Manukau
Colourful, busy and bright, Manukau is where you'll find the world's largest Polynesian urban community. Sitting to the east of Manukau Harbour (and it's resident stingrays...), this is where you can come and enjoy the country's largest street market, at Otara, which springs to life every Saturday with stalls selling everything from fresh fruit and veg, to handcrafted clothing, jewellery and gifts.
You'll also find Westfield Manukau City nearby, too (one of the country's oldest malls), so even the more standard shopaholics will be satisfied. Manukau is also home to the Rainbow's End theme park, New Zealand's largest, which promises an adrenalin-packed day of rollercoasters, fairground rides, a log flume, motion simulator, and some more sedate family favourites like dodgems, carousels and arcades.
For the perfect come-down, explore the beautiful grounds of Auckland Botanic Gardens over in Manurewa. With more than 10,000 plants, and plenty of green spaces, it's the ideal spot for a lunchtime picnic.
