Auckland Harbour Bridge Climb

It doesn’t take long when traveling through New Zealand to realize this country is extreme. Everything here, from the scenery to thrills, is just a little more elevated, a bit more intense, and in some ways a little more raw. Take, for example, the Auckland Harbor Bridge, which spans the width of Waitemata Harbor to bridge the Auckland coasts. It isn’t enough that this 3,348 ft. span is an iconic part of the skyline, so to take it up another notch, the city has tours where you can literally walk on top of the famous bridge. The view from here, as you might imagine, is inarguably the best in Auckland, as sailboats race beneath your feet and islands dot the coast. Look to the west towards the Waitakere Ranges and the vineyards and suburbs of West Auckland, or east to the hills of Waiheke Island and the Coromandel Peninsula beyond. The view looking north stretches all the way towards Whangarei past the procession of North Shore beaches, and the southern view is a sweeping panorama of Auckland’s city skyline. The only place you don’t want to look is directly beneath your feet—where 140 feet of air is all that separates the tips of your toes from the roiling whitecaps below.