Corner Gore and Fort Streets,
Auckland Central
Auckland,


(09) 307 1756

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3 out of 5

There's all kinds of shenanigans going on in this bar, tucked away under a backpackers in Fort Street, Auckland, on the Sunday evening I roll past.

Aucklanders tend to be a little parochial when it comes to going out—we stick with the areas we know. And these generally don't include the fringes of deep downtown.

But backpackers are parochial in their own globetrotting way, too: they head for downtown locations, wherever in the world they may be.

The result? Never the twain shall meet, when it comes to watering holes.

Well, that's not quite true. In the Camel Cafe & Bar there are clearly a few locals who are more permanent on the Auckland scene than the residents of the bunk rooms upstairs.

Perhaps they live nearby, or maybe they come to be faceless in a place filled with people passing through. Whatever, the mix seems to work.

It's actually not a bad spot. As in that other backpacker favourite, the Globe Bar, this place is big on Export beer. Tui, too, and Monteiths.

It makes interesting people-watching, coming here—there are a lot of acquired-for-travelling tattoos, Hoxton helmet haircuts (think mullet with a twist) and young ladies with flushed-looking countenances (down to the sun maybe?—or perhaps those tats and haircuts).

The Camel Cafe & Bar is bright and bullet-proof. It has cheap beer ($5 for proper pints), a pool table and a projection screen for sport that takes up a whole wall.

When I come by, golf is the go. It’s a nice backdrop for a single refreshing beer that's all the better for being a decent pour.

For some this place is a home from home: the English barmaid is having a cuppa when I am served; while for Aucklanders, well, it's something of an escape. Feeling adventurous?