Swimming at Pt Chevalier: Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland City tops Conde Nast's must sees for 2023. Photo / Alex Burton
Swimming at Pt Chevalier: Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland City tops Conde Nast's must sees for 2023. Photo / Alex Burton
The City of Sails has topped the wish list of Conde Nast Traveller, saying 2023 is the year for planning a trip to the New Zealand super city.
Not merely by virtue of alphabetical order, football and direct flights are the reasons the venerable UK Travel magazine is promotingAuckland.
In anticipation of the first summer with open borders the city appears to be pulling out all the stops. “Auckland’s jam-packed events calendar seems to be making up for lost time,” says Paul Jebara of Conde Nast.
The magazine predicts football fans will be flocking to Auckland next year as one of nine host cities for the Women’s Fifa Football World Cup. The tournament kicks off in Eden Park on 20 July, during the event which is being shared with Australia and watched around the world.
Paige Satchell and Tameka Yallop welcome football fans to Eden Park which will be hosting the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Photo / Photosport
Queensland also made the List as Australia’s only submission. Indigenous-led experiences of the tropical north Conde Nast also noted that Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will be hosting games for the Fifa World Cup.
On the subject of sharing things with our neighbours across the Tasman, new direct air links from Australian and Kiwi airlines have made the trip even easier for UK travellers.
Mentioning Air New Zealand’s new direct service from New York, the publication says that Qantas’ rival JFK to AKL route will give UK travellers more options for reaching New Zealand when it launches in June.
“Air connectivity with the US has never been stronger,” says the publication.
Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef with Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel. Queensland mad the top 23. Photo / Tourism and Events Queensland
On the edge of the city, Conde Nast praised the “Scandi-inspired” Parohe Island Retreat on Kawau Island and advised travellers to make Auckland the start of a scenic rail journey, catching the Northern Explorer south.
Vetted by Conde Nast Editors from UK, US and India, they said that their wishlist was looking for opportunities “for richer engagement with local communities, slower travel, and more meaningful – and joyful – human connection.”
Looking to the more remote destinations, Peru’s Ollantaytambo plantations and the Mustang valley in Nepal make the list for 2023. As do a range of anniversaries and milestones.
Cycling in the Loire Valley in France for Louis XIV's 600th birthday. Photo / File
Loire Valley is welcoming visitors celebrating the 600 anniversary since the birth of the Sun King, Louis XIV and the UAE is marking 30 years of the Sharjah Biennial. The third largest Emirate Sharjah has emerged as a cultural capital - on a par with Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Conde Nast Traveller: The Best Places to Go in 2003
Auckland, New Zealand
Go for: Cultural and sporting events, new hotels, improved flight connectivity
British Columbia, Canada
Go for: New Indigenous-led experiences and wilderness lodges
Central California Coast, USA
Go for: New wine country stays, standout tasting rooms and restaurants
