Episode 9: Where is it More Expensive?
In honour of things starting to open up more and more in the US and especially the return of experiences, I thought it would be fun to do an experiences comparison of events between Auckland and Austin. I know a lot of places in the US have been either closed or opened in some sort of modified way for a long time. Hopefully people are being safe as they start to venture out more and more!
Museum Visit - Both Austin and Auckland have a number of different museums and gallery spaces to visit, though I think Auckland overall has a bigger variety. To compare apples to apples, I looked at art museums in both cities.
Auckland Art Gallery - Free admission for everyone. At some point fees might be reinstated for international visitors, but for the time being, it is free for all.
Blanton Museum of Art - US$12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for 13-21. Free for kids 12 and under, members, teachers, and military.
Advantage - New Zealand
Postmodern Jukebox - I adore this travelling group and saw them several times while back in Austin. We’ve been able to catch them once before in Auckland and just got tickets to their next show in March, 2020.
NZ - top tier tickets, NZ$149 + VIP package NZ$166 (about US$223.65). Lowest priced tickets are NZ$99 (US$70.29)
Austin - top tier tickets including VIP package, US$175 + tax (US$189). Lowest priced tickets are US$20 + tax (US$21.65)
Advantage - US
Zoo - This isn’t really a good comparison because the Auckland Zoo is head over heels better than the Austin Zoo and something that is worth visiting over and over if you can. The Austin Zoo always felt kind of sad and depressing to me and nothing I was excited about revisiting.
Auckland Zoo - Adults NZ$24 (US$17) Kids NZ$14 (US$9.80)
Austin Zoo - Adults US$15, Kids US$12, plus tax ($16.24, $12.99)
Advantage - Slight advantage for New Zealand for a family of four
RuPaul’s Drag Race - the Down Under show is coming to Auckland in October and there is a show to compare it to at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. I must admit, Drag Race is a guilty pleasure. If you’re in Auckland and want to see this show with me, please let me know. I don’t think I can convince my husband to go and would love to see it!
NZ - VIP packages are NZ$280, lowest priced tickets are NZ$99 (US$298.80 and US$70.29)
US - VIP seats are US$243, lowest priced tickets are US$49 (plus tax makes that US$263.35 and US$53.10)
Advantage - US
Kayak Rental - Getting out on the water is a big deal in both Austin and Auckland. Renting a kayak on Lady Bird Lake is practically a requirement if you’re going to visit, and Auckland bases almost everything that happens here around the Hauraki Gulf.
NZ - Ferg’s is a staple in Mission Bay and rents all sorts of water equipment to enjoy in the Eastern Bays. 1 hour of single kayak rental - NZ$25 (US$17.50) 1 hours of stand up paddle board rental - NZ$30 (US$21)
US - The Rowing Dock on Lady Bird Lake is the place to go in Austin. 1 hours of single kayak rental - US$15 + tax (US$16.24) 1 hour of stand up paddle board rental - US$20 + tax (US$21.65)
Advantage - US for kayaks, New Zealand for SUPs (but not by much)
Opera Tickets - Back in Austin, Jon and I were extremely active in the Austin Opera. We’ve taken an opera break since moving to New Zealand, but we’re going to check out The Marriage of Figaro and are excited to see what kind of show New Zealand can put on. (BTW, the opera is in Auckland June 8, 10, and 13, in Wellington on June 23, 25, and 27, and Christchurch on July 8, 10, and 13.) My guess is that Austin has a higher quality production, but I could be wrong about this. I’ll let you know!
NZ - Auckland tickets range in price from NZ$25 to NZ$190 (US$17.50 to US$133)
US - Austin opera tickets range from US$35 - US$208 (or thereabouts - only subscription prices are currently posted. This is a breakdown of the 3 performance subscription packages posted. It will be more for single ticket purchases.)
Advantage - New Zealand
