They were great and now even better since expanding the gym and adding a bucket load of new…read moreequipment on top of the already awesome equipment they already have. been to quite a few gyms in the past but this gym by far is the best I've been to and still going to. they keep re vamping which is great to see. Love it there.

This is my local gym. I love it here because unlike other gyms that I have been a member of, there…read moreare always machines available. It is a relatively small gym, approx 5 x treadmills, 3 x rowing machines, 4 x cross trainers and maybe 4 x bikes. They run classes but I have only attended the spinning class, which was quite good. A boot camp is starting soon too which seems to be getting a lot of interest. The staff are very friendly and seem to know if you want to have a chat or to just get on with your workout. My previous gym had an atmosphere like the movie Dodgeball about it - Globo Gym - cos we're better than you. This is definitely not the case with this gym

"Jordan" is a really weird name for a YMCA and confusing to understand until you see the "Sir…read moreWilliam Jordan" full name on the door. This place played home to my roller derby team in 2011 and I continued on as a member of the gym once we found a training space that could have us on anything other than a Friday night. That said, the Jordan facilities are awesome and I'm very grateful for the use of the basketball court area for my team. We shared the space with a number of community sports teams, and the staff members at YMCA Jordan were always very obliging when we needed assistance or needed to borrow gear from their storeroom. The arena is small (one basketball court) but has bleachers that can seat a couple of hundred people if need be. This place is also super cheap to rent!

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.

Auckland City Athletics (ACA) is a well-established athletics club for athletes of all ages and all…read moreabilities, from internationally competitive cross country runners to casual track runners wanting to improve their fitness. The ACA website provides you with a range of coaches across all running, track and field disciplines, and most of these coaches have quite social, friendly training groups who would all make you feel quite welcome if you wanted to come along. These coaches, such as Barry Magee and Neil Bartlett, do this training for a nominal retainer, which shows that they have a genuine passion for their discipline and are not motivated by financial gain. The home base of the track athletes, Mt Smart, has had a recent upgrade and also has a gym available for club athletes at a small fee.

I spent most of my childhood at this reserve; playing tennis, cricket and rugby so I always get a…read morebit nostalgic when I drive past the place. If you are looking for a place to practice any of the above sports, then this is a great place in the Karaka area. There are many tennis courts which are all in good shape, although I think you might need a key if you want to use them. The rugby field and cricket nets, however, are open to anyone. It's a nice place if you want to practice or just have a muck around with your mates. When the clubhouse is open they have food and drinks available, but this is usually only when something is on (particularly on weekends).

Tonight went down to my local pool. This is the pool where I more or less learnt to swim to the…read morelevel I am today, the pool where I first snuck into a sauna and thought "why would anyone ever do this to themself?" On entry I was pleasantly suprised to find a very good student price - $4.50 including sauna, steam and spa. The pool itself is a quite magnificent beast, with well regulated lanes and a clear division between classes and free swimmers. After a few laps, I went to the sauna. Impressive. They offer a self - regulating sauna (eliminating splash-and-dash) , and a lot of bench space - although this quickly filled up as the adult swimming class finished. Unfortunately , after a couple of reheats, the sauna filled up and I experienced another sauna trauma - spitting onto the sauna rocks. Up there with farting in the sauna and weeing on the sauna, this act filled the room with an unsavoury scent and also looked disgusting as it sizzled away. Overall , a good sauna / swim experience. Walking past the door of "Nan's Pool" bought back memories of struggling to hold onto the side of the pool wall as I valiantly kicked away , bringing tears of joy to my eyes as I watched the aqua joggers slowly canter through the chlorine-filled, aqua blue sardine tin.

Cheap way to relax after a day or week's work. So cheap you will enjoy your stay after using the…read moregym and have a dip in the spa or pool.

Fun afternoon exploring the oce. The staff set us up with our rental skates and we used a frame to…read morestart off til we got the hang of skating. We warmed up in the cafe with a hot chocolate and a big slice of cake ($6.50). Highly recommend! Skating was fun and a nice activity to keep kids active.

Feeling hot? Like you'd be keen to enter a winter wonderland? Look no further!…read more Paradice is a barrel of ice skating fun, where you can swish around on skates to some upbeat music with your friends. I went recently, and thoroughly enjoyed myself (even though I fell over and bruised myself a few times!) It would've been great if they'd offered lessons to first timers before we stepped on the ice, but you have to book a class for that. Basically I think a 5 min lesson should be essential, as it's a dangerous sport. The atmosphere was great though, and it was cute watching all the kids on their little support frames!

I walk or attempt to run this route frequently. It is so serene and relaxing and wide enough so…read morethat even on a busy Saturday morning when all of Titirangi is doing the pipeline there is still enough room for all. It is a scenic route which takes about an hour walking (quick paced - there and back). IT has a few turns and basically follows the pipeline that runs on its side. There are some major sightseeing spots with epic views of the Waitakares and some spots where you can sit and chill for a bit catching your breath. At the end of the pipeline there is another route that takes you up to Arataki visitors centre which is pretty cool.