Auckland is beautiful, lively, complicated, and not always easy to decode.

Honestly, Auckland is the guide for visitors who want more than postcard highlights and predictable “top 10” lists. Whether you’re here for the first time or returning for the tenth, Rosemary Hepozden shares the local truths, quirks, habits, and cultural insights that help Auckland make sense.

• Why are there orange cones everywhere?
• Why do Aucklanders thank the bus driver?
• Why does the city feel quiet at night but busy by day?
• Where do locals really go, what do they actually mean, and how does this harbour city truly work?

Packed with more than 100 sharp, entertaining, and useful observations, this book takes you beyond the obvious and into the real Auckland — its food, humour, neighbourhoods, unspoken rules, contradictions, and charm.

Warm, witty, and full of lived-in knowledge, Honestly, Auckland is the perfect companion for curious travellers who want to feel less like tourists and more like they belong.

You’re going to love it here.

Ngā mihi nui

Thinking about establishing a business in Auckland, New Zealand? This insightful guide offers a practical, on-the-ground perspective for business owners who want more than headline statistics and glossy promises. Auckland, We’re in Business explores how the city really works: where decisions are made, how relationships shape opportunities, what kind of business models thrive, and why Auckland can be both accessible and strategically powerful.

Rather than presenting Auckland as a market for instant scale, Rosemary Hepözden shows how it can serve as a strong base for testing, refining, and growing a business with depth, credibility, and lasting connections. From understanding local business culture to recognising the importance of presence, positioning, and follow-through, this book helps readers assess whether Auckland is the right fit for their ambitions.

Clear, thoughtful, and commercially grounded, this is essential reading for anyone considering doing business in Auckland.

This is a slightly smaller sized book that will fit into a pocket or handbag easily, and is only 60 pages, but it’s packed with value, and also features in the Honestly Auckland APP created to support more interactive use of the book in several languages. 

We’ve also brought both these books together in a supporting interactive APP that means you or your friends or visitors  (it’s such a great gift) can dive into the contents of Honestly Auckland AND Auckland We’re in Business easily, in Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, English, and Hindi.

The link to download the APP is inside each book. It is included in the price of the print version of these books.

Rosemary Hepözden was born outside New Zealand, in Canada, but her father bought her here in 1969 and she’s called New Zealand home ever since. Despite many travels around the world, ‘Kiwi is who Rosemary Is’.

Other books written by Rosemary include:

• Instant Kiwi: New Zealand in a Nutshell
• The Daily Male: A Kiwi Bloke’s Book of Days
• Sorted: A Curious Kiwi Book of Lists
• Life in Kiwi Country

When not traveling or writing about New Zealand, you’ll find her doing all kinds of fun things in Auckland, including Senior Swans ballet, volunteering, and enjoying her local cafés.