Itinerary

1. Natural Cultural and Historical East Auckland Tour

   • Meet the tour guide, who will pick you up at your hotel (or any other meeting point) at 9:00 a.m., and start our journey to explore the natural, cultural and historical East Auckland.
   • Visit Barry Curtis Park, the largest urban park in Auckland, with a total land area of 94 hectares. It is situated in Flat Bush, a new township in the southern part of East Auckland. There is 55 km of a protected natural stream and gully trap areas for bird life and native fauna to flourish. The park is named after long-serving Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis, who served from 1983 to 2007. The walking path is fully paved and mostly flat, suitable for all ages. It has become a popular park for locals to walk and exercise. We take a short walk along the path to enjoy the fresh air and admire nature.
   • Travel to Foguangshan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in New Zealand, situated just beside Barry Curtis Park, which occupies a total land area of 4 hectares. It was built over 7 years at the cost of NZD 20 million and designed in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. A big Buddha statue and a 2-tonne bell are hanging outside the main shrine. Opened in late 2007, it promotes Humanistic Buddhism and encourages interfaith, education and cultural diversity. Apart from the main shrine, there is also a nicely decorated garden exhibition hall with different exhibitions throughout the year, such as art, painting, calligraphy etc. There is a cafe called Water Drop Cafe, serving delicious vegetarian food and different kinds of tea in a relaxed environment. 
   • Continue our exploration to Howick Historical Village, situated in Lloyd Elsmore Park, one of Auckland's largest sports parks, including cricket, netball, rugby, badminton, swimming pool and others. The village is a living history museum with 7 acres of grounds and gardens with a collection including art, furniture, textiles, and original wooden buildings to show early Auckland life between 1840 - 1880 by early settlers (fencibles) from Britain. Fencibles were retired soldiers or marines who fought wars for Britain in the 1930s and 1940s. They received a small amount of pension after retiring and were offered to live a new life with their families in Auckland. You can open the door to real homes and experience living history by yourself. (Guests have the option to choose either to have lunch in Foguangshan Temple vegetarian cafe or a local cafe in George and Elizabeth White's Homestead in Howick Historical Village before touring the village.)
   • Depart from the village at 3:00 p.m. and get back to the hotel.