Auckland is full of iconic landmarks - those places, objects or art that just reminds you of the city or for residents, of home. Localist checks out some of our most famous landmarks, and unearths the history and interesting gems about them!
The 328m (1076 feet) Sky Tower is the pride and joy of the Auckland sykline. Living up to its name, the tower dwarfs all surrounding buildings by comparison.
It was first opened on March 3, 1997 after 2.5 years of construction by Fletcher Construction and Beca Group. The main rocket-like structure of the tower is a reinforced concrete shaft measuring 12 metres in diameter. It is supported by eight reinforced concrete ‘legs’ at the base, connected to the shaft by a concrete collar and designed to spread force load.
One of the biggest challenges faced during construction was actually trying to keep the tower perfectly straight! Measurements had to be taken from three different points surrounding the tower - from the ASB Bank building, Mt Eden and the Coopers and Lybrand building - to derive the precise centre point of the structure.
Lasers were positioned on the base pad that shone up to the jump platform in a grid to provide verticality readings, and daily real-time readings were taken using seven global positioning satellites to confirm the exact position of the tower. Phew!
The Sky Tower is built to withstand some pretty extreme conditions, including earthquakes measuring up to an 8.0 on the Richter scale. If you're ever up in the tower and feel it gently swaying, don't be scared, the tower is designed to sway up to 1m in high winds.
What to do: View Auckland from up high, Skyjump (base jumping from 192m up the tower), Skywalk (walk around the outside ring of the tower at 192m) or dine at the Observatory Restaurant or Orbit, a revolving restaurant
How to get there: The Sky Tower is located right in the heart of the CBD, you can't miss it! Just follow the tallest building in Auckland...
What to expect: SkyCity is an entertainment hub at the base of the tower. There are two hotels attached to the complex, a casino as well as bars and restaurants.
Tips: Take a taxi or catch public transport to save on parking costs. You can validate parking within the SkyCity complex, but it can still be expensive.