This blog is not mainly a travelogue, but I thought I'd share my experience of Auckland (other than the airport bus, see below).

I've spent the last month mainly on the south island, gradually building an impression from the locals that Auckland was not going to be a nice place. That it was crowded, sprawling and thick with traffic congestion.
As it happened, I quite liked the place. Sure, much more urban than the rest of the country, but it still had plenty of its own character with quaint and interesting streets and shops as well as the inevitable and monotonous outposts of global brands.

I'd also been made aware of the JAFAs, creatures who live in the City who are - allegedly - of a quite different species from the rest of the country. (JAFA = Just Another ******* Aucklander). Not in my experience; just as friendly and interested in conversation as everywhere else I've been.

So Auckland is undersold. But that may be clever, if inadvertent, marketing, because I managed my expectations and thus had a really good time.