Auckland City is even more fun once the sun goes down. Experience New Zealand’s binge drinking culture, preload in your hotel room then hit the bars. Or for those of you who are more civilised here’s a range of fun things to do in Auckland at night time.
Dine in the restaurant or just take in the views from the observation deck. Auckland’s Sky Tower is the best view of Auckland city at night. It’s best to get there in time for sunset, then enjoy the changing views as the lights come on and the sun drops.
Mission Bay is a beach, a park with a pretty sweet fountain that is light up at night, and a street full of restaurants and bars facing the beach. If you’re visiting Auckland in Summer it’s a must visit. It’s 5 minutes from the CBD by car. This is great for couples on any budget. Split a pizza or some fish and chips in the park, or dine in a restaurant. There’s everything from fast food to fine dining. Nothing beats having a pash on a park bench on a summer night while you look at the lights of Devonport across the harbour. Oh to be young again.
Auckland has plenty of Escape Rooms in the CBD. This is best done in a group or with someone smart. There’s nothing more humiliating that taking someone on a date to an escape room and being too dumb to get them out.
Also having tried escape rooms in various states of sobriety I can confidently state it’s actually more fun if you’re sober. So save the binge drinking as a celebration for after you’ve made your escape.
Bowling, burgers, and booze. All in one super cool location. Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq is great on a date or in a group. It’s 10 pin bowling but with a fun modern atmosphere. Located inside 277 Mall in Newmarket. There’s plenty of drinking and dining options for before and after so you can make a night of it.
This is essentially mini golf combined with binge drinking. Great cocktails. It’s a good time, as long as you enjoy either mini golf or drinking. Fun with a group of people or a double date. And it’s located in the heart of the Viaduct so you can grab dinner before or after and then head to one of the many nearby bars.
Pop some “vitamin pills”, drink some shots, and dance mother fucker. Impala in Shortland Street is Auckland hottest club this week, or maybe it’s Roxy in Fort Lane when you’re over 40 it’s hard to keep up. Also popular are Ponsonby Social Club, Cassette 9, and 1885.
Fairy lights, dining, drinking and dancing. Britomart is a quadruple threat. There’s plenty of seriously cool places to eat, get drunk, flirt and find someone? From XUXU dumplings and cocktails, Tommy’s champagne lounge or the roof top bar at SO/. Britomart is the place to be seen in Auckland on a Friday or Saturday night.
Federal street is home to a number of Auckland’s best restaurants. Dining in Federal Street is a must do, regardless of whether you’re visiting Auckland or you’re a local. With restaurants from Al Brown, Nick Watt and Peter Gordon you’ll be in celebrity chef heaven. Highlights include Depot, Masu, The Grill, 1947, The Sugar Club.
Ponsonby Road has long been one of Auckland most well established dining districts with over 100 restaurants and more than 20 bars there’s something for every taste at every price range. The glorious Sidart restaurant voted Auckland best several time’s is at the very top end of the price range but worth every penny. If you’re not sure where to start try Ponsonby Central with it’s ever changing mix of restaurants and bars.
Myers Park after dark is seriously fucked up. It runs downhill from K Road to Mayoral drive and that’s the way you’ll want to run too, when you’re getting chased through it at night. More murders, rapes, assaults and drug use than any other park in the CBD. This is where you go to take hard drugs and murder prostitutes. We are not in anyway condoning the murdering of prostitutes, or for that matter the taking of non prescription pharmaceuticals. We are simply pointing out that this is where those things often happen in Auckland.
Gamble away your life savings in a responsible fashion at Auckland’s SkyCity Casino. This is by far New Zealand’s biggest and best Casino. Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week to give you the maximum opportunity to win your money back.
If you’d rather lose your money betting on horses than cards, then Alexandra Park is the place you want to be. The home of harness racing in Auckland. With plenty of night time race meets this is a fun way to spend an evening. Make your investments.
With over 30 bars and restaurants right on the waterfront this is Auckland’s place to be after dark. Soul Bar has long been regarded as one of Auckland finest restaurants, but there’s plenty of oher great places to eat and drink too. The bars here are packed until the wee hours Thursday to to Saturday nights.
Viaduct Harbour’s ever so slightly quieter cousin. Wynyard quarter is a short walk over the bridge from The Viaduct. But it’s well worth the walk. Baduzzi is one of Auckland’s finest restaurants, it’s also home to the Team New Zealand base and the new Park Hyatt Hotel, this will be the place to be during the America’s Cup.
Bring a warm jacket. and maybe leave the stilettos at home. Set sail on this beautiful yacht and enjoy an evening on Auckland’s magnificent harbour. This 2.5 hour cruise includes dinner and a welcome drink as you board. Don’t worry there’s a bar on board so you can combine boating with binge drinking in true New Zealand style.
Great on a date or in a group. Social cooking is really fun way to show off and impress that special someone with your cooking skills. Depending on the night you can learn to cook a recipe or engage in a reality TV style cooking competition. And there’s drinks so….
If you’re in Auckland during rugby season then don’t miss the opportunity to take in a game at Eden Park. Watchout for the over priced beer and terrible food. Load up before the game, or carry on the fun after the game at The Kingslander, Auckland’s most famous rugby pub.
The Classic is Auckland’s first and only full time comedy club. They host local and international funny folks most nights.
Auckland has a vibrant theatre scene. There’s a huge variety of material to suit every taste. If you’ve never been it is well worth giving it a try. It’s like watching TV only better. Remember it’s not all musicals and Shakespeare. Theatre comes in all kinds of genres, just find a show and head along. You’ll have a great time.
If you’re trying to get into someones pants or hoping they’ll get into yours then get them to learn the Bachata with you. Feel the heat and tension build as you rub and grind on each other. Then laugh or scream when they trample your toes. It’s a good time.
Can’t find anyone to learn the Bachata with you? Then forget learning to dance and just watch the girls dance instead at one of Auckland’s stripclubs. There’s several to choose from. Try Showgirls, Calendar Girls or the White House.
Snowplanet is open till 10pm weekdays and midnight on Friday, Saturday and often during the school holidays as well. They usually have great deals with discounted night time passes available most evenings. With a restaurant and bar in house this is actually a fun date night activity for couples as well.
Watch a space movie in the 360-degree planetarium theatre then look at the stars. This is best done on a clear night while under the influence. It’s also not bad on a date, even without the drugs.
Making use of carparks all over town is Auckland Night Markets. Located a different spot every night of the week. It’s an authentic culinary journey to Asia – or as close as you are going to get until these covd travel bans are lifted. So come and enjoy the tastes and smells of street food from around the world at Auckland’s famous night markets.
Kayak to Rangitoto Island with Auckland Sea Kayaks, watch the sunset from the island and then Kayak back towards the twinkling Auckland City lights at night.
Bring a change of underpants if you’re visiting Spookers haunted theme park. It will literally scare the shit out of you. Spookers is housed in an old mental asylum adding a slightly more realistic edge to the fear. If you’ve ever fantasised about being chased through the night by a man in a hockey mask wielding a chainsaw then this is the activity for you.
Auckland’s volcanoes offer some pretty stunning views of the city lights. One Tree Hill and Mt Eden are the most famous, but Mt Hobson, Mt Victoria and North Head also offer some stunning night time views.
Great for those who like to get out and experience nature, at night, with Zombies. Forget coronavirus, this is a full on Zombie outbreak. Will you survive? Probably, or they’d get shut down.
This may not be for everyone but if you like dressing up and chasing people or getting chased then this is gonna get your juices flowing.
Grab your special someone, some booze, and a blanket then make your way to Muriwai Beach on Auckland’s west coast. It’s a really long beach so you’re sure to find a private spot to watch the sunset, then gaze at the stars and do whatever comes naturally. Be warned it my take a week or two to get all that fine black sand out of every crevice.
This is a great activity for petrol heads. But really who doesn’t enjoy a spot of drifting. Up to 12 people race at once so it’s great for groups.
With late night shopping on Thursday nights. A great and growing strip of restaurants, a couple of nice bars and movie theatres. Sylvia Park is a pleasant but fairly tame way to spend a Thursday night.
The Speedway is always a great night out. You can pretty much guarantee an exciting crash. Auckland’s got two to choose from Waikaraka Park, and Western Springs. The council seems determined to get rid of Western Springs though so enjoy that while you can. Kids love the demolition derby, and the racing is always exciting. You’ve heard the phrase rubbin is racing while these guys take it a little further than that, with plenty of deliberate contact making for some pretty dramatic racing and more than a few wild crashes.