Is there free WiFi in Auckland?

While New Zealand might be wonderful for 101 things widely-available decent WiFi isn't one of them. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist and Auckland – as the largest city – has plenty of options; good news for all of those addicted to the internet or social media.

For a detailed guide on this subject check out our blog post on the top 15 places to get free wifi in Auckland.

Auckland is one of only three New Zealand cities which have a WiFi hotspot scheme – AucklandWiFi@Tomizone which is great if you only need 1gb of internet data per day. Two of the best locations for this are the Britomart at the bottom of Queen Street and the Central City Library on 44-46 Lorne St. There are also other great places to pick up free internet access but with some you may need to buy a drink or food as it's for customers only:

• Auckland Airport - offers travellers arriving or leaving NZ 2 hours of free internet access and there is an option for pay if you need more time because your flight is delayed!
• SkyCity Complex - This fancy casino and hotel complex houses the Skytower as well as free internet for visitors. There is also a free wifi point at the visitor information centre as well
• i-Site Visitor Centres - these are located all over the centre of Auckland including Princes Wharf at the bottom of Queen Street
• Spark Internet - Spark has wifi access points in the phone boxes across NZ. You can't miss them as they are bright pink. New users get a free 15 min trial to see if it is for you. You can then choose to pay per month or sign up for one of their sim only packages to get calls cheaper while you are in NZ
• McDonalds, Burger King & Wendys - you are sure to spot one of these fast food restaurants in the centre of town and all of them offer free wifi to their customers
• Auckland Hostels - Most of the city centre hostels offer some form of free internet access so make sure to check when you are booking your accommodation.
• New World & The Warehouse - both of these supermarkets offer free wifi to customers and its a great chance to do some food or gear shopping while you are doing it!