Auckland, New Zealand

5th stopover

"Haere mai à Tamaki Makaurau" (Welcome to Auckland).

On Maori land, Auckland, a cosmopolitan city, plays host to over 1.3 million inhabitants. Built on and around an isthmus, whose width at its narrowest point doesn't exceed 2km, Auckland is bathed by the waters of the Pacific and the famous Hauraki Gulf, a natural marine theatre. Nicknamed the "City of Sails", it has hosted some ambitious sailing events on a number of occasions.

After two America's Cups, it will be accommodating the Volvo Ocean Race for the eighth time. With 130,000 boats in the surrounding ports and 40% of the Kiwi members registered in sailing clubs in the Auckland region, it certainly isn't by chance that it has been given such a nickname. Surrounded by dormant volcanoes, Auckland's landscape is also marked by the CBD, the central business district whose skyscrapers, and the Sky Tower in particular, pierce the sky. For the most courageous visitors, it's possible to do a bungee jump from the top of the 196m building that constitutes the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere.