Steve Braunias: The 20 best things of Auckland life
12 minutes to read
Steve Braunias compiles his annual list of the 20 best things of Auckland life.
1. Best community testing centre There were many, many times in 2020 when you could have cut the tension with one of those long swab things used to test for Covid-19 in the upper and hitherto unexplored reaches of the human nose. Community testing centres – pop-ups, surgeries, weird medical units set up in godforsaken carparks – became the place to be seen this year. Just over 1,312,000 New Zealanders lined up for tests. They were attended to by the best health professionals in the world. Purely in terms of location, and the splendours of nature, the best testing centre was the pop-up opposite Western Springs Park on Great North Rd. A little turn-off led to a carpark with a view of the swans and geese at Western Park to the north, and the graceful, swaying pine trees at Chamberlain Park to the south; and the