Latest fromAuckland Central

Looks may be deceiving
One of the decorating stylists at Auckland's upcoming Home Show, LeeAnn Yare enjoys using the trompe l'oeil effect.

Auckland: Swots and stirrers
Student numbers swelled in the 1960s and so did their dissent.

Auckland: The Pacific comes to Auckland
Tapu Misa looks back at the migration that changed the face of Auckland.

Auckland: The wild side
How the west was won - from rail workers to timber millers and winemakers.

Auckland: The last bastion
Ngati Whatua's grievance over land loss came to a head in the late 70s with the occupation of Bastion Point

Auckland: The bridge builders
Auckland fought for its harbour bridge for almost 100 years - and fell in love with it when it soared over the Waitemata.

Auckland: Fighting the sprawl
As the city spread beyond the isthmus, planners worried about how to contain the population

The Dish: Cool cordial
Just the colour of Kapiti Kitchen's Handmade Mandarin & Honey Cordial makes you want to try it.

Foodies ahoy (+recipe)
A cruise aboard the Pacific Dawn is somewhat of a culinary adventure, finds Janetta Mackay.

Design: The seekers
Tracy Rutherfurd hunts the world for treasures to furnish her store, Romantique.

Concert season kicks in
In a week where U2 finally announced a much-rumoured Auckland show there are more big-name acts on the way too, ensuring another busy summer of music.

Auckland: Soldiers of fortune
Retired troops came here to defend the colony from the "Maori threat" and stayed to found the settlements of Onehunga, Panmure, Otahuhu and Howick.

Auckland: The way Aucklanders lived then
Growing up in Auckland between the wars meant frugal habits but also the freedom to roam and play.

Auckland's gentle Savage
An unemployed Australian immigrant rose to become one of New Zealand’s most well-loved politicians.

Auckland: Boom town
The first half of the 20th century saw people flocking to the region in droves, with urban Auckland growing at twice the rate of the rest of the country, writes Russell Stone.

Auckland: Sound of a city's voice
Two generations ago a cluster of Auckland students and writers set the stage for the true beginnings of New Zealand literature.

Store intruder was killer driver
A burglar who died while wrestling with a pharmacist was a convicted killer driver with an extensive criminal history.

Auckland: Off to the shops
The Big Five department stores were an Auckland shopping institution, writes Jenny Lynch.

Auckland: Fletcher builds a city
A short trip to Auckland was the start of a big future for Dunedin builder James Fletcher and his family firm.

Blogger says he didn't breach suppression orders
Cameron Slater denied he had identified people with name suppression on his blog when he appeared in court today.