Tongan-born prop Aulika (27) has impressed in his opening three games for Otago, and looks a natural in the first-class environment.
But it has been a long wait for Aulika, who found himself with plenty of players always in front of him, when battling away in Auckland club rugby.
"I was always the fourth, fifth prop for teams, and didn't really get on to the field often enough. Then I made the Auckland team this year but I wasn't happy with the contract they offered to me," he said.
"So I told my manager to make up a rugby CV and send it round a few unions. I got a bit of interest from the likes of Harbour, Tasman, Manawatu and Otago. I decided to go with Otago as I could get a bit more game time."
Aulika was named in the Auckland squad in late July at the start of the week but by Friday was in the Otago side.
He journeyed south but had to sit out the first three games because of a suspension he was given from an incident in an Auckland club game.
But all that excess energy was taken out by Aulika when he teamed up in the front row with Kees Meeuws.
"Kees was one of those players I used to look up to when I was growing up.
Now I'm playing with him.
I'm learning heaps off him with his experience and all the games he has played."
Aulika moved to Auckland from Tonga in 2000 when he attended the Southern Cross Campus in South Auckland.
World champion shot putter Valerie Adams was a couple of years behind him at school.
After leaving school he played for the Otahuhu club, first at colts level and then for the senior club side.
But he never got to wear the senior Auckland jersey.
"Up there it can be more about what club you play for and coming through the system. I played senior for four years and lots of people asked me why I could never crack the team. But it wasn't me holding me back. I just never got picked."
Aulika has left wife Amy and three children, Lanaia (7), Amisha (4) and Sione (2) back in Auckland, and also taken leave from his job at Mainfreight.
He was enjoying Dunedin, saying it was nice and safe, compared with south Auckland, although he missed his family.
He was happy with his game so far, and the scrum had performed well against Hawkes Bay last Sunday.
Otago takes on Tasman in Nelson this Sunday.
"The game at this level is a lot faster and it took me a while to get used to it. The hits are a lot harder. But every game you get a bit more used to it."
Aulika has plenty of incentive to play well for the rest of the season.
His target was to play well enough for Otago to get picked in the Highlanders, and then his family would come south.
