Will’s Word: I’m issuing a formal apology, Auckland CBD is a vibe

A few weeks back, I wrote that Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland CBD was colourless, bland, and frankly a bit of a cultural coma.

Bold words, I know, but in this line of business, you've got to admit when you're wrong and as it turns out, I was wrong. A mate of mine told me I'd clearly been looking in the wrong places.

So, armed with an open mind yesterday, I took another stroll through Auckland, determined to try and figure out where the vibe was. And guess what? I reckon Auckland had the last laugh.

First stop I went to: High Street. Suddenly, I felt like I was in my hood. There was a pocket of quirkiness to it, indie bookshops stacked with odd treasures, artsy-fartsy cafes that practically screamed Instagram.

And the kind of hidden corners that remind you a city does have a soul, if you take time to look. From there, I parked myself at The Fed, which is this cafe across the Sky Tower.

I had the chicken sandwich, which will do wonders for anyone's outlook on life, or at least on Auckland. Then I jumped on a bus up to Karangahape Road, or K Road as it's affectionately known.

Listen to Will’s Word on Facebook below.

Always, that place has marched to its own beat. I checked out the vintage stores, the op shops, and a few records. I spent an afternoon drifting through its oddball energy.

For a place I had prematurely written off, it actually turned out to be buzzing. Particularly K Road, teeming with people. Don't get me wrong, it is not Paris. It is not Tokyo, heck, it's not even Wellington on a good day.

You know what they say about Wellington on a good day. The city centre still has its fair share of concrete boredom, like Queen Street. That is an absolute snooze-fest to walk through. It's got construction chaos, but it's not dead.

At least not yet. Auckland CBD does, in fact, have colour, culture, vibrancy. What I've come to learn is you just have to know where to look.

And once that City Rail Link project finally opens up, it might just tie all these pockets of life together and make the place sing.

So, finally, Auckland, my bad, consider this a humble apology. You've still got some decent moves left in you.

That's Will's Word.