Photo by Lynda W1

… a generic downtown that looks like any other.

… a pleasant harbour with sleek architecture and lovely sunsets.

… a temperate climate where the temperature swings wildly between sun and shade.

… tons of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Turkish fast food joints.

… a liquor store on just about every city block.

… expensive food with a few budget gems if you search enough – NZ$7 breakfast at the Belgian Beer Café on Vulcan Lane, for instance.

… delicious coffee that tastes like caramel.

… a few small but interesting city parks.

… the gritty Karangahape Road (K Rd. to the locals), lined with kebab joints, eccentric cafés, and strip clubs.

… modest people who don’t dress flashy at all. Only “ethnic” citizens, mainly of Japanese and South Asian descent, show some kind of fashion daring.

… a total lack of a tipping culture, the reason for the rather frosty demeanor from service workers.

… extravagant public drunkenness at night, especially on the Queen St. strip.

… no free Wi-Fi anywhere except the public library.

… a vibrant, welcoming Couchsurfing community that meets every Wednesday at Prince’s Wharf for drinks and musical performances.

… a visible Maori minority whose members look prouder and stronger than any “colonized” people I’ve seen.