Order a coffee, get some fresh air, takeaway your favourite meal or walk along the waterfront - it's our first weekend in alert level 3, and although we may not be able to experience the heart of the city as we did pre-lockdown, the waterfront can be walked along and a new contactless city is open and there's also plenty to enjoy online from home. Use our list below to help plan how you and your bubble will spend the weekend.
Pick up a coffee
The time has come that we can now get that perfect barista made coffee we have been so patiently waiting weeks for. There are plenty of city centre cafes now open for contactless ordering of coffee, see our list of cafes that are open to use as a guide on where to go for your next coffee fix.
Cycle the waterfront - Britomart to Silo Park
Perfect for a family activity or a solo ride for some 'me time', this easy 2km route along the waterfront is just the ticket to get some energy out during the day if you live local to the city centre. With less cars on the road, take some time to explore the city streets on your ride - you might just find a new laneway to explore once the lockdown lifts. Safe riding!
Visit the Virtual Auckland Art Fair
Art lovers get excited, the Auckland Art Fair has gone virtual and we are excited to share that this first ever Virtual Art Fair is now officially open, you can join them to discover more than 500 works, by more than 180 artists, from 35 galleries all free from your home. To visit the virtual fair, click here.
Academy Cinemas at home
Wind down and rent a flick from Academy Cinemas this weekend. Whether it be a movie with your family, your friends, flatmates or significant other, there is something for everyone in the Academy OnDemand library.
Take a night off from cooking and order a meal
Take some of the pressure off this weekend and let one of your favourite city centre restaurants do the cooking for you. From Amano to SOUL, Cassia and Hello Beasty, the options seem almost endless. See our guide for suggestions on where to order from for takeaway and delivery during alert level 3.
Auckland Writers Festival Winter Series
Auckland Writers Festival have just announced their 2020 Winter Online Series! Starting this Sunday May 3 at 9am and continuing once a week for 13 weeks, three writers will chat with series host Paula Morris, she will read from their work and answer audience questions. Episode One features Booker Prize joint winner Bernardine Evaristo on Girl, Woman, Other; NZ actor and writer Barbara Ewing with her about-to-be-published memoir One Minute Crying Time; and former Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard with Economists At War. Each episode will feature live and free to view on the Festival's YouTube and Facebook channels, and will then be uploaded to their website.
Explore a virtual gallery
John Walter, The Zany Capsid, 2017. Photograph by Sam Hartnett
Don't miss out on viewing an exhibition, visit the Auckland Art Gallery, or Gus Fisher Gallery digitally. View the Queer Algorithms exhibition at the Gus Fisher Gallery by looking, reading, and watching the assets they have provided on their 'Online Gallery' page on the website, or head to the Auckland Art Gallery website to take in their online collection.
Ellen Melville Centre quiz night (Sunday 3 May)
Wrack your brains with a virtual Quiz Night hosted by Mike Sheeran from the Ellen Melville Centre. Testing your world knowledge, expect questions on flags, food, language, history, culture and everything else in-between. Visit the Ellen Melville Centre Facebook page for details on how to play.
Explore city centre green spaces
Spend some time in nature and check out a city centre park to hang out in, if you live nearby it might make a good walk. Stroll through the greenery of Albert Park, kick a ball around Victoria Park, or view the boats from Silo Park.
Pick up an ice-cream from Giapo and sit by the water
Treat your bubble to an ice cream date on the waterfront. Using the Giapo app on your device, orders can be made for contactless pick-up or delivery. Pick up your dessert and walk through Britomart and down to Queen’s Wharf to take in the views of our wonderful Hauraki Gulf, or if you choose to go later in the evening stick around Britomart and enjoy your treat as you walk below the beautiful twinkling lights strung up above. Get your ice cream fix from 12-10pm Wednesday to Sunday.
If you are a city centre business we would love to hear from you about what you are currently offering at Alert Level 3. Please email us at info@heartofthecity.co.nz so we can support you by spreading the word and including you in relevant wrap ups.