I read the article about Ross Stewart moaning that Tauranga has been spoilt by the influx of Aucklanders (page 3, The Weekend Sun, May 18) with interest and disgust.

As a former Aucklander and a fairly new import to Tauranga I would like to point out that Aucklanders are more tolerant of imports into Auckland. We welcomed them with open arms and when our city became a city we didn't recognise any more, did we complain? No, we didn't – it's called progress. Having a city stagnate and go backwards is the worst thing that can happen.

People coming from other places to Tauranga has enriched what was quite a backward part of New Zealand. You now have an amazing health system with one of the best radiation oncology units in the country and your hospital has many specialists from around the world.

Life down here is paradise. Housing has risen in price, but so has housing everywhere. Tauranga has some of the best-kept houses, gardens, streets, parks and many other areas. The beaches are incredible.

The neighbourhood we've bought into reminds me of the neighbourhood I grew up in in the 1950s and the life we gave our own children in a close-knit community. We feel as though we've hit the jackpot.

C Frayling, Ohauiti (Abridged).