The invasion began in Auckland on 12 June 1942 when five transport ships carrying soldiers of the US Army sailed into the harbour. Two days later Marines landed in Wellington.
Governor Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois (1883–9) arrives in Auckland. Newcomers were always advised to visit, in order, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin before visiting any other town.
Resembling a modern European or Asian metro station, Auckland’s gleaming Britomart Transport Centre has helped boost rail commuter patronage in this sprawling, car-dominated city.