Auckland, With Baby In Tow

By the ripe age of 10 weeks, my son had been on four continents and six plane journeys, so a trip to Auckland from Sydney around his six-month birthday would be a cake walk. The city may get flak for not being “New Zealand” enough — where are the fjords, the forests, the Lord of the Rings sets — and I suppose it may not be as picturesque as Milford Sound or Mount Cook, but for fashionistas, foodies and football fans it’s a must-know destination. And to my delight, the other f-word the city caters well to is “family.”

During our stay, our home base was the Hotel DeBrett, and for a hotel that looks like a Wallpaper* photo feature, it is a surprisingly child-friendly hotel. I was delighted to walk into our room and find a real wooden cot with beautiful linens, which I later found were handmade by the owner’s mother. The carpets, also handmade from 100% New Zealand wool, are softer than most other hotel mattresses — perfect for baby to roll around on. The honesty bar in the drawing room, exclusive for guests, was a great place for me to relax with a drink and some music of — both provided by the hotel, along with books, vinyls and DVDs to loan — while Marshall played on his little mat I brought in.

On the fashion front, Auckland boasts some seriously amazing New Zealand designers, many of which sit right on and around High Street near the DeBrett. Venturing a bit further to areas like Newmarket and Ponsonby will reward you with great cafes, bars and even more boutiques. We found some of the best children’s shopping I have encountered in Newmarket. Trelise Cooper was a highlight. It’s both a curse and a blessing that they only stocked things for little girls; I don’t know if my credit card could have handled it. The real stand-out was Laundromat, a boutique on Customs Street. While not exclusively for children, it features a healthy stock from Australian/New Zealand kids’ label Minti, which is just plain gorgeous. While you spend, your children can take a ride on the working vintage mechanical pony in the window or play with a selection of toys, a stylish Minti blanket doubling as a play mat.

At Laundromat. Photo: Nick Jacobs

On the foodie front, Auckland is a world-class coffee destination, and has a long-standing rivalry with Australia over who invented the flat white. Our favourite brew in the city was at Reslau in Elliot Stables. We also grabbed a few closer to home at Tasca in Vulcan Lane; their coffee was a bit more bitter but the staff just couldn’t get enough of my little guy and the pastries weren’t too shabby either.

After adventuring in retail therapy, we spent the next day exploring Waiheke Island, a 30-minute ferry ride from Auckland. This is a beautiful, relaxed and diverse spot: wineries meet beaches meet beautiful countryside. We packed a picnic and sat by the beach, where my son tried, and enjoyed, his first taste of fresh pineapple.

We also really enjoyed the Auckland Museum. It sits in the Auckland Domain and if you can handle the walk up the hill (I had my son strapped in me in a baby carrier) you will enjoy pleasant workout through the parklands. For children, the Weird & Wonderful Stevenson Discovery Centre features lots of hands-on activities and the Maori Court is a grand exhibition featuring truly impressive large-scale pieces such as the Hotunui, a beautiful wooden meeting house where parents can appreciate the intricate wooden craftsmenship while the kids run around inside.

Photo: Lori Beck

Throughout all our travels and experiences all we encountered were smiles, coos and genuinely friendly people willing to accommodate me and my son. The real test for everyone (myself included) will be to return when he is two, running around shops and restaurants with sticky hands and curious eyes…