A great secluded little beach that you can access through Minnehaha Ave or by walking along the…read morecoastal walk between Takapuna and Milford. There are a few road parks on Minnehaha and then it's just a short, steep concrete path through some bush onto the coastal concrete walkway until you reach the secret bay. There are rocks on either side that allow fisherman to try their luck- which we saw when we came one evening. There is a small bit of sand if you just want to lay down and also the shade of a tree if you are coming during the day time. We caught Thorne at a not so ideal swimming time with pretty strong waves that were pummelling us a bit and washing up a lot of seaweed- having said that it was still good fun. Would love to come back when it's a bit less rough though for sure. It's very pretty- can definitely say that A lovely, not so populated seaside spot- perfect daytime or evening.

This secluded beach has white sand, clear water and is an absolute favourite amongst locals. Walk…read morealong the coast from the larger, more populated Takapuna Beach past historic scoria reefs and petrified log holes and within 15 minutes you will find yourself at this hidden haven. Don't forget to pick up a coffee or an award winning liquorice ice cream from Takapuna Beach Cafe before you start. Fun Fact: If you are walking your dogs during low tide be sure to let them have a dip or drink in the fresh water rock pool towards the Southern end of the beach. The water trickles down from Lake Pupuke and the dogs just love it!

The ONLY way to tour Auckland‼ My regret - I did not have…read morethis as my first ebike experience in New Zealand. Whether you're w first timer, as a solo or with friends or a family group- this ebike tour is a GREAT, extraordinary way to experience Auckland. Our tour guide was Carson- who is well versed with the history, customs and culture of New Zealand, Auckland and the Māori people. Power2Peddle provides headsets for the guides narrative. In addition, Carson offered several suggestions for activities and dining. The P2P people are pro's with a special passion for ebikes and their city. HIGHLY recommended- I plan BRING friends on my next visit with P2P being at the top of our to do list. Thank you Eddie and thank you Carson. - Don

Exceptional! Highly recommend. Small group ebike tour of Auckland. The ebikes and helmets were well…read moremaintained. Eddie had us wear headsets so he could give us directions, keep us safe, and share lots of info. Very informative and professional. He took lots of photos to share with us. Great overview of Auckland and New Zealand on our 2nd day. We are mid 60s and fit but sure needed that pedal assist and turbo climbing to the top of the dormant volcano. Plus enjoyed an iced coffee and yummy donut at the meeting place before. Sign up now!

One of the best parks around in a busy residential area. I've been living in this area for nearly 8…read moreyears (or more can't even remember now!) and they just keep improving this park for the better. They have developed this awesome bike track for kids, complete with ramps and bridges and round about with stop signs (to teach them early about driving haha) and from the looks of it, all the kids in the neighbourhood LOVE it. I have tried skateboarding on this track and it's definitely harder so stick to scooters and bikes. The "big kids" playground is so EPIC with flying foxes (can never get too old for this but can be too tall as my bottom and legs will graze the bark), miniature climbing wall, tall tunnel slide, bridges, monkey bars oh my gosh you name it. Don't fret! There's a miniature playground for the little ones that's more safe and to a smaller scale and and really cool swings (for babies, toddlers or the big kids like myself! ) For the adults or the more adventurous kiddies there's a forestry/bush walk that really cool to have in a residential jungle. And they've cleaned it up, made better, stronger and wider walking paths. There's a big field for soccer, lacrosse, rugby etc and biggish public toilets next to it. A big pond with water coming in from the harbour and ducks (sometimes cute little ducklings) swimming lounging around and sometimes people race their remote boats in it too! There's a public BBQ by the miniature playground and also on weekends there's a coffee and ice cream truck on standby! There's just so much going on in this park that you can never get bored and probably never want to leave until someone has to drag you out hahaha

Silde fast. Fields big. Pump track long good. Swings good. Coming back tomorrow. Flying fox more…read morelike zooming fox.

Great pool and gym with childcare on site. Reasonable sized parking lot although it is usually 90%…read morefull. Large clean change rooms with a seperate caregiver changeroom that has private shower rooms equipped with change tables! Staff are always friendly and helpful. Call beforehand to check if the pools are prebooked for swimming lessons.

I have only visited Takapuna North Shore Leisure once with the little one, and his play friend for…read morea swim. I liked that there was lots of space in the car park for us to find a spot, and that this came free with the use of the centre. Also opposite the entrance is a child care should you need some help whilst using the pools. On this day however I was there for the boy, so I was happy not to use this pay service. The fee to use the pools for a mother and child is only a few dollars, and the staff were happy to give me the rundown of the pools (a pool for the little kids, and one for swimming laps) and also the location of the changing rooms, etc. I do prefer the little kid's pool at Birkenhead a little bit more as it seems a lot bigger with more space for all the little swimmers to enjoy. There is even a hot pool spa outside in the sun which I thought would be perfect next visit.

All the facilities that you need for all your fitness and leisure requirements. A 50m pool- hard to…read morefind! Great gym, a range of classes, a kids pool, spa and sauna. There is also a creche and cafe on site. The staff and friendly and helpful if you have any questions. When signing up the the gym you get free assessment and program. Parking is usually pretty good but if you can't find any parks on the street you get a discount at the parking building next door or there is also a paid parking area across the road by The Warehouse.

This pool is amazing!! Really!!! I certainly took the pool for granted when I lived in Auckland!…read more I am from New York, but lived in Auckland for two years while getting my Masters degree. In those two years I adopted swimming as my preferred fitness activity. I went to the pool whenever I was stressed or sad or bored, and within minutes of entering the pool, I was as happy as I could ever be. This pool has soooo many things you can't find in New York: - As a student, it only cost me $5 or so to pop by for a swim. Almost every pool (aside from the dingy pools) in New York require membership just to be able to walk into the facility. And even the dingy pools require membership outside of Summer. - It's a 50 meter pool. You would be surprised how rare that is. - It has a kiddie pool, hot tub, jacuzzi, steam room, TWO saunas, a cafe, a gym, fitness classes, SCUBA CLASSES (!!!) an incredible locker room with curtains AND hot water.... really just incredible facilities. Nothing in New York comes close to that. Not even remotely. - The price is absolutely insane. Again, I only paid $5 to swim, and they don't force you to get a membership or anything. The only establishment that I've been to that comes close to this pool is Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. But a day pass is $50 USD (So maybe $60 NZD.... just for the day). Yearly membership for the pool alone is over $600. I would do anything to be able to go back to this pool. Count your lucky stars, Aucklanders!!!! ;)

Having decided to try visiting this bird sanctuary on a lark (thanks folks, I'll be here all…read morenight), I was impressed enough with it. One visits by boat either from downtown Auckland (which I imagine is a scenic ride) or from a more remote peninsula near the island where the boat stops just before reaching it (which is nice if you want somewhere free to park for the day). The boat ride is most of the cost; for a small additional fee you get a guided tour lead by one of a remarkably large number of local volunteers. Why not? The guide leads you through the middle of the island with some narration, before finishing at a lighthouse and leaving you the second half of the day to roam alone. There weren't that many visible birds during New Zealand "winter"; you'd here more than you see. The island was once a farm before being purposefully replanted as a forest. Things grow fast here; it looks quite wild. Up to the point of reaching the light house, I'd probably have written a four star review. However, they buried the lead. Exploring alone yielded vast panoramic views of the entire region. The island is centrally located between the city and a variety of other islands. New Zealand's indigenous people are of Polynesian descent, and while you walk around here you might confuse the volcanic landscapes, abundant greenery, and clear turquoise water for a more archetypically Polynesian vacation spot. There are a few swimmable spots. It is a big enough island that there were significant areas of track that I did not see even after hustling around the coastline. Always leave 'em wanting more, the saying goes. If I had occasion to, I wouldn't mine going again, which having paid $60 to see an island that had no trees at the time I was born is something. Tips: *There were a ton of local schoolkids, but the guides kindly separated out kids and adults for the tour, and once you're off the boat, it really isn't an issue. *Adults get free tea and coffee at the end of the tour, but no food. There is literally nothing even to buy. Bring decent food. *A truck loads any bags you might want to leave at the wharf, and carries them to the lighthouse and back, meaning you do not need to carry what you bring while walking the island. *They are very concerned about biosecurity, so wear clean shoes and bring only closed, zippable bags. *Apparently the name means that it's a really windy island. Which it really is. Be ready for wild temperature differences based on wind and shade.

Seriously one of Auckland's greatest outdoor treasures. This pest-free island is a magical place…read morethat harkens back to the days before massive deforestation for farming, hunting, and introduction of pests shrank the population of New Zealand's birds. The bird songs you'll hear here are incredible! Amazing work has been done to reforest native plants and trees, and reintroduce rare birds on this island. You can see hihi (stitchbirds), saddlebacks, kakariki (red crowned parakeets), bellbirds, north island robin, heaps and heaps of tui, wood pigeon, little blue penguins, kokako (if you're lucky) and of course, my favorite - the takahē (a population of less than 300 exist in the world, and this is one of the few places you can see them in the wild - plus BABIES!) So worth paying the $70 to take the ferry out there. Pack your lunch and your sunscreen, bring your swimsuit and good hiking shoes, and get ready for an amazing day. The extra $5 for the guided tour is worth doing at least once. The guides are very knowledgable and will point out the birds and interesting plants and give you a history of the island. However, when we went the second time without the group, we saw heaps more birds, I think as we were separate from many of the larger (noisier) groups. I'm dying to stay overnight at the DOC hut and try to spot a kiwi! The huts are booked well in advance so you're gonna have to troll the website for an opening. Also be sure to book your trip well in advance as the ferry can book up during peak season, and you don't want to miss out!!

We landed in Auckland, checked in our hotel and grabbed the ferry for a trip to Devonport. Coming…read moreoff the ferry we discovered a bicycle rental shop. We rented e bikes - the owners were super nice and gave us a map of the island. Great way to see everything and get up those nasty hills! And they only charged us for an hour even though we went over that time!

This shop is conveniently located on the ferry dock. The service was attentive, friendly, and very…read morehelpful with trip suggestions. We could not have asked for more. The electric bikes were fantastic! We had a great time exploring the main sites and the electric assist helped us get up the steep hills. It was a spectacular time and we want to thank the Belgium young man at the shop who helped us. We spent about 1.5 hours.

The Waitakere ranges was one of the biggest draw cards for my husband and I to settling out West…read morewhen we moved here last year from Australia. The West of Auckland has a hit and miss reputation, but that is ok, so does Tasmania in Aus where we were living for the last five years. We have managed to go camping out in Whatipu, Waitakere Ranges, once so far, visited most of the beaches, and done a couple of tramps around the bush a bit closer to the city side. No major, hard-core tramps/camps for days on end, but more leisurely 'park the car day trips' kind of thing. I would highly recommend going with the kids if you are interested too, there is a variety of walks set out that would suit many levels of fitness. It is also well maintained with conservation awareness well set up, so taking the kids would be educational as well as the many other blessings you get when you go.

This past Easter weekend, my family and I spent two of the four days travelling across the…read moreWaitakere ranges. First visit was to the amazing Bethells Beach to get through the ranges, we had to start our journey at scenic drive, merging with Te Henga road, and then Bethells road which travels up the northern ridge of the ranges. We travelled through the beautiful cascade Kauri zone (where if you're keen for stretching the legs walk the 8 km track to see the biggest Kauri trees in Auckland) and finally arrived at the west coast- Bethells Beach. The drive is purely scenic as its name describes, and nature at its finest. The other journey I took was to Huia and Whatipu Beach, We started at Titirangi, and following signs headed towards the southern part of the ranges, first you past turn off's for Cornwallis, Huia and once in Little Huia, follow the Whatipu road which climbs up into the forest before plunging down towards Whatipu and the beach- this road is gravel and very twisty so be prepared for the drive. I really enjoyed my adventures through the ranges and loved the scenery and beaches I found.

I liked this bush walk, it was moderate I would say because of all the stairs you have to traverse…read moreup and down. I really enjoyed walking through all the native trees and seeing native birds. We also were the only ones on the trail at the time which was nice, you would have never guessed this was so close to a city. There was a path that was closed off with a fence because of a tree disease. I was a little disappointed and found it rather odd that these closures happen when at the start and through the trail there was cleaning stations for people's shoes. For anyone in the area definitely go do this walk. You get a nice view of the city at the end.

We are really spoilt in Auckland as we still have access to so many native bush walks around the…read morecity and many of them are very accessible, however lots of us drive past them every day and would never know they existed and if they did they may not come anyway. However for those of you who are interested in bush walking within the city, then this is a great one and its also very handy if you live North or South of the bridge. It has many native trees, birds, streams and has a number of different walkways, but pretty easy not to get lost. From here you can head to one of the nearby cafes for some relaxing after your invigorating walk.

Marlborough Park in Glenfield has a little bit of everything for everyone. I love visiting for the…read moreplayground as it has a section of low tunnels and abacus balls for my preschooler to enjoy playing with; also swings and slides that suit the little and big kid. Not only are the children catered for, there is a basketball court, a skate bowl, a climbing frame, and even a flying fox. If your jogging in the area, why not pop in and work out on the free adult gym equipment? Fantastic park for a picnic on a warm sunny day, and with lots of trees is just really pretty to look at. Please don't miss the peace of Marlborough Park.