Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and as such has lots of places to connect to the internet. In the Central Business District (CBD), or downtown as many folk call it, there are completely free locations and also ones where you might have to buy a drink, bite to eat or do a bit of shopping.
1) Britomart
Right down at the bottom of Queen Street near the waterfront is the Britomart Transport Centre. At this location there is the free wifi provided by Tomizone which can also be found at other council sites around Auckland. You get 1GB free per day. Simply search for ‘ AucklandWiFi@Tomizone ‘ on your device. Explore the Britomart website
Credit: Big Blue Ocean @ Flickr CC
2) Auckland Libraries
All of the libraries across Auckland provide a free internet service to visitors including those from overseas. Once again this uses the Tomizone service which offers 1GB of bandwidth per day to each user. A handy popup notifies you when you are about to use this data up. There are 55 libraries across Auckland and the key ones that travellers may be near to are:
- Central City Library, 44-46 Lorne St
- Parnell Library, Jubilee Building, 545 Parnell Road
- Leys Institute Library (Ponsonby), 20 St Marys Road
To get onto the wifi simply search for ‘Auckland WiFi’ and then connect! It’s worth noting that the 1GB limit applies across all libraries that you visit so you can’t just nip between them for more surfing!
3) Auckland Airport
Many travellers arrive and leave via Auckland Airport so it’s great to know that you can get 2 hours of free internet when passing through. Again it’s really simple to get online simply search for ‘Auckland Airport’ on your devices wifi settings and then follow the instructions. You can connect with your laptop, tablet or mobile.
If you need more than 2 hours there is an option to pay for additional access. For more details on this visit the Auckland Airport website.
Credit: Robert Linsdell @ Flickr CC
4) Skycity Auckland Complex
The Skycity complex is nice and easy to find in Auckland – just head to the massive Skytower!!! Underneath is a hotel and casino complex which also provides a free wifi service to visitors. Just head inside the foyer and search for the free wifi on your internet enabled device. If you are having trouble connecting to this wifi head to the i-site visitor centre which also offers free wifi.
5) i-site Visitor Centres
As a traveller to New Zealand you will quickly learn that the i-sites are a treasure trove of tourist information and leaflets. You can also book activities and accommodation through them with no additional charges. Many of the visitor centres now offer free wifi but these ones in Auckland are the best bet if you are in town:
- Auckland i-SITE Visitor Information Centre – Princes Wharf, Shop 2, Shed 19, 137 Quay Street
- Auckland i-SITE Visitor Information Centre – SkyCity, Cnr Victoria & Federal Streets , Victoria Street
- DOC Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Visitor Centre, Shed 19, 137 Quay St, Princes Wharf
6) Spark Free Wifi
Spark is one of the largest telecommunications companies in New Zealand and they offer landlines, mobile contracts and broadband. As you travel NZ you may wonder why people congregate around phone boxes – it’s not to listen in on conversations but connect up to the wifi hubs that are also installed in them!
If you are in NZ for a few months it’s worth checking out their $19 mobile sim which also includes 1GB of free wifi a day at all their access points. If you aren’t signed up they offer a free 15 min trial to new users and if you like what they are offering you can then pay $9.95 a month. To setup the trial you will need an NZ phone number that accepts txt messages. To find a wifi point look out for the pink phone boxes or visit the Spark store which is on Queen St.
7) McDonalds Restaurants
We are guessing you don’t need to tell you how to find a McDonalds! Well whether you like their fast food or not they do offer FREE wifi across all their restaurants in New Zealand. So why not get a small drink and surf away?! If you are in Auckland these restaurants will be your nearest port of call:
- 260 Queen St
- 12 Quay St
There are 20 restaurants in Auckland and you can find your nearest by visiting their find a restaurant page.
8) The Warehouse Auckland
You won’t find many travel guides saying this but The Warehouse is one of our highlights of visiting New Zealand! Full of everything you could ever want or buy from coolers to wetsuits it’s a one stop Kiwi shop. And the even better news is that they offer free wifi in all of their stores. In Auckland you can find stores in the following locations:
- The Warehouse in Atrium, 21 Elliot Street, Auckland CBD
- The Warehouse Newmarket, 64-74 Broadway, Newmarket
9) Youth Hostels
You have to sleep at some point and where better than one of Auckland’s amazing range of hostels. Many of them also include free wifi so if surfing the internet is high on your list of priorities then you may want to choose a hostel based on this. YHA hostels provide 5GB of free wifi per device per day. Other hostels which include free wifi to their guests include Haka Lodge, Brown Kiwi and Nomads Auckland. Of course if internet access is important you may also want to check out how near your accommodation is to the other wifi spots listed in this guide!
10) Auckland Art Gallery & Botanic Gardens
Another two locations that make use of the Tomizone wifi with 1GB per day allowance. The Auckland Art Gallery is located on the corner of Kitchener & Wellesley Street and is open every day except Christmas Day. Simply head inside (it’s free entry) and search for ‘Auckland Art Gallery’ on your device.
The Botanic Gardens is also open every day except Chrimbers and is located at 102 Hill Road, Manurewa. As well as letting your cares drift away you can jump online and check out more details on the flora and fauna on display.
Credit: Bernard Spragg @ Flickr CC
11) Public Transport Terminals
Part of the Auckland Transport (AT) network includes free wifi at train stations and selected bus stations and ferry terminals across Auckland. For those staying in Auckland a while you can get 1GB free internet a day with your AT Hop Card which gets your around the public transport. For visitors you can use a 10 minute trial at any of their locations. To find out where the different stations or terminals are visit their wifi info page.
12) Westfield Shopping Centre
This shopping centre is located in Newmarket which is one of the main shopping districts in Auckland. So if you are in need of retail therapy whilst on your travels this centre offer 1GB of free internet access per day and is provided by the Vodafone network so you know it’s going to be good! Once you arrive at the shopping centre simply search for ‘WestfieldFreeWifi’ on your device. For more details check out their info page.
13) Burger King & Wendys
If you still need that fast food fill when travelling and backpacking you may as well get some free internet access whilst you’re there! Both Wendy’s and Burger King offer free wifi to their customers so even if it’s just a drink you are getting you can sit down and get some surfing in. In Auckland the main locations to check out are:
- Burger King Auckland CBD, 222 – 228 Queen Street
- Burger King Newmarket, 80 Broadway
- Wendy’s 290 Queen Street
To check out the full list of restaurants view their info page.
14) Starbucks
Not the average haunt of an NZ backpacker but what’s the harm of a cheeky luxury coffee whilst you browse backpackerboard?! Starbucks all have free wifi for their customers so see how cheap you can go on the menu then snuggle down in one of their comfy chairs and grab the wifi. In central Auckland there is a branch on 37 Symonds St and one at 220 Queen St. There are 11 locations across Auckland to choose from.
15) New World Supermarket
Down behind the Skytower next to Victoria Park is the New World supermarket. This is a great place to pick up supplies and is much cheaper than some of the smaller convenience stores located in the centre of town. Of course the big draw is that they provide free internet for all their customers. So if you need to stock up on Maggi noodles you know where to head…