Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

If you have artistic flare but not the traditional type, then come on down to 85 Cavendish Drive…read more(in the hub with Big Save Furniture, PK Furniture and Reece), there is a massively long drive way that backs onto Chipmunks which has fantastic graffiti art all over it. Graffiti artists from all around the world have come here and painted magnificent pieces, showing off their talents and skills which have made them known world wide. Before meeting my boyfriend never was I into this art, but it really is quite unique. These big bold pieces are done with spray cans and spraying techniques. I would never have known that those fine straight lines were all done freehand. It really is an art and far from the horrible eye sore tagging which gives graffiti a bad name. This local flavour is totally worth coming to view. It gives so much character to the area. I truly am a fan!

This was our second visit, the crowds were up last year, which is good the the festival. As usual…read moreone of the hardest choices was in selecting which tasty dish and drink to have, once the choice was made it was finding a quiet spot to consume without being knocked out of your hand. A downside of such crowds was trying to appreciate the lanterns. It is certainly worth going and for good summers family night out.

This was my first time at the AKL Lantern Festival and I couldn't believe how packed it was! We…read morewent on early on Sunday night (around 6pm) thinking we would beat the crowds but there must've been thousands of people wandering around the relatively small Albert Park already. It's probably only takes about 40mins to see all the lanterns but I reckon why not make a night of it and set up a home base near the main stage. They have fantastic performances - when we were there a rather energetic (and shirtless) male drum troupe were performing - and there are a gazillon food and drinks stalls, just make sure you bring cash! Oh and make sure you seek out the watermelon filled with ice cream - delish!

Unequivocally my FAVOURITE venue in Auckland! There is something quite magical about this place…read more From the beautifully themed entrance lobby to the star covered ceiling in the theatre itself the Civic never fails to impress. Their line up of musicals, orchestral performances, theatre and Opera are the best of the best too! Close to public transport and parking close by it is an easy place to get to as well which is a convenient bonus

I have a special bond with the Civic, when I was a kid my grandmother worked there and I would…read moreoften get to go into the Civic and the Wintergarden theatres and run through the back halls and rooms, this was during the days of the St James theatre when no-one had even heard of a multiplex. I've been up to the top and seen the stars, I've played with the glowing eyed lions. In part I think the bond I have with the Civic is a little more intense but no less symbolic then the one the rest of Auckland has with it. The Civic is possibly more iconic than the Auckland Town Hall and it seems to sit astride the heart of the Auckland CBD. Inside the Civic, the entrance hall remains mostly unchanged with the exception of the candy bar that used to sell Tangy Fruits, with a glass of wine or beer being the order of the day. Yes folks the Civic ascended from its cinema roots and matured to be an actual Theatre. In all its changes, its not lost its Grandiose 1940's charm and while the seats are still packed in there, you can sit in the Civic and know you're part of Auckland's long history with the Arts. Wellington is still considered the cultural capital of New Zealand, but its got competition here.

Gorgeous Art gallery in the heart of Auckland! My husband and I enjoyed strolling the gallery…read moreduring a recent trip. I really enjoyed their Manet and Picasso pieces. If you have a few hours to spare, there's a really nice outdoor space to sit and read a book!

We had just finished eating on Queen Street and were wandering around the area when we stumbled…read moreupon this art gallery museum. We decided to walk in and I'm glad we did. The first floor is free and features several exhibitions, so we took our time roaming around. One of the main exhibits focused on Māori art, and we spent about an hour exploring the pieces and learning more about Māori history in New Zealand. It was genuinely informative and beautifully presented. There was also a display by a Korean artist on the first floor. I don't quite remember the theme, but the design of the house-like structure had some Chinese influences, which made it visually interesting. Overall, if you have some time to spare and want to cool off from the scorching sun, this gallery is definitely worth a visit. Bonus points for clean restrooms, too!

As a massive nerd, I have to say, I'm so happy this place exists…read more Cakes and Ladders is, as far as I know, Auckland's only board game cafe. They have an impressive stock of board and card games--for adults and for families--the nicest, friendliest staff you could ask for, and a comfy interior setup for your hours of board gaming pleasure. The coffee is pretty decent as well, although none of my friends nor I have tried the food menu just yet. Here's how it works: you walk in, you pick a table, and the staff start your timer. Then you can either pick a game or have one recommended to you based on pretty much whatever criteria you want, and if it's a new game to you, the (again, wonderfully friendly) staff explain the rules and setup to you. Then you play--for hours, if you want. At $2.50 an hour, it's a steal. (Also, they're currently awaiting their liquor license, so although there's no alcohol there yet, just you wait. Craft beers are on their way!) They close at 10pm, I believe, at least on the weekends, but once the booze arrives, I'm hoping they stay open a wee bit later. I'm definitely going back, often.

This place is awesome!!! Came with my husband and had a great time. They have so many games!!!…read morePerfect for groups and for just 2 people. They have a specific shelf full of games that require only 2 players. A great way to spend an afternoon or evening. Can get noisey but adds to the fun.

MY LIFE!!!!!! Drove…read morepast the newly "rejuvenated and revitalized" course the other day, and all that was going through my head was..."Why?" I was like...they've just gone and completely ruined it". Read that what had been done so far was only part 1, ( high hopes that part 2 was the animals, the Hippo in particular, getting put back in their rightful and honorable places...) NUP! Part 2 is going to be a food cart. So to the owners..Was it too hard to just replace the astro turf?; fix and repaint the animals,the mushrooms, and the buildings?; plant new plants?; put up a roof? Yeah the place was showing it's age, but revitalizing something, doesnt always mean that what your revitalizing has to be completely replaced. I haven't played it, I don't want to play it, and neither has my partner, because we both think that what you have replaced the old courses with, is nothing but rubbish. You've gone ruined what were 2 already awesome courses, and the animals just added to it. ( no other course in New Zealand, had a Gorilla standing over a cave on the 18th hole ). #Disappointed R.I.P Hippo, Gorilla, Giraffe, Zebra, T.Rex, and Brontosaurus. GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN!!!!

We've been going here for years. The course doesn't seem to get old. Still very enjoyable for all…read moreages and I keep trying to beat my score. Today I got two holes in 1. Call me legend. ha ha.. Lots of kids and families over school holidays but don't let that deter you. There is the original course with zoo animals and cool putt puts. The newer course is dinosaur inspired. The course is a little shorter without much foliage but it does have really good giant dinosaurs. Today it cost $45 for a family of four for 18 holes.

Loved visiting this beautiful Wintergarden in Auckland Domain…read more Wintergardens are conservatories or glasshouses that were built to enjoy flowers in the winter. They were very popular stating in the early 1900s. The Auckland Domain Wintergarden was built a century ago. It has two glasshouses that contain the most beautiful flowers, a sunken Fernery and a courtyard with a pond and sculptures. Loved the glasshouse filled with so many colorful flowers. Giant hibiscus. Sunflowers. Gladiolas. Foxgloves. Begonias. The Fernery is so interesting. Loved walking into the sunken quarry and looking at all of the native ferns. The wooden statues which represent bird native to New Zealand were a nice touch. The Wintergarden is free. Located in the Auckland Domain, it is a nice place to stop and enjoy the flowers and history.

One of the highlights of my trip to Auckland was visiting the Wintergardens. It was an especially…read morecold and gray day when I set out to explore Auckland Domain, so by the time I got here I was thankful to be heading inside. The gardens are two main greenhouses: one very warm, the other more temperate. In between the two is a fountain and pool, outdoor plants, and at the back is the entry to the fernery (a word I didn't know existed but now I want one for myself). The building on the right of the entrance is the warm one, which keeps the doors closed. Inside are many warmer weather plans including orchids, lotus, ferns, and tropical flowers. The building on the left is more temperate and has flowers galore; so many colors it's hard to know what to see first. The fernery is an amazing place - dark, damp, and quiet; you can either walk around the ring path at the top or go down the stairs to the bottom to look up. There are statues of various New Zealand birds around to show you what their silhouettes would look like if you came across them in the wild. You can't be aware how varied ferns are until coming here. This is an amazing free activity to do on your visit to Auckland, plus lots more nearby. You can easily spend a day in Auckland Domain. There were a few groups of retired people and school groups as well, worthwhile for any age.

A group of friends and I went here for a birthday. All 8 of us twenty-something year olds had a a…read moreblast. Marlene and Ruan Odendaal, went above and beyond for us and even gave us loads of tokens for their arcade games afterwards. I can't stress enough how hospitable they were! The lasertag was pretty hilarious; there was a kid's birthday party going on and it was us 'oldies' versus them HAHA. They did mix it up a bit after the first game though so that was cool. I didn't realize that they had teles outside, so people were watching us while we were in there #embarassing haha. We paid $17 each for 4 games and by the end of it a lot of us were really hot, tired but satisfied. Was SO worth the money! Will definitely come here again!

The ultimate kids birthday party experience, bar none. Every North Shore child had a birthday party…read morehere at some stage, and it never got old. Like seriously, still epic at the age of 21. It's laser tag set in a kinda trippy spaceship-styled maze with cool dry ice effects and strobes and stuff. It'd be cool on acid I imagine. Anyway you get a laser gun and a vest each and shoot eachother. Paintball without the pain really. Everything's wired up to a scoring system so you get a readout at the end, and I figured out how to win at the age of 10 - you just hide under a ramp and shoot everyone that runs past. But nobody does that - you aimlessly run around yelling - much more fun. Grown ups can watch on the video screens from outside and chuckle at how manic the kids get. Their website also says they do team building. Wouldn't mind working for a company that sends their employees to Laser Force!

One of the best benefits of having kids is getting to be a kid yourself and Megazone is a great…read moreplace to do just that. I never understand when parents don't partake in childish activities - we even had a boys' birthday party here where a dad went INSIDE the warzone to just stand and watch. If you have no idea what all this is about, laserstrike is the preferred birthday party choice of boys (and some girls) aged 7 to 12 and probably older - we're not there yet. You rally your troops, divide them into two teams, tool up and go to war. There's an instruction video and staff on hand to help you get into your harness-thing. The harness-thing has light targets for your enemy to see and of course your laser gun. You then go run around in the dark shooting each other and the team with the most points wins. Most excellent entertainment - especially getting those kids that are, let's say, not your favourites. So ring up, book your group and they'll give you a room where you can do the food and cake thing along with two 20 minute game sessions. Get pizzas delivered and it's simple and fairly affordable as far as these things go. Just make sure you join in - it's bloody good exercise and wicked fun.