic view all across Auckland’s urban landscape, its harbour and Rangitoto Island.
It also allows for an amazing view of the 50-metre-deep crater of Mount Eden volcano. What an amazing place to take impressive landscape and cityscape photographs in Auckland!
And best of all, to reach all these sky-high views, the walk up the summit only takes about 10 minutes.
How to get to Maungawhau/Mount Eden
Mount Eden is about a 10-minute drive from Auckland Central, a 6-minute drive from Eden Park, or a 20-minute train ride (from Britomart station to Mount Eden station). Also, there are typically lots of buses that travel through Mount Eden Village.
With the exception of people with limited mobility, the summit is vehicle free. So you will need to park somewhere around the base (potentially in Mount Eden village for a coffee and pre-hike snack) and then walk up the mountain to the top.
Auckland is such a beautiful city with so many places to take amazing photographs.
The above are some of our favourite photography spots in Auckland and though we recommend you visit each of these locations, we’d also encourage you to get out and find your own favourites to add to the list.
As Auckland’s climate is so varied, we suggest you do yourself a favour and visit each spot at different times of the day, throughout the year!
Photo credit: Hakan Nedjat, Travel Notes.
Thank you to Gemma, a professional photographer, for sharing her expertise in this article.
