An Impression of Auckland
Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand, located in northern North Island. This city’s population, 1.5 millions, was almost identical to my hometown in Taiwan, the old administrative area of Kaohsiung City. Both cities feature many wharfs along their coastlines.
In Taiwan the reputation of Auckland is primarily linked to the tourism as that is usually the first destination after landing on NZ. It was also a well-known destination for immigration when I was a kid. Since 1987 there have been tens of thousands of Taiwanese moving to NZ but only less than 6000 still stayed in 2013 and 75% of them lived in Auckland. That was about the time I was determined to leave Taiwan, seeking a different career opportunity oversea.
In 2014 my partner and I had a trip in New Zealand in order to gain more insight and impression from this country before we can make a final decision. We stayed in Auckland for a couple of days where my generous relatives hosted us.
It was not surprising why this beautiful city was the top choice for Taiwanese immigrants. It offers convenience of metropolitan area and still retains a high proportion of green space in the city where is surrounded by many bays and estuaries. The hills, beaches and islands in the outskirt of Auckland are venues for leisure or adventures. I have not even mentioned those 53 volcanoes!
In addition to its natural environment, people in Auckland seemed energetic and very friendly, all walked fast. Although it was just a short period of observation, my first impression from Auckland or even NZ was very positive.
According to Stats NZ, the Taiwanese population in NZ reached over 8000 and 67% of it was in Auckland in 2023. It is obvious that many new immigrants from Taiwan still wish to settle down there. Now it has been 12 years away from my only visit in Auckland, but I have not had a good chance to go there again. I guess South Island is already big enough for me to wander around.
