Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Tickets Auckland

Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium, Tamaki Drive

The aquarium sits beneath Tamaki Drive at Okahu Bay, about six kilometres east of central Auckland, inside the disused stormwater tanks that a pioneering New Zealand diver converted into the world's first walk-through aquarium tunnel in 1985. From the road you see only a low entrance and the harbour; the exhibits lie underground, which keeps them cool and gives the visit the feel of descending into the sea. The aquarium is open daily from 09:30 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00.

Visitors asking whether the Auckland aquarium is worth visiting with children usually get the same answer from our guests: yes, especially on a wet day, because everything is indoors and the route is a loop of about ninety minutes with something to touch, watch or play with in every zone. Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium tickets are timed in 15-minute slots to keep the tunnels uncrowded.

The shark tunnel

The signature exhibit is the curved acrylic tunnel that passes through the main ocean tank, with a slow moving walkway so you glide beneath sand tiger sharks, wobbegongs, stingrays and schools of fish while they swim overhead and alongside. The tunnel was the first of its kind in the world and remains the moment most visitors remember: children lie on the walkway looking straight up, and photographers wait for a ray to pass over the glass.

A daily shark talk explains which species live here, why sharks are vital to the ocean and how the aquarium feeds them; dive feeding sessions are among the animal talks included in your ticket. The tunnel is wide enough for pushchairs and wheelchairs, and you can step off the walkway onto a fixed path to stay as long as you like with the sharks.

The penguin ice zone

The aquarium's penguin colony is one of the few places in the world where you can see king penguins and smaller gentoo penguins outside their natural range, on real snow and ice kept at sub-zero temperatures. A viewing window and an elevated walkway look onto the birds as they waddle, swim and preen, and the keeper talk tells you how the colony breeds and how chicks are raised each season.

Young children enjoy watching the penguins porpoise through the water close to the glass; the swimming area is lit so that you see the birds shoot past like torpedoes. The zone also explains Antarctic exploration, with a reconstruction of an early explorer's hut and the story of New Zealand's connection to the ice. Dress warmly if you plan to linger, as the viewing area is kept cool.

Jellyfish, seahorses and the touch pools

Beyond the tunnel the route passes through the jellyfish gallery, where tall cylindrical tanks glow with moon jellyfish drifting in slow currents under changing coloured light, and the seahorse kingdom, with pipefish, seadragons and several species of seahorse clinging to seagrass. The lighting here is low and the pace slows; it is the most photographed section after the tunnel.

The sea cave adventure and the touch experiences let children handle starfish and other rock-pool animals under supervision, with staff explaining how to touch gently and what the creatures eat. Nearby, the interactive art aquarium lets visitors colour a fish or turtle on paper, scan it and watch it swim across a projected reef, and the indoor water-play playground and splash table give toddlers a break before the final zones.

Getting to the aquarium and the Tamaki Drive waterfront

Tamaki Drive is the scenic waterfront road that runs east from the city centre past Okahu Bay and Mission Bay, with views across the water to Rangitoto Island. From downtown Auckland a taxi or ride-share takes about ten minutes; the Tamaki Link bus runs along the road from the Britomart area and stops near the aquarium; and the waterfront cycle path makes it an easy ride. Free parking is available at the aquarium.

How to get to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium is simple, and the location is worth combining with the rest of the shoreline: Mission Bay's beach and cafés are a short walk east, and the grass of Okahu Bay is ideal for a picnic after your visit. Show your ticket at the admissions desk at your chosen slot; last entry is strictly at 16:00.