Auckland

Explore New Zealand’s widest clinical range

Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand and the main way in and out of the country. For doctors it holds the widest range of subspecialty work anywhere here, with beaches, islands and regional parks all within easy reach of the city.

Auckland at a glance

Main centres:
Auckland city, North Shore, Waitākere, Manukau

Population:
Regional population: 1,816,000
Largest urban centre: 1,794,400

Health districts:
Waitematā, Auckland, Counties Manukau

Main hospitals:
Auckland City, Middlemore, North Shore, Waitākere

Summer average high:
23°C in January

Winter average high:
15°C in July

Sunshine:
2,060 hours a year

Rainfall:
1,240 mm a year

One city, three Auckland health districts

Three Health New Zealand districts cover Auckland, and which one you join changes your experience of the city a fair bit.

Waitematā covers the North Shore, Waitākere and Rodney, with North Shore Hospital at Takapuna and Waitākere Hospital at Henderson. It also hosts the National Poisons Centre, the Northern Regional Spinal Unit and the Waitematā Breast Centre.

Auckland, also called Te Toka Tumai, covers the central city. Health New Zealand describes Auckland City Hospital as a major tertiary referral centre with complex surgical and medical services, affiliated with the University of Auckland. Starship Children's Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre sit alongside it.

Counties Manukau covers south and east Auckland, built around Middlemore Hospital, an advanced tertiary hospital that hosts the National Burns Centre. Kidz First Children's Hospital, Manukau Health Park and Pukekohe Hospital sit in the same district.

Where the subspecialty work sits in Auckland

Several national specialist services are based in Auckland. For a number of subspecialties this is where the volume, the complexity and the academic links are.

If your practice needs a large referral base, strong research connections or a multidisciplinary team of a certain size, Auckland is often the best place to start looking in New Zealand.

It's also the easiest place to fly from, which counts for conferences and for getting back to family overseas.

Living in Auckland, between two harbours

Auckland sits between two harbours on a field of old volcanoes, with surf beaches on the west coast and the Hauraki Gulf islands on the east. You can be on a boat or a bush track inside an hour.

It's a diverse city with a wide range of food, schools and communities. If you're coming from a big international city, this is usually the softest landing.

The fuller picture

As New Zealand's largest city, Auckland has the busiest roads and the highest house prices in the country. Choosing where you live in relation to your hospital makes a real difference, and we can help with that.

Each part of Auckland has its own character, from the beaches of the North Shore to the vineyards out west and the growing communities in the south, so there is real choice in how you live.

For many doctors, Auckland's strongest draw is the depth of clinical work and the ease of international travel. On both counts, it offers more choice than anywhere else in the country.

Talk to us about Auckland

We'll talk through which of the three districts fits your specialty, your family and the commute you have in mind. They're not interchangeable. If you're moving from overseas, registration, immigration and settling in come up in the same conversation.

Talk to our team

What doctors ask us about Auckland

Talk to us about working in Auckland

Which hospitals would I work at in Auckland?

Depends on the district. Waitematā covers North Shore Hospital and Waitākere Hospital.

Central Auckland covers Auckland City Hospital, Starship Children's Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre.

Counties Manukau covers Middlemore Hospital, Kidz First Children's Hospital, Manukau Health Park and Pukekohe Hospital.

Should a specialist work in Auckland or a regional centre?

Auckland holds the widest subspecialty range and several national services, so for some specialties it may be the most suitable option.

For others, a regional centre can offer more operating time and a broader scope of practice. It comes down to your specialty, your priorities and what you want your working week to look like.

Is it expensive to live in Auckland?

Auckland is the most expensive housing market in New Zealand and traffic is busier than elsewhere. Living close to your hospital helps, and most doctors find the clinical range, the lifestyle and the international flights well worth it.