Watching NZ play Australia in World Cup cricket. Couldn't get tickets to the game so had lunch at…read moreMamak and now am at Vulture's Lane. Seems to be the place to be. Massive selection of beers and nachos are $5.00 today. Had a pint of Garage Project and now thinking about a pint of 8WiredSemiconductor!

A charming little lane off Queen Street with lots of good bars and other shops of interest. It's…read morethe little lanes like this that make the CBD interesting and offer welcoming relief from the blandness of Queen Street. There's a few good bars, namely The Belgian Beer Cafe; O Carrolls Irish bar and the best of all: Queensferry Hotel. The first time I came here in 2007 (on holiday) I recall browsing in a cool record store and buying a Bob Dylan album. That store is gone now but it indelibly marked Vulcan Lane as one of the cooler places in the CBD. The Vulcan cafe is a good spot to watch the people go by and another useful addition to the lane is Wishbone Deli. In case you haven't read my review, it's got a great selection of pastas and risottos which are great if you are on the go. A bit of cult place to Aucklanders, there's a lively vibe here and there is always something going on.

I probably like Milford park more than the average punter because I grew up down the road…read more Throughout my childhood, I spent many a day at Milford Park climbing the trees, playing BYC and go home stay home. Trip down memory lane aside, Milford Park is still a great spot to bring the kiddies. There is a freshly painted, bright blue playground, toilets, BBQ pits AND the Beach is right next door. Not to mention in Summer there is frequently concerts or outdoor movie screenings. Oh, and for all those runners out there every Wednesday night there is a fun run that leaves from the Milford Cruising Club in the park and goes to Takapuna and back for only $7 ($3 for kids), free drink included!

I shouldn't review the park as high as I would prefer to keep this to myself - but better to be…read morehonest. A good little suburban park - good parking, safe kids playground, beach volleyball courts and the beach a hop and a skip away. The Creek provides a bit of action if the tide is in as the yachts and fisher boats trailing and out over the 4 hours of tide. Good takeouts and coffee close by in Milford and it is not surprising the number of people who get fish and chips from PJs (another secret) and eat them on the picnic tables worth a visit

Queens Wharf in Auckland is a cool mix of old and new right on the waterfront. It's a great place…read moreto walk around, with nice views of the harbour, especially when cruise ships are in. I walked around for an afternoon and went to the shopping area and some of the speciality shops while checking it out.

If you arrive by smaller cruise ships to Auckland you dock here…read more Larger ships dock in the industrial area and a bus takes you to Queen's Wharf. You can't walk through the commercial area. You'll be dropped off at The Cloud on the wharf. Public restrooms are available inside. The wharf is located Quay Street and Queen Street right in the heart of Auckland. The area is a mix of beautiful historical buildings and new. You can shop or dine along the waterfront. Wander in and out of the buildings and enjoy the architecture too. Passenger ferries can be caught here also. Leave the wharf through the stunning red brick gates and enjoy the high end shopping of CBC of Auckland. Know that days a ship is docked, the area is quite congested with foot traffic.

I have been shopping there for over 7 years as a local and I found the couple who run this dairy…read moreshop extremely helpful, honest, friendly and great service, reasonable pricing on their product. I Highly recommend locals to experience what I have experience the last 7years.

Five big fat stars. This has been my dairy for 24 years and I love it. Like actually love…read more It kind of weirds me out to think that if it had a camera on the door it would show me from being pushed in in a pram to now. I should ask them if they do have a video actually... From Fridays after school when mum gave us $2.50, to picking up some mixers, this has alwasy been my go-to. Now you may be thinking, 'yeh but every dairy has that,' and you'd be right. But not every dairy has Sajel. Sajel is the lovely lady that greest me and all my family by name as we walk in. (this can be a little embarrassing as others on the shop must think I go there everyday) but it;s lovely. She asks how we're going and alwasy remembers which sister is which - my mum and dad can't do this sometimes. There is a massive range of lollies and chips, and one of the best drick selections this side of the bridge. There's also a great magazine rack, random toiletries and baking products and different specials each day. I love place, I love people who love their jobs. If you go here, say Hannah says hi.

LOVE what Aucklands been up to lately! I feel like over the past decade and particularly the last…read morefive years we have transformed into a cool city with lots of great public spaces. Silo park is the epitome of this with it's markets, free concerts, free dance lessons on a Sunday, basketball hoops, water features and much more! They also have a great range of events in the Silos themselves such as art exhibitions with my favourite two thus far being the time lapse of NZ landscapes with accompanying music through headphones while lounging on beanbags and if course Tom Gould and Anna Delanys Two of a Kind exhibition. Added bonus that you can go for a fish off the rocks a bit further down Keep up the great work Silo Park!

Definitely a community park with a unique history, Silo Park in Auckland NZ is located right off of…read morethe harbor in Wynyard Quarter. When we visited on a Sunday afternoon, it was very much alive with children, many of whom were practicing to ride their bikes (some with training wheels, many were not) at the adjacent parking lot. It is so named because of the 7 silos that dominate the scenery around the park. They were built and used to store cement, but have now been converted into an art and exhibition center and movie screen for outdoor cinema. How cool is that!

There is a spot situated pretty much right under the harbour bridge where some people come to fish…read more It can be quite tricky to find because you need to drive towards the Harbour Bridge but stay clear of the Northern Motorway or you'll go over it; instead take the back roads (Westhaven Drive) that lead around the water. If you come to a place where there's a whole bunch of campervans and gypsies parked on the side of the road, then you've found the spot. I don't know why they come here, perhaps it's a secret meeting place, but anyway the fishing here is OK. Bear in mind that this is still very much in the city, so don't expect a massive haul of fish, however, you might reel in the occasional snapper or trevally.

One of my random interests is geology - looking at rocks in many cases is literally like looking…read moreback in time. The North Shore coast is littered with geological time capsules, and the Takapuna Reef is one of the most incredible. For this reason, I consider it worth a listing of its own, despite Takapuna Beach and Thorne Bay already being listed. The reef sort of sits in between the two beaches, and is a bit of an overlooked gem I feel - we're too intent on fun in the sun to stop for some rocks haha... Takapuna Reef is about as clear as geological time capsules get. The black rocks are lava from the eruption of the nearby Lake Pupuke. What's remarkable about the rocks are the holes and moulds you can see in the rocks - these were formed when the lava surged through a forest during the eruption. Basically, the lava washed the trees away and as the lava cooled it solidified around the tree trunks. As the trunks decomposed over time, they left holes which you can still see today. For this reason, geologists call the reef a 'fossil forest'. When you go down there you can see right where the trees would have been all those thousands of years ago. Really amazing we have such a well preserved bit of geological history so well preserved in Auckland.

The only reason I know anything about the Clay Store is that my dad has been going there for years…read more They call it a 'shed' - its a large community workshop with dozens of standing power tools for multi materials, mostly wood but also metal and anyone can go and use them you don't have to be a member or anything. Its non-profit and run by a bunch of volunteers, mostly retired old guys with a penchant for technical crafts. All it costs is a small donation (I believe the amount is at your own discretion but I hear $5-$20 is the go depending on what you're using and how much time you spend). Dad has taken me here on a couple of occasions when I needed help with little creative projects but if I didn't have him to help then I'm assured one of the volunteers there would show me the ropes and take me through the basics of whatever it was I needed to use. Its actually a brilliant service to have considering so many people these days are interested in DIY projects yet not everybody has the tools or space set up to do them. They're only open for a few hours in the mornings so you can't spend a long time there but its perfect for finishing up odds and ends or for using the big machines and doing the rest at home. They hire trailers for a nominal fee too.

If you don't have the woodworking tools or power tool, this is the place. The "boys" who operate…read morethe "shed" are absolutely fantastic and are there to help in every way possible. Thank you.... most appreciated!

I started my day by waking a leisurely 10am, turned to my partner, and asking what she'd like to do…read moretoday. She chose to visit the chelsea sugar cafe, as we'd never been. Upon arriving at the front desk we were met with the absence of any staff whatsoever. After waiting for a full 5 minutes we were finally met with a member of staff, who quite frankly had a condescending and rude manner. At 11:45am we were seated and forced to sit in the sun, and peruse the menue, after being told it was the only available table, even though there were plenty of other options. A waiter finally made their way to ask us what we'd like at 12:05 am a full 20 minutes later. At 12:15 a second waiter approaches the table and explains how half of the menu is unavailable due to their equipment malfunctioning, we decided to leave at this time and were almost charged for the food that we didn't even receive at all. I DO NOT appreciate having to wait absurd amounts of time for poor customer service and no food. This was by far one of the worst cafe experiences I have ever had. I suggest that the management take a step back and review their customer service methods! Neither my partner of I will be returning. I visited the factory in the Hope's for something sweet, but what I got was a very sour experience. I gave it a one star rating, but I dont think it deserves a star at all.

Accessable by bus (and a short walk) are the Chelsea Sugar Factory grounds, which are in…read moreBirkenhead. If you have ever wondered what the pink building was as you cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge - this is the Chelsea sugar factory. Still a 24 hour per day operational factory, Chelsea sugar have allowed public access to their substantial grounds. Perfect for a stroll, exploring with the family, or to take the dog for a walk. The grounds are diverse and include wetlands, lakes, open spaces and bush. Perhaps you should visit and bring a picnic. You'll be able to relax and eat that homemade baking of yours (that used Chelsea sugar of course)! I like finding and exploring new places in Auckland and this was an enjoyable walk.

Travelling with children can be a daunting and tiring experience, and with airlines milking the…read moreluggage weight costs, it can be very expensive to include enough toys to keep the young ones entertained. When my sister in law and her little darling daughter came over for a three-week visit, she simply couldn't bring along Louise's toys, so we arranged to collect some from the Northcote Toy Library. The library offers a great service, and as a national body, allows parents to access toys for children without the big cash required for a purchase. This is a great opportunity to use their services when you need it, and then to donate to when you are able to give back to society. I know I will.