Who We Are

AuckLUG (Auckland LEGO® User Group) is a group of adult and teenage LEGO® collectors who like to collect, build and display their LEGO® creations!

Some of us collect official sets as they come in the box, some of us like to modify these official LEGO® sets, and some of us like to build completely from our own imagination – or from things we see in the world around us. Some of us do all three!

Our Aims

• To demonstrate and promote the creative possibilities that LEGO® provides.
• To display our members' amazing creations and collections to the public.
• To show that building with LEGO® is an activity for all ages.
• To bring together LEGO® enthusiasts from across the Auckland region.

What We Do

Once a year we hold our major self-run event which features displays by all of our members, along with guests from around New Zealand – and sometimes overseas.

During the year varying groups of members exhibit their works at places such as Toy Fairs, Hobby Shows, Museums, Shopping Malls etc.

We have social get togethers where we show and talk about our latest LEGO® purchases and creations, and discuss ideas for future projects.

If you are interested in joining AuckLUG, or are holding an event where you would like a LEGO® display, please contact us.

As a result of all the events held this in the last few years we have received interest from lots of people wanting to join our group, and we have more than 60 members who take part in some way with our activities.

How the Group Started

The Auckland LEGO® Train Group grew from a chance meeting of two LEGO® enthusiasts at West Auckland's annual Model-X Hobby show in 2005, where one of them was exhibiting a LEGO® display. They decided to pool their resources for the following year, and with the addition of one other person they presented a well received train / city layout, which encouraged them to keep expanding and improving the display. After Model-X in 2007 (now with the addition of two more members) the layout had grown to a size that unfortunately prohibited the group from being involved in the Model-X show the following year.

In 2008 as a result of being seen at previous Model-X events the group was invited to take the whole display down to Rotorua, this was the first time custom made tables were used, there was also an impressive collection of Classic Space sets on view.

Because of the great reception the group received at the Rotorua event, we decided to take the plunge and put on our own display in the gymnasium of Glen Eden Intermediate School in May of 2009. As we were putting on the whole event ourselves we opened it up to other types of LEGO®, and for the first time had displays of Star Wars and Technic LEGO®. We also had LEGO® for sale, courtesy of Henderson Toyworld.

Despite appalling weather (it rained the entire weekend) several thousand people turned up and the feedback was very positive. As a result we were asked to set up our display at the Manukau Toyworld store for a week in September of the same year. Model-X had also been able to have us as part of their show over Queen's Birthday weekend, and even found extra space for our newly created Star Wars displays!

At the end of 2010 we repeated our show at the GEIS, this time with the addition of another train layout and some Bionicles and MOCs (My Own Creations), and received an even greater response from the public. This was the start of our relationship with Toyco, whom we have worked with for various events ever since.

Due to the arrival of new family members to key members of the group we had a couple of years without a display, and so were determined to make our "comeback" display in June 2013 as impressive as possible. We had a new larger venue at the Corban Estate Arts Centre and the addition of a new large Classic Space display, Mindstorms remote controlled cars and robots, and more amazing MOCs by some very creative members. All the various displays from 2010 had grown in size considerably. We also now had new modular tables for the large 14m x 6m train / city layout, and it was now completely surrounded by perspex to keep eager hands away from enticing models!

Of course we now know that the new "larger venue" was nowhere near big enough for the thousands of people who turned up to our show over Queen's Birthday Weekend in 2013. The one and a half hour queues and all-day packed hall full of LEGO® fans simply blew us away. We are grateful for the support we received, and happy that there were so many happy people who saw the display, but also sorry that the unexpected queues and parking problems stopped some people from being able to enjoy our show.

Since June we have not been idle, in the July school holidays a static display was held for two weeks at New Lynn's Lynnmall shopping centre, and for two consecutive weekends in November we have had portions of our main train display on view at two great events.

The first of these was Toyco's LEGO® day on November 16, featuring the unveiling of their huge two and a half metre high Auckland Sky Tower model, made by Australian LEGO® certified professional Ryan McNaught. We were lucky enough to be invited to put together a display for their main front shop window, which proved popular with the large number of people who turned up for this great day.

The second was over November 23rd/24th, when we were given the opportunity of putting together a small display for MOTAT for their Transport and Technology weekend. We put together a 6m x 1.5m City scene featuring trains, trams, monorails and buildings of every description,and proved that we could put together a still quite impressive show in a fraction of the space of our complete layout. We also put together a "Winter Christmas" layout featuring large numbers of all of the LEGO® Winter Christmas models. To round things off we had a table of always inventive MOCs, some especially made to match the "Transport and Technology" theme of the weekend.

From 2014 we have been extremely busy, you can see all our upcoming displays, and photos from past displays.

Thanks to everybody for their support, AuckLUG (Auckland LEGO® User Group).