Manukau City Travel Guide
Manukau City accommodation, Manukau City activities and attractions, Manukau City maps, transportation to and around Manukau City - the ALL NEW Jasons Manukau City Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Manukau City.
Manukau City, located in the heart of
South Auckland is Auckland's fastest growing city. The region enjoys a dynamic multi-cultural population - about 20 Polynesian languages and dialects are spoken here. South Auckland also extends to the rich farmlands of
Clevedon and Whitford.
Much of the area comes under the umbrella of Manukau City, which takes its name from the Manukau Harbour. Maori legend tells of the portage of the canoe, Tainui, from Tamaki River to the broad harbour. As the voyagers paddled down the harbour, a Tainui elder was alarmed by what were believed to be human voices. Later the cries were discovered to be birds - hence,
he manu kau noa iho (they were only birds). In keeping with its geographic vastness, Manukau City has one of New Zealand's largest shopping centres. The region's visitor attractions include
Rainbow's End Amusement Park, the
Botanic Garden at Manurewa, and the colourful Polynesian market at Otara each weekend. South of Manukau, the village of Clevedon is known for its polo ground, which hosts the annual NZ Polo Champs. Further south, around the Bombay Hills, the fertile soils are used for market gardening.