Both my wife and I are very keen bowlers here back in the UK, so when visiting our friends in…read moreAuckland, we could not resist the temptation to bowl at Ponsonby Bowls Club to see how bowling greens were there, compared to ours here. The greens are all weather and very similar to our indoor greens. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and although no other Ponsonby bowls members were there, Tash and the Bowls New Zealand staff who are housed in the same complex looked after us and made us very welcome.

I have to admit, this was way more fun than I was expecting. Not that I thought bowling would be…read moreboring, by any means, but it turned out to be even more tense and competitive than I'd have thought. The fact that you can drink while you play probably has something to do with it, and it should be noted that the drinks are the Ponsonby Bowling Club are ridiculously cheap. There's a really nice feel to the place too, something between an old fashioned club and lazy afternoon drinks at a mate's house. The staff and members do very well at making newcomers feel welcome, and the slow, sun-soaked pace of the sport is a perfect way to spend a day.

Seasoned pro, or always wanted to learn? Pompallier Tennis Club caters for everyone. They run a…read moregreat social programme if you're looking at increasing your tennis skills and meeting really nice people. Tracey O'Connor runs the club's coaching and she's absolutely awesome to deal with. The membership fees are really reasonable and what's better than having a cold beer after a hard game of tennis in the height of summer!

Some Monday's I need to take the children that I nanny to their tennis lesson which is held at…read moreRemuera Rackets. It's in a good central location which is both near their home and their school so it is super handy. They have a large carpark but it is almost always full and they have crammed quite a lot of parks into the area so they are quite tight, I have always managed to get a park however. The place is massive, it has a shop that sells tennis clothing and equipment, huge outdoor courts as well as small indoor ones that people were using to practice by themselves and a small gym where they give training. The kids lesson is 1 hr 30 mins long so I have quite a long time to wait but even though they are different ages their lesson is at the same time which is really convenient. Sometimes I wait and watch them as there is outdoor seating provided but if it is a bit cold I drive down to Newmarket which is less that 5 mins away and I can shop for and hour...perfect!

When I was looking at tennis clubs near Mt Eden this was one of the most affordable that I found…read more They have five astro-court tennis courts, with lights which are in good condition. I did go along to the social tennis on Tuesday night and found it fun. I enjoyed the doubles tennis and everyone was friendly. I lucked out because it was the first Tuesday of the month it was a barbecue night after the tennis - even desserts had been brought along to share! From what I could gather it was a very social tennis club with various events on throughout the year besides playing tennis, such as hosting a quiz night etc. For one reason or another I have not actually become a member. But Winstone Park Tennis will more than likely be the one, if and when I do decide to join a tennis club.

This is a very well utilized tennis club with eight quality tennis courts and tidy clubroom…read more On a recent visit to the club we played the local women, coming out top on the day. Very friendly players all around and keen to see us looked after on their home ground. While waiting for team two to finish their game we sat on the upstairs covered deck where we had a birds-eye view of the courts. This tennis club has been around for a long time and the membership is strong. If you are a local and love tennis I'd recommend popping in if you've not already done so.

Bowls is one of the newest sociable sports and Glendowie Bowling Club provides great surrounds to…read morelearn the game. Social nights are now a regular event on the calendar, with cheap drinks, prizes and good chat all on offer. Teaching is available to those battling with the 'swing' of the ball, with the game of bowls an ideal opportunity for a team on team battle. Glendowie Bowling Club overlooks the Tamaki Estuary towards Bucklands Beach as well as the rest of Glendowie, and is set in the isolated forest setting of Churchill Park. The cheap bar prices are an added bonus.

Played netball here for years…read more It is a great place to play social sports. My low rating is due to the facilities. They are a sports venue and don't even have a drinking fountain. You used to be able to fill up your water bottle from an outdoor tap, the handle on this tap has since been removed. For a place to play sports not to have a place to full up your drink bottles aside from the warm toilet taps is just not good enough.

St Lukes Indoor Sports has great facilities, good prices, and a fun and engaging atmosphere. With…read moreyear-round schedules set up to host indoor cricket, netball, soccer and dodgeball you can be sure to find a home for your team. The place is owned and run by a great guy called Matt who lives out his passion for indoor sports by playing in a number of teams throughout the year. All games are umpired/refereed by his staff who are usually around to have a beer and a laugh with after the games. The renovated warehouse holds 3 astro-turf courts which are marked out for cricket, soccer and netball and are sectioned off with floor-to-ceiling nets. There is a fully licenced bar (which sells beer and RTD's at pretty reasonable prices) and a lounge with couches and SKY TV. Plenty of parking out the front and just 10 minutes from the CBD. Their catch phrase says it all really "The most fun indoors....with your clothes on" !

My daughter has been attending TriStar Gymnastics since Term 3 of last year. Helpfully they offered…read morea "try before you buy" session for free which is exactly what you need for these kinds of post school activities - there's nothing worse than committing to a whole term of something that just isn't what you thought it would be. There's really only a choice of two big gymnastics clubs in the central Auckland area and TriStar is based out of a massive purpose-built gymnasium next to Cameron Pool in Mt Roskill. Strangely enough there's not a lot of signage so if you see the big building with the red windows, you are in the right place. Once we decided to go ahead and join, there was an Enrolment Form to fill out and obviously fees to pay. My daughter is in the Incentive class which costs $155 per term (or $140 with prompt payment discount) for a one hour class each week. There's a huge range of classes on offer for every age group and when we were in the investigation stages, the information on the website, while comprehensive, was a bit confusing. I suggest a phone call for clarification as to which class is most suitable and to let them know when you'll be visiting. Also you won't find the fees on the site until you open the Enrolment Form. Our experience here has been great with the teachers being immediately welcoming and putting my daughter at ease (particularly the exotically monikered Flaminio!). There have been a few hiccups with the accounting side of things but I suppose this is to be expected given the number of people who attend the club. There is a small waiting area for parents with a window so you can watch your kids if you want to. The only real beef I have is that communication is not great but again, this is a function of the fact that there is only an hour and therefore it makes sense not to waste time chit chatting to the parents. I don't think parents are actively discouraged from being inside the gym but I would suggest rather than bothering your child's instructor who has a class to teach, take any questions you might have to the front desk as there is usually someone there who can help you. We are at the point now where my daughter is ready for the next level but this has not been addressed by her teachers so we'll bring it up with them and see where we go from here.... overall I think choosing between this club and the YMCA gymnastics programme comes down to what is most convenient for you and your family. I actually took my children to the YMCA's pre-school programme when they were little and that was a very positive experience so go with what works for you.