Despite being a bit scared of dogs, Mt Eden Dog Park is one of my favourite places in Auckland…read more Situated halfway up the mountain, it has a brilliant view for you to enjoy while letting your dog (or in my case, my friend's dog) have a good run around. I've spent hours up there over the years, gossiping and catching up with my best friend. We often take milkshakes bought in Mt Eden Village up there with us, and it's a really nice way to spend a few hours in the afternoon. The park itself is big enough for your dog to have a good run and explore, while also offering a trough of water to keep them hydrated. Bonus: Every now and again couches magically appear in the dog park, and tucking up on them with a friend and yum drink is a great way to enjoy the amazing view.

I am not a dog lover or even an animal lover. Dogs scare me and for a reason. I have been chased…read moreand nearly bitten by dogs so it took a lot of strength for me to even go to the dog park. A friend of mine has a dog a cute dog called Million. She is the first dog I have ever patted and she is a bundle of joy. My friend and I took her for a walk and we ended up at dog park with other dogs. It was rather interesting watching the dogs interact with each other. The owners of the dogs all got along and talked about their dogs. I actually had a lovely time and I learnt something different.

I went there yesterday for the first time in years and loved it. There isn't many places where dogs…read morecan run around in a safe environment and it was nice not having to worry about people that are afraid of dogs. It was just a great, relaxed break in the day that me and my dog, Chonker, thoroughly enjoyed.

I only recently found this place. I was looking for a safe area where my boy Zuzu & I could get a…read morelittle exercise, away from cars & construction & danger. We found it. Zuzu has a ball in this place. The fences off area is amazing for a chap who doesn't normally get the chance to be free to explore without me tugging on his lead all the time. As an added bonus there are other dogs there too. Zuzu doesn't get much of a chance to socialise with other dogs, they are usually to busy or too far away. So having a relaxed environment where the pressure is off is great. Especially for Zuzu. The only downside is that you have to drive there. I say its a downside because Zuzu has a tendency to get car sick really easily. So if you're a lucky owner who's dog doesn't get sick, jump in your car & get there. After all..... There is no better sight than seeing your dog having a blast, wagging its tail & frolicking in the long grass.

This park is a regular of mine, I always turn to it in times of need. When I'm looking for…read moresomewhere fun to walk my dog? I come here because there is a large open field for her to run in, as well as forest type track walks for her to explore. When I'm looking for a natural location for photoshoots? I come here because it's local, it has great parking as well as looking untamed much like forests that you would find out of Auckland (just in a miniature scale). The reserve also offers barbecues, tables, a sportsfield with a cricket pitch, netball and tennis courts as well as half courts. As I said before, there is plenty of street parking which is free, so even if you aren't into sports, come here and have a barbie on their electric bbq's!

Windmill reserve is actually the shit. It's a good sized field, surrounded by big pine trees and a…read morebit of a track that you can walk along. It's great for exploring and I take photos back there sometime and pretend I've taken them somewhere out of the city in a secret location or something. Next to the field is a set of in Winter - netball courts, in Summer - tennis courts. All free to play on. Yeah, they're kind of concrete and shitty, but they're still cool and there's heaps of them so you're likely to find space if you want to have a game. The best. Full Disclosure: I live near here so I'm kind of biased.

When my 6 year old nephew comes to stay with me, we spend a lot of time at this park! It's super…read moreclose to where I live and it has different play grounds to suit different ages, There is a "little kid's" playground with safe swings and slides that aren't so long or steep and there is also a "big kid's" playground that's quite separate. You have to climb up some stairs to get to it. I think the separation is quite good though because quite often the little kids can be a bit intimidated of the boisterous big kids. In this playground there is a huge slide going down the side of the hill which was great fun for my nephew and also a big flying fox. I would definitely recommend to parents or babysitters because there is space to park and it's not right on a busy road.

I walk or drive past this park pretty much every single day and have never really paid it much…read moreattention until I was stuck in traffic outside it the other day as the sun was setting and it struck me how beautiful the view is from there. You can literally see all the way out to Hobson Bay. It's always got stuff going on too: games of cricket (as it's home to Parnell Cricket Club), which attract really big crowds, kids sports games and I even see crazy people doing bootcamp there at stupid times of the morning. It has the distinct advantage of being completely flat, which is something of a rarity in parks in Auckland, I've noticed! When there's nothing going on there, it's the perfect place to just go chill out in the sun with a book or take the dog for a walk. It's really clean, well maintained and reasonably quiet around when is isn't rush-hour traffic time.

Also known as Shore Road and Bloodworth Park, Thomas Bloodworth Park is great for all different…read morekinds of activities. We usually utlilise the park for games of touch and the occasional game of kicks, however it is now used by a wide range of groups. The flat ground is ideal for sport and it doesn't get too wet during the winter. Floodlights are also available, if organised with the council. There are fitness classes held here such as boot camps, it is home to the Parnell Cricket Club, with pitches across both areas of the park in summer, with nets at both ends. There is a track which has been built which borders Hobson Bay, providing a scenic route for runners and walkers alike. There is a playground near the cricket club facilities with a regular coffee cart frequenting the carpark. Other vendors include florists, grocers, sushi, and sometimes even whitebait if you're lucky.

I used to be a Grey Lynn local up till a few years ago, and just recently popped back for a…read morefriend's son's birthday party in the park. I realize now that for a city park Grey Lynn is well rounded. It has a fantastic playground for the kids to play in, right next to an outdoor paddling, splash pool- which is free to use of course. There are lots of leafy green trees to shade the hot sun in the middle of the day; as well as a giant flying fox for the older kids to let loose on. This park is fab for running laps in, playing soccer, or basketball at, and taking the family dog out for a run and fetch. They even have a cool Skate Ramp to flip some boards on too. I have always enjoyed Grey Lynn Park and will continue to for many years to come.

Kick a ball around, see who can swing the highest at the playground, fry a few things on the…read morebarbeque (after thoroughly cleaning it of course!) or splash in the pool. (if it happens to be full - every time I've been here it's been empty. To the point that my American friends joked that's how Kiwi's like their pools) The Grey Lynn festival goes on here once a year, otherwise it's just a nice area to hang around in without travelling far away from the city. It's not so nice to be near at night though, so make sure the sun is shining and the weather is fine.

This is a tiny park that is quite close to where I live, it isn't much really, basically it is a…read moreconcrete foot path that leads through to a grassed area from an entrance on LittleJohn Street through to a basketball court and path that leads out onto Olsen Avenue. There is a small kids playground with a jungle gym, slides and swings just next to the kindergarten and the grassed area has many trees. It isn't so much a park as it is a large backyard. There are no park benches, no flowers, the playground is not much either. This is a good place to take kids, just for the playground. You can't really kick a ball around or anything because there are trees in the way. There is no field, you could not run here but if you need a place to take you dog for a walk or want to shoot some hoops and you're in the area then it might be worth your while.

Surprisingly underused little park in Ponsonby with a children's playground and dog friendly area…read more Nice view of the sky tower and a good place for an impromptu picnic if you are in the neighborhood.

Thanks to our New Zealand friends (Geoffrey and Margaret), whom we met the year before during our…read morecruise through Southeast Asia, for planning a day of fun, exercise, and good eats in Auckland. We started with a hike up Mount Eden (Maungawhau), a dormant volcano and the highest natural point in Auckland, offering panoramic views of the city from its summit. As we hiked uphill along pathways and boardwalks to the summit, our friends explained that Mount Eden is a culturally significant Māori site, pointing out its historical Māori pā (fortified village) terraces and its sacred 160-ft-deep crater. It took us about 18 minutes to hike up from the parking lot to the summit while following the pathway to the boardwalks. The uphill hike was relatively easy with an elevation gain of nearly 240 feet, and I was sure glad that my osteoarthritic knee wasn't "acting up." We prepared for this hike by taking physically challenging shore excursions and actively exercising pre- and during our cruise. After all, we didn't want to reach the summit wheezing and out of breath, because we truly wanted to enjoy the panoramic views and take in the cultural and historical background from our younger friends. It was very windy atop and along the summit boardwalks, and I had to either hold on or lean into the handrails, otherwise be blown about like tumbleweed. At the summit, we were treated to a 360° panoramic view of Auckland city, its nearby neighborhoods, the iconic Sky Tower, Auckland Harbor Bridge, Rangitoto Island, and a glimpse of the South towards the Auckland Airport. Instead of returning to our vehicle the same way we had climbed up, our friends guided us downhill on a less steep, paved private roadway. Our round-trip hike took about an hour, and it was a beautiful day to spend with friends, enjoying iconic sights and learning about Māori history and culture.

At 196 meters high, Mount Eden, a dormant volcano, is the highest natural point in Auckland. It…read morewas named in honour of George Eden, the 1st Earl of Auckland (a white guy), by Governor William Hobson (another white guy). In the Māori language, Mount Eden is called Maungawhau, which means "mountain of the whau tree". At the top of Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a large, grassy crater 50 meters deep which is sacred to the Māori and must not be entered. Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a popular for hiking, and while it is not a long or difficult hike, there are steep sections. Around the crater are boardwalks that were installed in 2020 for people to take a stroll. Fortunately when we went hiking on Mount Eden/Maungawhau, the weather was nice, although it was quite windy at the top. I took a lot of photos to try and capture the beauty of the area, but it's something you just have to experience in person. If you like hiking and nature, don't miss Mount Eden/Maungawhau. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Hiking]