I stayed at Louise's house in Mount Wellington for a couple nights before beginning my road trip down south through the rest of the North Island. It was a good jumping off point. I had to take care of some work and the room was a perfect place to get my work done. It is also walking distance to the entrance of Mount Wellington, which I climbed up to check out the impressive 360 degree view of the whole Auckland area, which was pretty awesome. The house was a little far from the city center, about 20-30 minute drive, but I had a car so it worked out. The metal bar in the middle of the futon bed wasn't the most comfortable, but I found a way to sleep around it and still get good rest... might not be as good for 2 people.