Eden Park

I’m ready for another summer of cricket!
I love the history behind our iconic stadium. Did you know that Eden Park was once an area strewn with stones, rocky outcrops and cowpats with a low-​lying swamp at the bottom?! We have former cricketer Harry Ryan to thank for the transformation!
Today, Eden Park is one of the most comfortable sporting venues in NZ. I love the covered seating option! You don’t have to bother with an umbrella or a raincoat if the weather turns to custard or worse, getting burnt to a crisp on a scorching hot day — yuk! Nothing beats the experience of sitting under cover at Eden Park on a hot summer’s day when the Black Caps are on fire against our rivals — seriously watching NZ smash Australia in this year’s ICC World Cup opening game was one of those Master Card moments I will never forget!
Eden Park is also a pretty amazing place to watch the All Blacks in action and of course, Super 15 rugby. At least that’s what I am told. I’m a die-​hard rugby fan who prefers to watch every minute of the game live on TV!
The facilities on offer are just fine but if parking wasn’t such a hassle, I’d give Eden Park five stars!

Great stadium with easy access by car, train and fit from Kinsgland, Mt Eden and the surrounds. Good selection of stadium type catering including Fritz’s weiners and a coffee stand for those who wish to stay sober. Family friendly and a great place to watch a match.

For me Eden Park definitely fits in the ‘Woohoo! As good as it gets!’ category!
So many great memories… Dad and I used to go here most Fridays when I was growing up. He had season tickets by the tunnel, right in the thick of the action, back when the Blues used to win…
Ol’ Eden Park has come a long way since then. Post World Cup refurb, it’s now a world class stadium that holds up to 50,000 people and has seen new events brought to Auckland, such as the Auckland Nines. I would argue that it’s now the best stadium in NZ, but I may be biased.

I love Eden Park. Sure, this could be because it was the scene of our horrible but amazing Rugby World Cup win, but my love is still valid.
I have so many fond memories of nights out with dad, group trips to a game, rowdy cricket matches and of course rugby.
Eden park had a makeover not too long ago and is looking really flash. It is really easy to get around, there is plenty of disability access and lots of food and drink vendors, making queues not toooo bad.
There are also really great VIP areas and function venues of that’s what you’re wanting. A lot of the seating is under cover which is great for Auckland weather and they do their best to keep ticket prices really affordable.
Access to Eden Park is easy with the trains and buses, and the walk into Eden Park is one of the highlights of a big game.

I guess Eden Park is first and foremost a rugby venue but it also hosts international Cricket matches. It has super short length boundaries which make for crazy scoring matches. I am led to believe there is some historical reason that International Cricket is still permitted to be played there, which is good because it’s a great big stadium. Perhaps a little too big for anything but International Rugby though, as it usually has plenty of empty seats.

I recently went to Eden Park for a Super 15 rugby game.
I liked Eden Park as a venue and the pyrotechnics when the players scored a try were fun (and also provided some warmth for a couple of seconds)!
I was impressed by the food options available to purchase at the game.
While there was the standard chips and hot dog and other fried food on offer, there was also healthier options. I got a really good ham, honey mustard and salad bread roll (choice of baguette or bap) which I enjoyed. I think the outlet was called «snack box».
Next time you are at an event at Eden Park and just don’t feel like greasy food, I recommend this food outlet.

I think whoever planned putting a sports stadium in a residential area is a little silly because it was always going to be a pain for parking, especially in Auckland where everyone loves to drive. But in saying that I’m really impressed at how well Eden Park worked at the Rugby World Cup in 2011 despite being in a residential area. I worked at Eden Park for the Rugby World Cup so I could see first hand how well the set-​up worked. There was always the inevitable crush leaving the stadium after game time but apart from that the stadium’s entrances were spread out enough to thin the crowds going in to see the game. There are also plenty of wheelchair seats, toilets and bars dotted around the stadium.

The Garden of Eden — by far NZ’s most hallowed piece of sporting turf for both rugby and cricket. This place has hosted two Rugby World Cup finals (1987 and 2011), both of which the All Blacks won! It was also a host stadium for the 1991 Cricket World Cup (and will be again in 2015). The stadium is a fortress for the All Blacks — they haven’t lost here since 1994. Eden Park also hosts the Auckland Blues in Super rugby, the Auckland provincial side, and the Auckland Aces cricket team.
History aside, the stadium is a mixed bag. It hosts both rugby and cricket, meaning that the shape of the ground is a compromise — it’s too big for rugby and puts you too far away from the action, but too small for a decent cricket oval. Despite the hundreds of millions spent on it for the 2011 world cup, it’s still a mix-​and-​match of different stands built at different times. Still, she’s much better than she used to be — although I do miss the atmosphere on the old terraces that used to house the rowdies at the eastern end for many a one-​day cricket match!
The history adds character, and when it’s full there’s plenty of atmosphere. It’s even reasonably easy to get to now by bus or train (opening night of the World Cup aside). Food and drink is good by stadium standards, but pricey. Top tip — leave plenty of time and go to Handmade Burgers in Kingsland before the game!

Gone are the days of the larrikins congregating in the terraces, however this ground remains Auckland’s premier venue for live sport. I am a regular visitor of various codes at the ground but a sell-​out All Blacks match is hard to top.
Not designed for cricket, the ground struggles to create a suitable atmosphere for this sport, however for rugby matches, it is a different story. Ensure you experience the new stand, which provides an excellent viewpoint. Make sure you utilise public transport to the ground, which is a buzz in itself, being amongst the crowd travelling to the game.
Since the stadiums revamp, trips to the bar and toilets have drastically improved, all-​in-​all providing one of the best sporting events I have attended in this country.

I used to flat across the road from Eden Park, and those were most certainly the days. Charging people 20 dollars to park their car in my giant backyard, being given everyone’s undrunk beers before they headed in, abusing the losing team’s fans… sometimes I look back on that time as an unheralded high point in my life.
Nowadays I am one of the punters who troops along to Eden Park for a sporting spectacle, and suprisingly enough, it isn’t all too different on the other side of the fence. You can still manage to get relatively trolloped, so long as you dont throw any paper darts. I watched the Wellington Phoenix play here not too long ago, and gain one their infrequent victories, and despite the complaints about it being a stadium seemingly not built for watching –any– sport, I quite enjoyed it and could see most of the action without having to resort to the big screen.
The drinks are not too expensive for a stadium, and there are plenty of toilet facilities, meaning chances are pretty high you won’t have to stand in line to use the urinal.

Eden Park; the legendary stadium of New Zealand. Home of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, where the NZ All Blacks were victorious.
The stadium was completely revamped for the World Cup, and while it was nice previously, now it is brilliant. Walter’s Road is far more pedestrian friendly, and statues of iconic All Blacks have been erected in the property surrounding the Park. Likewise symbols native to New Zealand, such as Tikis, are now on display and really emphasis the important role Eden Park plays within our country.
Regardless of whether you catch a rugby game or not, when in Auckland visiting Eden Park is a must.
Tip: On game days roads surrounding the Park are closed and parking is restricted to residents, so be careful not to get caught out.