Popularly known as the “city of sails”, with the sheltered Waitemata Harbor at its doorstep dotted with hundreds of yachts, Auckland boasts of many nautical events and is the most lively and multicultural city in New Zealand.
Located between the Waitemata and Manukau harbour, its geography is such that glistening waters seem to beckon from every point. It is a water lover’s paradise, with some of the best beaches, swimming, diving, fishing, sailing, windsurfing and other water sports in the country. It’s a place where everyone lives within a 30 minute drive of white sand beaches, lush rainforest, over 20 regional parks and a maritime playground embracing 50 islands. Nevertheless, with a landscape dominated by volcanic hills, and breathtaking scenery, exciting nightlife and alternative shopping experience from Queen Street to flea markets and other diverse attractions has made Auckland, much more than merely a hotspot for the seasoned sailor.
One such attraction is the Sky Tower, offering spectacular views over all of Auckland. At 328 meters in height, it is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand with three unforgettable viewing platforms and Auckland’s only 360-degree rotating restaurant. The viewing platforms are accessed by way of glass-fronted lifts, which can whiz up the tower in a speedy 40 seconds! The Main Observation levels features state-of-the-art technology, providing live weather updates and touch screen computers containing geographical data while the Outdoor Viewing Platform consists of high-powered binoculars and is clearly not for the faint hearted! The highest public observation area is the Sky Deck, with seamless glass that provides 360-degree unobstructed views that simply take one’s breath away. For more thrills and excitement visitors can Skywalk round the pergola at 192 meters up or for a greater rush, simply Sky Jump off the tower, which is one of Auckland City’s “don’t miss!” experiences.
Auckland city makes a great base for exploring North Island scenic highlights such as Cape Reinga, The Bay of Islands, Coromandel, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua and Taupo and a stay in one of the many hotels in Auckland would complete the total ‘Kiwi experience’. The Langham Auckland is one of the better known hotels Auckland NZ that is a haven of tranquility in this vibrant city, which is conveniently located within walking distance of the commercial center and waterfront, one mile from Sky Tower, and approximately 15 miles from Auckland International Airport.
Like other International Open Tennis tournaments, this event will also hold singles and doubles matches between some of the world’s top tennis players. The full player list for this big event has already been announced which is set to give you a top class field of tennis action.
Heineken Open 2009 highlights four top-20 ranked players of the world among several other rising tennis players. These stars include both finalists from 2008 Heineken Open who will compete in the tennis tournament to defend their title. Players from the tennis Davis Cup final will also participate in this event.
The Heineken Open 2009 men’s tennis international event usually takes place every year before the Australian Open. The announced singles line-up includes Juan Martin del Potro, David Ferrer, Robin Soderling, Nicolas Almagro, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Sam Querrey, Albert Montanes and Juan Monaco along with several others. Philipp Kohlschreiber will be defending his title this year. Some of the other players in the Singles Main Draw include Igo Kunitsyn, Jose Acasuso, Victor Hanescu, Robby Ginepri, Ernests Gulbis, Marc Gicquel, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marcel Granollers, Viktor Troicki, Eduardo Schwank and Florent Serra.
2008 Heineken Open Tennis was a big event which saw seven players rank in the top 30. 2009 will be another great event as it promises to bring professional tennis and great entertainment from ASB Tennis Centre, Parnell, Auckland. Here is a quick player profile for tennis players in this years line-up:
Juan Martin del Potro – Coming from Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro is currently ranked as World’s No. 9 tennis player. He is the first player in ATP history to win his first four career titles in as many tournaments. He is definitely one of the top contenders for this title.
David Ferrer – A Spanish professional tennis player, David Ferrer is currently ranked as world’s no. 12. He was a former World’s No. 4 and is known as a dangerous clay court player.
Robin Soderling – This 24 years old professional tennis player has won 3 career titles so far. He came 2nd in the Australian Open in 2004, and has several career records. Nicolas Almagro – Nicolas Almagro Sanchez Rolle from Spain is another talented tennis player. He has been a former No. 11 and won several career titles.
Philipp Kohlschreiber – Coming from Germany, Philipp has won four doubles and two single titles so far in his sports career. He has achieved a highest ranking of No. 24 so far.
Sam Querrey – This American tennis player is currently ranked as 42nd in the world. He has won 1 singles title so far in his tennis career, and has defeated many tennis players in his sporting history.
Albert Montanes – This Spanish tennis player is currently ranked as world’s no. 44 and has won 1 single and 1 double career title so far.
Juan Monaco – Monaco from Argentina is another of the top contenders in the list. He has achieved World’s top 14 so far and has won several singles and doubles career titles.
One of the biggest multi-national and multi-sport event – Commonwealth Games – was started in 1930 under the name ‘British Empire Games’ and involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. When it comes to the wide choice of sports in this particular event, each candidate city looking to host a Commonwealth Games is supposed to include a minimum of 10 core sports on their programme.
History
During the first Commonwealth Games in Hamilton in 1930, there were only six sports in the entire programme: Athletics, Aquatics (Swimming & Diving), Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, and Wrestling. Later the Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee proposed a few outlines and factors to be included in the programme, which were included in the regulation 6 of the CGF Constitution.
Overview
As per the guidelines, the host country can include up to an additional 7 games from a list of optional sports, with a maximum of 4 team sports on their programme. They can choose these games from a huge list that includes: Billiards/Snooker, Canoeing, Golf, Handball, Life Saving, Softball, Yachting / Sailing and Volleyball.
Surprisingly, Cricket – the highest acclaimed sport in the world – was included once in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 Commonwealth Games, but is still an unrecognized sport in the list of CGF.
On the other hand, Commonwealth Youth Games are permitted to include a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 sports. Out of these, maximum 2 can be team sports. Athletics and Swimming are mandatory in the list.
Games Scheduled For Commonwealth 2010
2010 Commonwealth Games, going to be held in Delhi, will have a total of 17 games. These are:
Aquatics (Diving & Swimming) Archery (first appeared in Brisbane 1982) Athletics (featured in every Commonwealth Game till now) Badminton (made its debut in Kingston 1966) Boxing (Featured from Hamilton 1930 to Melbourne 2006) Cycling (first included in London 1934) Gymnastics (first included in Edmonton 1978) Hockey (introduced in Kuala Lumpur 1998) Lawn Bowls (included on every programme except Kingston 1966) Net Ball (introduced in Kuala Lumpur 1998) Rugby 7’s (team sport introduced in Kuala Lumpur 1998) Shooting (made its first appearance in Kingston 1966) Squash (made its debut in Kuala Lumpur 1998) Table Tennis (first appeared in Manchester 2002) Tennis (will make its debut in Delhi 2010) Weightlifting (core sport for men and women since Auckland 1950) Wrestling (featured in Hamilton 1930)
Apart from the above mentioned sports, the list of CGF includes games like Rowing, Judo, Fencing, Basketball, Ten Pin Bowling, Triathlon, Waterpolo etc. But these are not included in 2010 list.
Overlooking the Waitemata Harbour, Bastion Point in Auckland, New Zealand is a stunning coastal land which is renowned for offering spectacular views. It is also well known for being an ideal place for outdoor activities. Bastion Point was an important piece of land, which was initially owned by Ng?ti Wh?tua, the indigenous people of New Zealand. This exceptional land was owned by Ng?ti Wh?tua prior to the British Colonial rule while significant development took place during the period of 1840 and 1950. Due to its fine strategic location over Waitemata Harbour, the government of New Zealand decided to create a military outpost in Bastion Point in 1885. Even today the remainders of World War II can be witnessed at the site with numerous lookout bunkers and gun emplacements available. Bastion Point is the famous setting of the Savage Memorial for the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand who was the local legend Michael Joseph Savage. The garden is very well maintained and is complete with a pool, impressive art deco memorial and obelisk. The reflective pool is surrounded by hedges and splendid flower-beds. The memorial is built on the site that used to be the gun emplacement which dates back the 1880’s ‘Russian Scare’. The wide open spaces at Bastion Point is ideal for those who wish to enjoy outdoor sports such as flying a kite, picnicking, playing a game of football or simply unwinding under the sun. The point is open to the public throughout the week from 6.30 in the morning to 9 in the evening. Visitors can reach the point from Tamaki Drive. Those who wish to admire the scenic beauties offered at Bastion Point can do so by staying conveniently at a nearby Spa in Auckland . For instance, Chuan Spa Auckland is a renowned Auckland Spa that features an extensive range of contemporary amenities and professional service.
Auckland does not need formal introduction in tourism business. But apart from natural beauty and fabulous human made structure, hospitality of the city has also drawn tourists’ attention from all over the world. Here, in this context, we can not miss a name ‘SwasBrookTours’. It has quite significant role in blooming tourism industry in the Auckland, New Zealand. Well! No need to wonder how special it is. Anybody can check out its services viz.
Tours and Charters Nationwide
Sports Clubs School Charters
Tavern Tours Party Buses
Corporate Wine Trails & Business Outings
Churches & Senior Citizen Groups
Whether you are planning a business trip or family outing, you will always find SwasBrookTours as an ultimate solution for all your outing needs. The company strives to make your hassle free, amusing and memorable as well. The company serves all sorts of need from small local trip to nationwide tour. Safety and comfort of yours, your family and friend is its utmost priority.
As a tourist, who would not wish to have some nice time amid unspoiled and spectacular scenario of Auckland, New Zealand? SwasBrookTours offers you varieties of tour plan for days and night. As a prominent guide, company is always ready to serve or manage even a large size of groups or teams. Professionally well trained staff member would never disappoint you in terms of adequate services and facilities.
Undoubtedly, New Zealand is a great country and especially the city Auckland is globally known for its ultra life style. SwasBrookTours does understand its significance and hence you can get perfect glimpse of the city and country with the help of expert SwasBrookTours’ guides. The best part is their honesty. You would never feel cheated during or after the tour.
SwasBrookTours offers special scout facility for kids and handicap people. Its fleet of luxury coaches ensures high-end safety and comfort during the on road journey. Well! So many nice words are not like a biased opinion. The company really deserves it. If any body has any doubt then he or she can feel free to check out compliments from the prominent names like McDonald’s Restaurant, Lion Breweries, East Coast Community Trust, Principal of St Mary School and a lot more.
Auckland does not need formal introduction in tourism business. But apart from natural beauty and fabulous human made structure, hospitality of the city has also drawn tourists’ attention from all over the world. Here, in this context, we can not miss a name ‘SwasBrookTours’. It has quite significant role in blooming tourism industry in the Auckland, New Zealand. Well! No need to wonder how special it is. Anybody can check out its services viz.
• Tours and Charters Nationwide
• Sports Clubs School Charters
• Tavern Tours Party Buses
• Corporate Wine Trails & Business Outings
• Churches & Senior Citizen Groups
Whether you are planning a business trip or family outing, you will always find SwasBrookTours as an ultimate solution for all your outing needs. The company strives to make your hassle free, amusing and memorable as well. The company serves all sorts of need from small local trip to nationwide tour. Safety and comfort of yours, your family and friend is its utmost priority.
As a tourist, who would not wish to have some nice time amid unspoiled and spectacular scenario of Auckland, New Zealand? SwasBrookTours offers you varieties of tour plan for days and night. As a prominent guide, company is always ready to serve or manage even a large size of groups or teams. Professionally well trained staff member would never disappoint you in terms of adequate services and facilities.
Undoubtedly, New Zealand is a great country and especially the city Auckland is globally known for its ultra life style. SwasBrookTours does understand its significance and hence you can get perfect glimpse of the city and country with the help of expert SwasBrookTours’ guides. The best part is their honesty. You would never feel cheated during or after the tour.
SwasBrookTours offers special scout facility for kids and handicap people. Its fleet of luxury coaches ensures high-end safety and comfort during the on road journey. Well! So many nice words are not like a biased opinion. The company really deserves it. If any body has any doubt then he or she can feel free to check out compliments from the prominent names like McDonald’s Restaurant, Lion Breweries, East Coast Community Trust, Principal of St Mary School and a lot more.
Renowned as Volcano City with its’ central road ways and suburbs shaped by molten lava routes, Auckland is New Zealand’s largest and most culturally diverse town. With a growing number of Asians and a massive Polynesian community Auckland is a city lined with trendy metropolitan neighborhoods and lush properties that stretch out for miles. Home to the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest edifice, the Sky Tower and Mount Eden, the New Zealand National Maritime Museum and picturesque Albert Park are also located in bountiful Auckland. But a trip to Auckland would be incomplete without visiting one of its true superstructures, the Vector Arena. With an impressive 12,000 spectator capacity, this monumental stadium in the heart of Auckland has hosted some of the biggest stars in the field of music, entertainment and sports. Providing varied accommodation for a myriad of events, Vector Arena is also a lyric theatre ideal for intimate musical shows with a limited number of audience members. With retractable and detachable seats the venue is perfect for any event including ice shows, sports events, ballets, orchestral performances and even business conferences. Built at a cost of 80 million dollars, Vector Arena could be dubbed the Madison Square Garden’s of New Zealand as 200 world class acts performed at its gala opening event back in ’07.Designed with state of the art features and traditional motifs typical of the Maori Iwi, Vector Arena is the ultimate culmination of cultural heritage and modern sophistication. Opened in March ’07, Vector Arena has become a permanent fixture in the international artists’ tour route as the arena has seen over 500,000 fans attend a whopping 70 shows in the stadium’s brief history. World famous acts such as Coldplay, The Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls and Eric Clapton have graced its stage to date in addition to Carlos Santana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Andrea Bocelli and Def Leppard in a catalogue that encompasses 80 top-notch acts and events such as the WWE Raw Live Tour, Disney on Ice and the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. The Green Room lounge with its exclusive VIP features is another must-see locale as it offers a private lounge, an exclusive catering staff, Cash Bar and a gourmet menu among other facilities. The private suites at the arena accommodate a minimum of 18 persons while VIP parking spaces are also available. For scrumptious treats and refreshments, look no further than the Bistro Arena where guests can enjoy meals with views over the city’s breathtaking skyline. There are seven food and beverage stalls in total at the venue serving everything from hotdogs to bubbly champagne. Accessible by wheelchair, the seating arrangements in the arena have also been built to accommodate those with limited mobility. A Hearing Assistance system is also in place for those with hearing difficulties in addition to braille signs and tactile indications for those with visual disabilities. Conveniently located within close range of the city’s public transportation links such as the Britomart train/bus station and the ferry terminal downtown, the venue is also near public parking spaces while mobility parking and bus parking are available onsite. The Langham Auckland is ideal for those who are looking for an Auckland hotel close to Auckland’s popular attractions. Comfortable and stylish this elegant rest is undoubtedly one of the nation’s premier Auckland hotels.