Auckland's best

After spending close to a month in Auckland, I've come to know the city rather well. And before I leave, I thought I'd spend a few minutes and compile a list of Auckland's best. Enjoy.

-Best burger: The Hamburghini w/ cheese from Burger Fuel on Queen Street.
-Best meal value: Tie. Bolliwood Cafe on Ponsonby Street: all curries just $10 every day at lunch. And, Father Ted's Irish Pub on Wellesley Street: $15 steak dinner on Monday nights--the steak was juicy, tender and about the size of your head.
-Best sushi: Yummy Sushi on Victoria Street. Their sign don't lie--it was yummy!
-Best kebab: Shesh Besh Mediteranian Cafe on Ponsonby Street.
-Best way to watch a movie: At Sky Cinemas Gold Class Theater--plush leather recliners and waiters to bring you your choice of premium beers.
-Best way to spend an afternoon: Tie. Taste of Waiheke Island winery tour: 40 minute ferry ride out to the island, followed by a bus tour that stops at three wineries and an olive grove. Taste three wines at each winery (along with a couple of beers at the second one) and an olive oil tasting at the olive grove. And, Sail NZ Adventure. Two-hour cruise around the bay in an America's Cup-class racing yacht. Work the grinders to raise the sails, take your turn at the helm, and then sit back enjoy a great afternoon out on the water.
-Best gelato: This one you can absolutely take to the bank. I make it a point to stop at each and every gelato place I encounter and sample the fare. Having tasted the gelato from at least eight different places, I can say that Valentino's on the Quay is hand's down, no question about it, the best gelato in town!
-Best place to spot a whole herd? flock? school? pride? (not sure of the proper group name) of transvestite prostitutes: Karangahape Road Overbridge after dark. Yikes!
-Best place to find a used car: Trademe.co.nz (New Zealand's version of craigslist). Learned this one the hard way by going to the Backpacker's Car Market. Buying a car off someone who's about to leave the country is probably not the best option. Live and learn, huh?
-Best Walk: a meandering one through the Auckland Domain nature park all the way to the Auckland Natural History and War Memorial Museum. And tour the Museum once you get there.
-Best street performer: There are dozens of people on various street corners that perform for pocket change. Most sing or play some sort of instrument--from the harmonica to the banjo. But one girl, who according to her cardboard sign was the something or other school's chess champion in 2006, has a board set up right on the sidewalk and offers to play free games of six-minute speed chess with anyone willing to give it a go. This inevitably draws a crowd and she only asks that those who stop and watch give a buck or two. I gladly gave her five one day after watching her dispatch an overly confident and quite smug challenger in something like six moves.

If you ever find yourself in Auckland, feel free to use this list as a guide, or better yet, just have fun compiling your own "best" list!

Cheers