It’s extinct now (the last blast was 60,000 years ago), but there’s still plenty of activity on this 75-hectare sprawl. Today, however, these events are urban-activated rather than geologically triggered.
Opened in 1840, the Domain is the city’s oldest park and home to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Its flat, grassy land is a lure for cricket balls in summer, muddied rugby jerseys in winter and a steady stream of joggers.
The Wintergarden features many exquisite flora specimens. Go inside one of the glasshouses for a sniff of the exotic Dr Seuss-like flowers, or take a wander through the Fernery.
The Wintergarden also plays host to the occasional Shakespearean production. Staged by the lily pond, these performances are just the tip of the Domain’s creative iceberg.
If it’s a summer Sunday, live jazz, piped from the 93-year-old rotunda, fills the air. Annually, the Domain plays host to Groove in the Park and the SkyCity Starlight Symphony.
However, it’s the family-focused Coca Cola Christmas in the Park that fills the Domain to near capacity each December, as around 300,000 Aucklanders converge to belt out Xmas carols.