I visited Playhouse Theatre on Auckland Music School 2013 concert…read more A lot of children played such instruments as piano, violin, guitar etc. It was really fun and enjoying experience to watch. The youngest of "players" was a little girl of 4 with angel wings at the back of her dress! Cute! The acoustic is good, and the seats are comfy as well. I had no discomfort for seating there for more than 2 hours. The smell from the seats and interior is not very pleasant, but it is common among all the playhouses and theatres.

Oh god where to begin. I don't doubt this place is great for netball but it SUCKS badly as a music…read morevenue. I've had to come here twice; the first time was the all round disappointment that was The Cult but that was only a taster of how shit things could really get. The Cult had general admission standing room and allocated seating up the sides. Except when you got there it was actually a free for all so you got whatever seat you could find. Then most recently I saw Blondie here who blew my mind and restored my faith that you can indeed be painfully achingly cool even 35 years on from your heydey. And for the haters who didn't enjoy it; heard of irony? For this gig the whole thing was seated and what this meant was cheap plastic chairs with numbers sellotaped on them (I kid you not) lined up in "rows" that people just moved out of the way. There was standing in the aisles, even some obnoxious child smoking and barely any security to speak of. Even without the smoking it would have been a fire hazard. OSH anyone? The queue for the bar was ridiculous and the whole set-up was a frickin debacle that should never be repeated. It gets better. I received an email from Trusts Stadium the following week requesting feedback that included a shitload of questions on everything from the food to the toilets. I attacked it with fervent vigour, happy that I would get to tell them everything they were doing wrong. Ten minutes later I clicked on Submit..... and nothing. I don't know if it timed out, I don't know if it went through and I've heard nothing from them since. Please please please music promoters stop using this place for concerts!

The Pacific Star Bistro at the Glen Eden RSA does quite a nice roast dinner on a Friday night, and…read moretalk about economical it's just $15 for the carvery which of course comes with the salad bar and desserts. A friendly club which welcomes new families, you do not need to be a member of the armed forces to join remember, they are always looking to increase their membership. Quite a few people I know enjoy networking at their local RASA. Glen Eden is no exception. They have regular dance bands, social clubs like darts and snooker, and entertainment for the young and old.

The Glen Eden RSA is actually a lot better than it's reputation. The people are friendly, the bar…read moreis neat and tidy, there's a few pool tables, some dart boards, a stage, a restaurant, a dance floor, and of course, the drinks are cheap. Because everyone there has to be a member or invited by a member, most people there are generally friends and nice people. A huge range of ages, from the oldies to younger members newly joined to the club. By becoming a member you can join heaps of the RSA clubs, including the 8 Ball club, the cruise club, and they always go away on group trips around the country visiting other RSAs. Heaps of parking outside, and they run a van to take everyone home, contributing to fixing the drunk driving problem we seem to have in this country. A nice place on a Sunday arvo or for a Friday night out.

Best little kindy out West. My nieces and nephews attended here and they all took to it like ducks…read moreto water. The teachers are really lovely and on the day's I have been a visitor the welcome is so friendly. The facility itself feels like a home away from home, very comfortable for the preschoolers as they get used to routines and a more disciplined form of learning. There is lots of unstructured play interspersed with mat time and projects done together. Outside the playground is a great avenue of endless exploration and games. Being right next to Oratia School would make the transition from 4 to 5 years and start of school an easy one.

The church I attend recently started using Hub West as a venue for our Sunday services. The venue…read moreis absolutely beautiful as it incorporates Maori art in side the building and on the outside. The venue is not only perfect for church services but for other events such as weddings, birthday parties and anniversaries. The price for hiring the venue is also very affordable and there is plenty of parking on the side of the building and in front of it. The service from the staff is amazing and they are there every Sunday morning to ensure that everything is running smoothly and to open the doors for us where the chairs are located. They are more than happy to reply to any queries and are excellent communicators.