According to the New York Times' new '52 Places to Go in 2023 list', Auckland is one of the best places in the world to visit in the coming year.
In fact, only four other locations beat out the City of Sails - Scotland’s Kilmartin Glen (fourth); the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in the United States (third); Morioka in Japan (second); and London, England (first).
According to the NYT's Susan Wright, getting a tasty bite to eat is the main attraction of our biggest city. Wright goes so far as to call Auckland the “culinary capital” of the country- apologising to Wellington in the same sentence.
“Pastries that rival France’s best, with a side of adventure tourism on the North Island” is how the piece introduces Auckland.
“Restaurants that have been germinating while the country’s borders were closed are now ready to be sampled by all,” Wright writes before giving a shoutout to multiple establishments and drawing attention to “the city’s famous multiculturalism.”
Hmm, we wonder what the non-Aucklanders (Wellingtonians in particular) think of all this.
Auckland has been receiving a bit of praise lately. Last year the city’s Karangahape Road was voted as the sixth ‘coolest’ street on the planet in a poll by Timeout Magazine, with the CBD street being called “the city’s bohemian heart and the home of a diverse and expressive community of artists, musicians, and creatives.”
As to why London is the number one place to go in 2023, NYT’s Tom Jamieson writes: “The city continues to juxtapose old traditions and new possibilities, offering something for everyone who loves culture, history, art and nightlife.”
No other New Zealand spots were named on the New York Times’ list, which consists of 52 locations in total. Australia’s Kangaroo Island and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park both appeared on the list, coming in at #7 and #29, respectively.
