Darby Street,
Auckland Central
Auckland,


(09) 357 3980

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2 out of 5

It's a Wednesday night and town is dead, but Globe Bar is rammed. Why? Well, it’s full of backpackers and hospo peeps, and they're all up for it—the hospoes have the night off, and the backpackers have some mid-week folks to party with.

You'd think, given its name and location (it's tucked under Auckland Central Backpackers), that Globe Bar would be a worldly kind of place. It's not, really. It's just bullet-proof enough to handle whatever the world throws at it.

It's not really a bar, either, but more of a club. You get a stamp on your hand (with the Auckland Central Backpackers logo) when you enter, then walk down a flight of stairs.

Once inside, Globe is dark, wooden-floored and loud. It also seems to be sponsored by Export Gold—the walls and ceilings are painted black, with gold lighting above the bar and lots of Export logos.

The night I visit, the music's very hip-hoppy, and the dance floor is heaving at the far end under purple and blue lights. There are also a lot of people standing around looking at other people—mostly in an up-and-down fashion. No doubt some became good friends.

Further underlining the backpacker deal are the t-shirts on the staff (Kiwi Experience) and TV screens behind the bar promoting Vertigo, a Sky Tower climb.

NZ's action reputation is also bigged-up at the bar via Export-tagged, illuminated panels depicting white-water rafting and mountain boarding. Now try doing those after a few pints.

Pints? Real pints? Yep, no downsizing to mask price increases here. The glasses are plastic, admittedly, but a mere $5 when full.

What you have in Globe is good, cheap, safe fun. Cheap condoms in the loos, too, which is probably just as well. Happy hunting, should you feel so inclined...