Anyone apply for a China travel tourist visa online recently ?

Could you explain what happens when you get to the Auckland visa place and what exactly do you need to take to the VISA office for your appointment ? 

Its such a laborious process when applying for a family and Im not exactly finding the website that easy to use.

Im reading different sites ( for different countries - not in NZ) and its requesting parents birth certificates for kids, prints of everything submitted, photos, accomodation confirms etc and then other sites say just the passport.

Confused ....

many thanks