The old joke is that visitors to New Zealand will find some idyllic recreation of 1950’s middle England, a place where people leave their doors unlocked, bake apple pies every Sunday and all the women-folk wear aprons. Even though the rather twee hand-made airport perpetuates this notion, get ready to be slapped in the face by the bold, 21st century girl that is Auckland.

The city teems with life, from the vibrant waterfront life (not for nothing is it called the ‘City of Sails’) through the busy, ever-expanding Downtown district to the highly individual suburbs and glorious beaches. Auckland may not be New Zealand’s capital (a distinction going to Wellington) but it’ll do. It’s New Zealand’s largest city and, along with Christchurch on the South Island, the major gateway to the joys of this most diverse and beautiful country.

The earth’s crust is very thin between Waitemata and Manukau harbours and fissures in the surface burst forth with magma every few thousand years, to create more volcanoes – the last some six hundred years ago, which formed Rangitoto Island, much to the consternation of the Maori settled on neighbouring Motutapu Island.

Current thinking has it that over 1,000 years ago, the first of many waves of Polynesian migrants arrived in New Zealand in double-hulled canoes, to begin hunting and limited cultivation on the fertile volcanic land. Highly defensible and numerous, the volcano-top sites covered by rich soil made wonderful settlements, which consequently flourished.

However, after the arrival of Europeans in the 1820s, the introduction of the gun (which led to a massive increase in inter-tribal warfare) and European-carried disease, the Maori population was decimated. In 1840, the British bought land in the area from the local Maori tribe, for £55 and some blankets. Auckland was made the capital city of New Zealand, which it remained until 1865, when Wellington took over.

As well as the harbours and fertile land, the city’s maritime climate is appealing. Its situation by the sea means that it never gets too hot in summer or too cold in winter. There may be occasional frosts during wintertime (June to August) but seldom anything too severe, while summer temperatures usually stay in the mid-20s Celsius (upper-70s Fahrenheit), although it can become quite humid.

Such a climate naturally leads to a healthy (and hedonistic) outdoor lifestyle. Although exact figures vary, it is said that there are more boats per capita here than in any other city in the world. There are over 500km (310 miles) of walking trails within Greater Auckland, as well as 22 leafy parks. But when the city palls, its inhabitants escape to the offshore Hauraki Gulf Islands, the Coromandel Peninsula or up the coast to another of the country’s seaside beauty spots, the Bay of Islands.

Boats to the islands leave the ferry terminal, a part of Auckland’s regenerated waterfront that was upgraded and revitalized for the 2000 Americas Cup challenge and the inglorious 2003 failure to retain the Louis Vuitton trophy. A little east is Queen Elizabeth II Square, and running south of the Square is Queen Street; the city’s main thoroughfare, on which stands the impressive Auckland Town Hall.

Queen Street eventually reaches Karangahape Road, which everyone calls K Road. Between K Road and the waterfront, is the heart of Auckland City. To the southeast is the sophisticated Parnell district, with the Auckland Museum and Auckland Domain Park, while northwest of the centre is Herne Bay and Ponsonby – full of hip and happening bars and cafés.

Support for the aforementioned hedonistic outdoor lifestyle is provided by a prosperous economy, with tourism one of this country’s biggest and fastest expanding earners – particularly since the film release of, and positive response to, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Filmed in New Zealand, the movies created an advantageous knock-on effect for the city’s business and finance sectors, making Auckland a city in bloom, if not entirely booming.