We're out West Auckland and our water is very soft. Never needed to descale any of our appliances (kettle, coffee machine & steam iron). OUr kettle is glass walled so you would see scale build up immediately.

I lived in Dublin for a few years and itwas the complete opposite. Needed to descale everything every 3 months including the shower head as it would get blocked.

Senecio:

 

We're out West Auckland and our water is very soft. Never needed to descale any of our appliances (kettle, coffee machine & steam iron). OUr kettle is glass walled so you would see scale build up immediately.

 

I lived in Dublin for a few years and itwas the complete opposite. Needed to descale everything every 3 months including the shower head as it would get blocked.

 

Makes sense - your water will be from Waitakere dams. I expect ours is mostly from the Hunuas, topped up by the Waikato as needed. When I didn't just do a boy-look I found this at watercare:

Central Auckland (Mt Eden), I have never descaled anything or noticed any scaling on kettles etc.

So it must be soft water.

This Watercare Auckland page gives info.

There is a section on that page that says:

Why is Auckland’s water considered soft?
Water in New Zealand is comparatively soft. It is generally low in the minerals and salts that make water hard.

This is also true of water in the Auckland region. Our metropolitan treatment plants draw water mainly from surface water sources. These are low in calcium and salts compared to groundwater, which picks up minerals as it makes its way into waterways.

Hard water is difficult to lather with soap or shampoo, it builds up scale deposits on water-using appliances, and leaves residue on bathtubs and showers.