Spring has finally broken, and summer is within reach, which means we can finally get out of hibernation and enjoy the fresh air and share some brinks with friends! And Auckland is home to some of the best garden bars in New Zealand (in this writer’s opinion at least) and we have chosen four of our favorites for you to check out (summer pub crawl??) that you can take in with friends and family when you visit us!
Little Creatures
Cult Aussie craft brewery Little Creatures set up shop in the historic Sunderland Hangar in Hobsonville Point earlier this year and it’s been a bastion of the community ever since. Hop heads can watch brewers working their alchemy before sampling the local drop Catalina Bay lager or whatever unique beer they whip up any given month. They also have a fantastic menu as well if you want to take in a bite, including wood-fired pizza, sharing plates, and fish ‘n’ chips. They even have a family-friendly play area for your littlest creatures, so you can sit back and relax!
Wild On Waiheke
Hop on a ferry and head over to Wine-Country Waiheke… before you get confused, this little island is famous for its grapevines, but it also features its own microbrewery! From the pale ale, wheat and malt crafties to cider and non-alcoholic ginger beer, there is something for everyone – so be sure to take a group! You can also take in a wood-fired pizza and if you aren’t in bliss relaxing in the sun, you can spend the afternoon playing giant chess or firing off a few shots in the archery range — the perfect way to burn some of those added calories!
Union Post
The newest bar on this list, Union post mixes gastropub-inspired lunch and dinner dishes that pair perfectly with cocktails in the courtyard or the rotating craft beer selection while watching the rugby. Union Post is the sort of place you can catch up with your mates and dance the night away or watch the rugby world cup this will fast become one of your favorite big-city watering holes!
Brothers Juke Joint
Brothers Beer has fast become the staple of Auckland breweries, famous of their focus solely on meat and beer – matching barbecue sauces range from traditional Americana to Asian fusion with the perfect beverage, poured fresh from one of nine massive stainless-steel tanks. Simplicity and comfort is at the heart of everything at Juke Joint, which features a grassy courtyard perfect for hazy summer evenings, while the inside is dotted with expansive couches ripped straight out of 1973!
September is shaping up to be a big month in the city, it seems as we inch closer and closer to summer all the great acts, events and gigs emerge from the woodwork to help get us excited and get us out and about! From international actors singing show tunes that all ages will love, to comedy and food tours – September has it all!
Here’s what’s happening in Auckland this September:
Hugh Jackman: The Man. The Music. The Show
Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony Award-winning performer, Hugh Jackman is stepping off the silver screen and onto the stage tis September to perfom songs from some the various films and theatre productions he has starred in such as The Grammy Award winning The Greatest Showman soundtrack, Peter Allen and Les Misérables! Joining him in New Zealand is actress and singer Keala Settle who will perform the Academy Award® nominated and Golden Globe Award winning song “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman and more. This is the perfect evening for fans of Jackman, musicals and fans of theatre!
Girlpool
The LA based guitar based indie folk/rock duo are coming to New Zealand in support of their critically-acclaimed album, What Chaos Is Imaginary. The duo, consisting of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad will bring the music infused with drum machines and synthesizers and beautiful/new harmonies and huge guitars and at least one orchestral breakdown by a string octet – this will be one show that isn’t to be missed, by music’s newest rising stars.
Dominion Rd Moon Festival
In East Asia and Southeast Asia, the Moon Festival (known as mid-Autumn Festival in the northern hemisphere) is a time to celebrate the arrival of the new moon – and The moon is the brightest on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. So come grab a lantern, enjoy the cultural music and take in the mouth-watering selection of ethnic foods that will be available from food trucks and stalls in the vicinity and of course, there is the huge selection of delicious options in the adjacent Balmoral town centre and along Dominion Road itself.
Fleetwood Mac
You read that right! The Legendary, Grammy-Award winning band Fleetwood Mac are hitting Auckland, playing all their hits and featuring the new line-up of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie along with newcomers Mike Campbell and New Zealand’s own Neil Finn! The group have been hyping up fans, both new and old by promising to “perform all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs” If that’s not an excuse to get along then I don’t know what is! Tickets are selling out fast, so get in quick!
