Ponsonby – My Favourite Neighbourhood in Auckland

Auckland was our first stop on our epic adventure around New Zealand. Despite being warned beforehand that I would hate Auckland, because a lot of people seem to despise how built up it is, I loved it. I think part of its appeal was the neighbourhood we stayed in: Ponsonby.

This happened by chance after booking ourselves into a highly rated hostel there, not knowing the benefit of one neighbourhood over another. But it turned out to be a great decision. Here’s why.

The Accommodation

We stayed in Ponsonby Backpackers which is housed in a pretty, old building, situated on a quiet leafy street. It always seemed to be full of backpackers and there was a nice communal yard at the back where you could enjoy drinks with other travellers. We were also lucky as our room was bigger than some and we had French doors that opened up to offer a (albeit limited) view over the neighbouring rooftops. The staff on the front desk were also very friendly and happy to offer advice and suggestions on places to eat, etc. The only downside of this place was the almost ridiculously small showers, but I won’t hold that against them.

Auckland was the pick-up and drop-off point for our campervan and so we found ourselves back there for another night a little later in our trip, but this time Ponsonby Backpackers was full. We ended up staying in another one, Uenuku Lodge, which was also in Ponsonby (this was no coincidence on our part). This one was pretty similar, although the bathrooms were much bigger, but the residents were noisier and the rooms were a bit cramped.

Ponsonby Eateries

Along Ponsonby Road, you will find a whole array of dining options. We ate some of our favourite breakfasts in New Zealand (which is a tall order because a *lot* of them were delicious) at a little cafe called Lombardi’s who would ply us with huge bowls of flat white coffees, smoked salmon hash cakes and yummy pies. Yes, we did eat pies for breakfast. Judge all you like.

There is also a branch of one of my favourite burger chains, Burger Fuel, on Ponsonby Road, and at the time there was a great casual eatery where we had some delicious fusion cuisine, although a quick Google search suggests they may have closed down. If we’d wanted to be lazy, we could have very well just stayed in the neighbourhood to eat every night, because there was so much choice.

The Chapel Bar

We ended up going to this bar upon the recommendation of someone at our hostel and weren’t disappointed. It plays good music and gets busy on weekend nights, but it also has a “loo with a view” which offers a great view of the twinkling city skyline from up on the roof. That online is worth a visit and a drink.

Ponsonby Library

If you’ve read my New Zealand wifi post, you’ll know that the availability of internet access is expensive and scarce. Hence why we ended up spending so much time in Ponsonby Library, because they offered one free hour of internet each day.

Historical Walks

One quick wander around Ponsonby would be enough to alert you to the fact that the streets have a strong place in history; intricate and beautiful buildings house even the most mundane of shops and cafes. But there are plenty of free self-guided walks you can do around the neighbourhood to discover its history as a one-time home to broke artists, brothels and philosophers.
We may have discovered Ponsonby purely by accident, but it was no accident how much we fell in love with the neighbourhood, its leafy streets and its food. We did delve into other neighbourhoods while in Auckland, but some of them were more pretentious or hectic. Ponsonby is perfect place to feel like a local but be close enough to all the sights of the city that you’ll want to see.

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