The Grand Café Dinner Buffet at Christchurch Casino, New ...

Christmas Day 2019
This is an update from last year's list which is an update of some list from a year or two ago.
Outdoor Activities
If the weather is good (check forecast[1]), here's some outdoor activities:

• Go to the beach
• Go to the gardens
  • Auckland Botanic Gardens is open for people to wander around but visitor centre will be closed. Sculpture in the gardens (or Our Auckland listing)
  • Parnell Rose Gardens.
  • Auckland Domain. Auckland Domain Walks including a sculpture walk.
  • Albert Park and University of Auckland grounds
  • Cornwall Park. Visitor info has links to the map for Christmas tree trail as well as map for the park.
• Walking Tracks around Auckland - Auckland Council and Department of Conservation.
• Visit the various volcanoes in Auckland. Both Mt Victoria and Mt Eden will have beautiful views of the city. There's public transport. You will need to walk up.
  • Mt Eden (Bus is 27W or 27H)
  • Mt Victoria lookout (or wikipedia) - Take the ferry to Devonport, walk from ferry to the top of Mt Victoria.
  • One Tree Hill (and Cornwall Park surrounding it)
  • Rangitoto Island. Take one or more of the walks there. Definitely ensure you go up to the top of the crater for the view. Some people stay a bit longer and have a picnic morning tea/lunch. You can't buy lunch there. Rangitoto. It is a pest-free island reserve and so you have to ensure you leave it as you arrived. Info about visiting pest free islands. Ferry - Fullers timetable.
  • See 6 volcanoes and never leave Auckland. CNN Travel. 27 June 2017.
  • Auckland Volcano Cones by Auckland Tourism, Wikipedia, GNS science, Science Learning Hub
• Muriwai Gannet Colony.
  • Only an option if you have your own transport and able to walk as it is about 30 mins walk from the carpark. Discussion in 2018 about the duration of walk from carpark.
  • World famous in New Zealand: Gannet Colony, Muriwai. Stuff. Aug 05 2018.
  • Info by Auckland Council, NZ Birds, Wikipedia. Go to the beach too.
• Ride around in a bike (ONZO). Maps and Rides suggested by Auckland Transport and Bike Auckland. On Bike Auckland's site, if you hover your mouse over the "Maps & Rides" menu, you'll find other options like easy rides.
• Auckland Transport's Public Transport holiday timetables from 23 December 2019 - 12 January 2020.
• Scooters - one or two scooter services you can hire by the minute. Flamingo. Possibly Jump, Neuron, and Beam. No Lime and Wave scooters. Articles: NZ Herald or Newshub.

[1] Weather forecasts by Metservice and Weather Watch.
Indoor Activities:

• Go to church - you can experience christmas day service in a number of languages in Auckland.
  • St Patrick's Cathedral (Catholic) https://www.stpatricks.org.nz/ You'll find other Auckland Catholic parishes here https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/
  • Anglican Diocese - Christmas Services 2019. Also Christmas at St Matthew-in-the-City.
  • There are other denominations like Methodists, Baptists, AOG, Salvation Army, etc. Just search for them. I suspect the local visitor info centre and hotels have a list for their guests.
  • I think these lists above are services in English. I don't see the services in other languages listed there. You will be able to find services in many pacific island languages and asian languages. It is a case of whether you'll find the particular combination you are looking for in a location you can get to on Christmas day.
  • Use google search if you are after a particular church denomination. Wikipedia list of Church organisations in NZ. Not sure how complete it is. Churches' Christmas message: Waiting for Christmas has a list of clergy,(with their affliation) signing the message at the bottom. While the list is old and clergy may have changed, the church organisations are most likely to be around.
• Go to the movies.
  • Queen St + Manukau Event cinemas open on Christmas Day. https://www.eventcinemas.co.nz/
  • Hoyts https://www.hoyts.co.nz/ Hoyts Sylvia Park, Te Awa (Hamilton), Riccarton (Christchurch) and Entertainment X were open on Christmas Day 2018. Unfortunately site won't load at the moment. There's a chance a few cinemas from this group will be open on Christmas day.
• https://snowplanet.co.nz/ is open every year on Christmas day.
• Skycity Auckland - This is a hotel with the skytower. You can go up the tower on Christmas Day. There will be restaurants open. The casino will be closed.
• Kelly Tarlton's - Opening Hours on their website doesn't say they are closed on Christmas day. They were open in 2018 and previous years.
• Auckland Airport is open.
• Definitely closed: Auckland Zoo, Auckland Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, all casinos in NZ.

Event searches

• Eventfinda search for Auckland on 25 December 2019 or list of Christmas events (which may not necessarily be on christmas day).
• Our Auckland search for 25 December 2019

Public Transport
Auckland Transport's Public Transport holiday timetables from 23 December 2019 - 12 January 2020. Waiheke ferry timetable (pdf).
Food and Drink
Go to the supermarket on Christmas Eve to stock up on food and essentials. No supermarket and most businesses will be closed on Christmas Day. Christmas Day is one of very few mandatory public holidays in NZ, even the casino is closed 24 hours. Only places allowed to remain open are petrol stations, some fast food places and restaurants.
Hospitality businesses (restaurants, cafes etc) are able to charge a public holiday surcharge if they open on public holidays. If they do so they have to state clearly (ie sign at the door, or counter or menu). This public holidays are 25 and 26 December 2018, and 1 and 2 January 2019. FYI 26 December is also known as Boxing day in NZ.
Alcohol cannot be served unless with a meal[2]. So if something that looks like a pub is open, it is highly likely they are open to serve meals and you can order an alcoholic drink with your meal.
Restaurants that are open tend to be fast food places like McDs, KFC, restaurants that are part of hotels, a few ethnic restaurants and maybe a handful of others.
[2] That particular law applies only to Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day as well as before 1pm on Anzac Day. Legislation: Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Despite the date of the act, the law has been around for some time. 2010 news article about it. Sale and supply on Anzac Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day restricted: on-licences.
Without any particular order:

• Hotels with restaurants: Christmas Day at The CUT, Rydges Auckland, Christmas dining at Stamford Plaza, Christmas day at Grand Mercure Auckland, Festive dining at Skycity Auckland's Restaurants - Each restaurant has a different offer for Christmas day, Christmas Day buffet at Novotel Ellerslie, Christmas at Cordis Auckland. many hotels with restaurants - I won't be listing them all. Just giving you a few so you have an idea.
• Denny's restaurant (American). Locations on website. There's a popup when you go to their webpage that says they are open on Christmas day.
• Denizen’s guide to the restaurants that are open over the holidays. The Denizen. 18 Dec 2019.
• Post about a restaurant offering free lunch or dinner on Christmas day.
• Christmas and NY Hours in Mission Bay https://www.missionbay.co.nz/mission-bay-christmas-new-years-hours.
• Viaduct Auckland https://www.viaduct.co.nz/2019/12/16/whats-on-wheres-open-at-viaduct-harbour-this-christmas/
• Dairies are open. For tourist: Dairies in NZ are a local convenience stores often found dotted around NZ, usually local to a neighbourhood. Wikipedia). They are known elsewhere with other names bodega, superettes, 7-11 or the shop attached to petrol stations.

Other essential info
Alcohol and smoking in public areas
Please note that there's usually an alcohol ban in many public areas like bus stops, parks, reserves etc. This means you are banned from consuming alcohol publicly unless you are in a licenced establishment (ie restaurant). Alcohol bans are either for an event, for extended periods or permanent. For more information about alcohol ban in Auckland.
Auckland Smokefree policy has a list of places where smoking is not permitted. This isn't limited to indoor areas only. It also includes parks, playgrounds, bus stops.
With NY celebrations coming up I won't be surprised if there's both alcohol and fire bans in popular beach areas and parks too.
Fire Season

• As this is summer, there's usually a fire ban in many areas in NZ.
• Fire and Emergency NZ https://checkitsalright.nz/
• Change in fire seasons for Auckland.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is updating the fire seasons for Auckland. From Monday 2 December it will declare a restricted season across greater Auckland and a prohibited fire season across all the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. A prohibited season means a total fire ban, with any current fire permits for the area suspended from the date the prohibited season starts. A restricted fire season means any open-air fires will need a permit.

• Articles:
  • Auckland to have restricted fire rules from Monday. RNZ. 29 November 2019.
  • Fire restrictions imposed across Auckland ahead of summer. Stuff. Nov 30 2019.
  • Auckland Council page on Outdoor fires.

Below is a list I posted as reply to a tourist's query in /newzealand. I am posting this list here in case there are visitors or new Aucklanders. I realise most of us know about this.
Please be nice and kind to all.
Outdoor Activities
If the weather is good (unfortunately not according to forecast[1]), here's some outdoor activities:

• Go to the beach
• Go to the gardens (Botanic Gardens open for people to wander around but Visitor centre closed. The Domain, Parnell Rose Gardens, Cornwall Park).
• Go visit the various volcanoes in Auckland. Both Mt Victoria and Mt Eden will have beautiful views of the city. There's public transport. You will need to walk up.
  • Mt Eden (Bus is 27W or 27H)
  • Mt Victoria (Take the ferry to Devonport, walk from ferry to the top of Mt Victoria)
  • One Tree Hill (and Cornwall Park surrounding it)
  • Rangitoto Island may not be an option. Fullers timetable says they aren't sailing on Christmas Day.
  • See 6 volcanoes and never leave Auckland. CNN Travel. 27 June 2017.
  • Auckland Volcano Cones by Auckland Tourism, Wikipedia, GNS science, Science Learning Hub
• Muriwai Gannet Colony.
  • Only an option if you have your own transport and able to walk as it is about 30 mins walk from the carpark.
  • World famous in New Zealand: Gannet Colony, Muriwai. Stuff. Aug 05 2018.
  • Info by Auckland Council, NZ Birds, Wikipedia. Go to the beach too.
• Ride around in a bike (ONZO) or scooter (Lime)

[1] Weather forecasts by Metservice and Weather Watch.
Indoor Activities:

• Go to the movies.
  • Queen St + Manukau Event cinemas open on Christmas Day. https://www.eventcinemas.co.nz/
  • Hoyts Sylvia Park, Te Awa (Hamilton), Riccarton (Christchurch) and Entertainment X are open on Christmas Day
• https://snowplanet.co.nz/
• Skycity Auckland - This is a hotel with the skytower. You can go up the tower on Christmas Day. There will be restaurants open. The casino will be closed.
• Go to church - you can experience christmas day service in a number of languages in Auckland.
  • St Patrick's Cathedral (Catholic) https://www.stpatricks.org.nz/ You'll find other Auckland Catholic parishes here https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/
  • Anglican Diocese - Christmas Services 2018
  • There are other denominations like Methodists, Baptists, AOG, Salvation Army, etc. Just search for them. I suspect the local visitor info centre and hotels have a list for their guests.
  • I think these lists above are services in English. I don't see the services in other languages listed there. You will be able to find services in many pacific island languages and asian languages.
  • Use google search if you are after a particular church denomination. Wikipedia list of Church organisations in NZ. Not sure how complete it is. Churches' Christmas message: Waiting for Christmas has a list of clergy,(with their affliation) signing the message at the bottom.
• Auckland Airport is open.
• Kelly Tarlton's - Opening Hours on their website doesn't say they re closed on Christmas day. Their 22 Dec facebook post ends with " We are open as usual every day over the holiday season from 9:30 AM - 5 PM. Come down to SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium and see the penguin chicks in their creche!". Thanks to spagbol for the heads up in comment below. new

Public Transport
Public transport will be on a Sunday timetable in Auckland. https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/ Bus, train and ferry Christmas holiday timetables. From 24 December 2018 to 6 January 2019, most public transport services will be operating to a Christmas/New Year holiday timetable.
Food and Drink
Go to the supermarket today (Christmas Eve) to stock up on food and essentials. No supermarket and most businesses will be closed on Christmas Day. Christmas Day is one of very few mandatory public holidays in NZ, even the casino is closed 24 hours. Only places allowed to remain open are petrol stations and restaurants.
Hospitality businesses (restaurants, cafes etc) are able to charge a public holiday surcharge if they open on public holidays. If they do so they have to state clearly (ie sign at the door, or counter or menu). This public holidays are 25 and 26 December 2018, and 1 and 2 January 2019. FYI 26 December is also known as Boxing day in NZ.
Alcohol cannot be served unless with a meal. So if something that looks like a pub is open, it is highly likely they are open to serve meals and you can order an alcoholic drink with your meal.
Restaurants open tend to be fast food places like McDs, KFC, restaurants that are part of hotels, a few ethnic restaurants and maybe a handful of others.
Some of the top restaurants shut down from either today or Monday for a few weeks, unless they are part of a hotel or one of the few known to offer a christmas day meal.

• Hotels with restaurants: The Christmas Buffet at Rydges Auckland, Christmas dining at Stamford Plaza, Christmas day at Grand Mercure Auckland, Skycity Auckland's Restaurants - you need to go to each restaurant to see what's on offer for Christmas day, Christmas Day buffet at Novotel Ellerslie, Eight at Cordis Auckland. many hotels with restaurants - I won't be listing them all. Just giving you a few so you have an idea.
  
• Denny's restaurant (American). There's a facebook message says they are open on Christmas day. Locations on website.
  
• Fast food: McDonald's, KFC, Domino's Pizza - Note at bottom of Domino's front page says 20% surcharge on Christmas Day.
  
• Going out for Christmas? Where to eat out on December 25. NZ Herald. 15 Dec, 2018.
  
• Christmas Day Party & Feast. This is out west auckland. Not sure you can easily get there on Christmas day.
  
• The restaurants open for home delivery this Christmas day. Newshub. 19/12/2018.