One of my big concerns about Queens Wharf being a cruise ship terminal is that we often hand over lots of public space for “the privilege” of cruise ships stopping in the city. I don’t know what it was like earlier in the day when the ship arrived but I was pleased to see the wharf almost completely open to the public when this ship was in town the other day (there’s another one in today)

Queens Wharf visitor

I also see the end of the wharf is getting more popular. On a beautiful day its a great place to sit and and watch the harbour.

Queens Wharf end of wharf

Perhaps Waterfront Auckland should let someone open a café at the end of the Cloud. Could be quite popular during summer.

Queens Wharf end of cloud

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21 comments

  1. The biggest issue is the fence when there is no cruise ship there. Seems to be cheapest and ugliest materials, and kinks out at the end, and of course blocked off even when no cruise ship there. If the east side of Princes Wharf can have people when there is no cruise ship then why can’t Queens Wharf?
    Fence should have looked more like the red fence, and consisted of lots of gates that could be opened whenever there is no cruise ship around.
    The 20m section open to the sea close to Quay St is always really popular too, would be so much better whole length opened up more often.
    On the other hand does show the value of just adding cheap benches to the area, and people will flock to it, even though quite isolated visually from any pedestrian flows.
    On most nice evenings and weekends all seats are usually full.

  2. Yes, a cafe/restaurant in the end of the Cloud would be brilliant. What a perfect destination to bring visitors to NZ and Auckland to.
    The popularity of Queens wharf is a clear indicator of peoples desire to recreate in open spaces. A few seating options and minimal ‘greening’ of the space and people are there.
    As our inner city intensifies further, we will need more ‘park’ spaces for recreation and social capital. Bring it on.

    1. Absolutely agree and the wharves are woefully underdeveloped. I come in on the ferry every day and I am always so saddened to see the wharves mainly used as car parks, pretty much devoid of people or any urban life.

      The way Auckland has used its waterfront up until now, we are more likely to see “parking spaces” than “park space”.

    2. There’s a restaurant at the hilton. Not exactly the busiest place in Auckland. Can’t see how that’s the sole solution to queens wharf. Very hard to get people down finger wharves.

      1. The Hilton is hardly the price range people would be seeking out on Queens Wharf so not a helpful comparison. The problem with Queens Wharf is the first 50 metres where peds have to fight with the cars to get anywhere. A big turn off for many, and takes away from any incentive to explore further. It will be easy to get people down finger wharves if there are attractions / reasons to be there. Aucklanders are actually starved for active public spaces. This past anniversary weekend is testament to that.

      2. I often used to walk out to the end and sit there, living in the innercity it’s actually a very nice walk In the evenings, it’s not hard at all, and with the exploding CBD population it will only become more popular.

        1. I sometimes go and sit at the end myself. It’s a nice spot to sit and watch the ferries and world pass by on a beautiful summers evening.

  3. The management of Queen’s Wharf has been such a debacle. Half of it has just reverted to being a carpark. Please can we have a ban for vehicles on the wharf (except for service vehicles for events to drop off/pick up)? There is so much space for pick up / drop of for taxis etc. around Britomart and on Quay St. We could have an amazing watefront park, right on Auckland’s main north south axis, next to its biggest trasnport hub, and next to the gateway for tens of thousands of tourists. Instead we have a carpark. Just plant some grass, add a few planter boxes and benches, somewhere to buy a coffee and an icecream and that’s it. Its not hard and doesn’t even require a lot of planning or funding. Just look at Takutai Square – plant it and they will come!

    As for this planned monument to the most parasitic industry in Auckland – please why?!?

    While we are at it, can we please get rid of the carpark on the northern side of the Viaduct. There is so much carparking in buildings around the Viaduct, do we need this prime piece of watrerfront land taken up with a few surface carparks? What a waste!

  4. I really like The Cloud but the wharf is just too cluttered, so it needs to go and I hope it isn’t replaced with the original Shed for the same reason.

    And I don’t understand the endless discussion and plans for what to do with the place – it is as obvious as the nose on their face when you look at the most popular people-places in the city. Space, seating, grass, cover from the elements and no vehicles. Its not that bl00dy hard.

    Get rid of the Cloud, ban all but service vehicles, grass the northern end and a strip down the western side, perhaps some trees, provide more seating and a bit of cover, open up the active edges of the Shed to eateries etc and there you go. It could be done for a pittance compared to what the Council spends on other upgrades.

    Decisions about salt-water pools, monuments etc can come later once we see how people embrace it. But let’s give them something to embrace first, shall we?

  5. Whilst I agree in part about the vehicle use on Queens Wharf It also needs to noted that this area serves as the only pickup/drop off point for those using the ferries – notably Waiheke Island.
    Over the years the access for this purpose has been moved further and further from Pier 2. Whilst this may not seem a problem for those fit and able to walk to/from Britomart or further this can present problems for the older travelers or those with baggage, children etc trying to get to Pier 2.The whole northern side of Quay St in the proximity of the ferry building is traffic lane with the southern side having the closest areas taken by bus parking or 60min paid parking.
    Another problem is that the pedestrian footpath across the face of the ferry building is considered by cyclists as part of their network further adding to the hazards.

      1. Correction: The pedestrian footpath across the face of the ferry building is NOT a shared path so any riding of bicycles on this stretch of footpath is illegal. For confirmation ref clip at 5:11 in the TV3 clip in the “Len Brown on cycling” post.

        1. And neither should it be. In fact, there should not be a shared path on Quay St at all given the pedestrian numbers. It should have real bike lanes. Segregated from the high volumes of traffic.

    1. Don, as someone who regularly rides along Quay St on the road (because the path or shared path or whatever it is, is wholly inadequate) can I suggest that sweeping generalisations such as “considered by cyclists” are inaccurate and unhelpful. Until that comment you had the basis of a reasonable argument.

      1. The response from bbc does indicate my comment to be a reasonably valid extrapolation for those cyclists using the footpath at this point. I commend you “TheBigWheel” for riding in the correct place.

        1. There you have it, in a nut shell. Don’s reasonable requirements for vehicular and pedestrian access to the ferries and nonsense’s reasonable requirements for safer cycling (and who could argue with either of them).. all of the above could easily be accommodated in Quay Street, right there, in front of the Ferry Terminal, in the heart of the CBD.

          Bryce you are right, the problem is design. Massive overkill in the provision for private cars at the expense of all other modes of transport.

          Auckland does not lack for space either side of the red fence.

          It’s problem, *our, collective problem* is the amount of land, the most valuable land in NZ, given up, free of charge, to cars.

        2. I would like to add that there’s an art in riding a bike on footpaths or across pedestrian phases (I do both, there’s nothing anyone can do to change this, my self-preservation instinct is stronger than any authority could imagine). I learnt it by going skiing, there are some basic rules in the crowded ski fields in Europe: the faster always gives way to the slowest, the bigger to the smaller, the stronger to the weaker. Hence if a pedestrian is crossing in front of me I always pass behind him. It works the best when they don’t even notice you.

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