In a 10 days my wife and I will be arriving in Auckland at 6am for a cruise down eastern New Zealand, and up eastern Australia. Unfortunately we won't have access to our ship cabin until after 1pm at the earliest. What I am wondering is ...
1) Is there anywhere near the airport (or the ship for that matter) where we can store our luggage and carry-on's?, and
2) Are there any suggestions on how we can spend that first day in town? We don't have to be at the ship at 1, in fact we would be willing to not show up at the ship until that evening.

Thanks to all who have ideas...

There is a hop-on, hop-off bus you could take around town, or you could visit the Auckland Museum, or some of the wineries on Waiheke Island, or take the ferry to Devonport and stroll...there are lots of options.

Lee Ann

I assume that you won't be wanting too much action if you are arriving on a 6am flight. Maybe find a nice place to have breakfast and possibly do a city tour or harbour cruise.
If you check out this website
( www.aucklandnz.com/ ) you may find something suitable. Maybe e-mail them about your luggage storage problem as well, hopefully they will sort it out for you.

We arrived in AKL at 5AM, on a flight from LAX, and, having had somewhat of a sleep, were not affected by 'jet lag'.

From the AKL website:

<b>http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/Guide/landside_facil.php</b>

&quot;Baggage storage
Baggage storage is available at the Visitors Information Centre in the domestic transfer area, which is located on the ground floor. Charges are NZ$5 - NZ$10 for suitcases. For more information and charges on bulky items contact [email protected]

Open 7 days, first flight – last flight&quot;

If you have not been to AKL before, consider:

Take the 'Link' bus for a very cheap tour all around the city. Get a map to know where you are, and skip the 'Explorer' bus.

Walk up and down Queen St, and along the waterfront.

See the Sky Tower.

Storing luggage at the airport--as outlined in the previous post--is probably your best option, but you will of course have to retrieve it at the airport before going to the ship. The Link buses are the most convenient way to get around the city if you wish to visity a number of locations. If you're into museums, visit the War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain and/or the NZ National Maritime Museum, which is on the waterfront. Breakfast at The Occidental Belgian Beer Cafe on Vulcan Lane is recommended. Walking-shopping is excellent on Queen St. and Ponsonby Road. The Sky Tower affords stunning views of Greater Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf, and has several restaurants. And you can catch a Fullers Harbour Ferry to Waiheke Island for a day trip, visiting wineries (Te Whau and Stonyridge are standouts) for tasting and/or lunch.