I love this little park located in the heart of Remuera. It has to be one of the more fun…read moreplaygrounds in the area. With a swing set, a big climbing frame, slides, a flying fox and a skate board bowl, there is something here to entertain all the kids while you could be walking the dog (on leash only). Upland Road playground also has a lot of greenery for you to sit down on and set up a picnic for lunch or those summer evenings. Located incredibly close to Benson Road dairy, it's only a short hop and skip away to get an ice block, ending a perfect fun filled afternoon at the playground. I have grown up coming to this playground and have taken my siblings here a number of times. It's always a favourite; you just can't go past the awesome flying fox!

This is a super cool park for kids! There's a playground with actually nice and maintained play…read morethings and swings, slides, all that sort of thing - appeals to young babies up to older children. Plenty of seating for parents while the kids play. There is also a big flying fox, and a skate park for the bigger kids. To one side is a cliff that kids can climb up and have a little picnic at the top. We have had several birthday parties here. And heaps of grassy playing area! HEAPS! But note - if you are allergic to grass, this is the grass that will make you come out in a rash. Parking is on the road.

This park seems to be a dogs idea of heaven . Water to swim in , birds to chase and other dogs to…read moreplay with . I can see the other reviewers misgivings and for sure this place is far from perfect . But there is a large car park and a new playground so in time when its finished it will/might be a bit better . The public toilets are always clean and have toilet paper which believe me is hard to come by in some public facilities . You can walk a circuit around the Bay Area and if I had a dog I would bring them here . Side note : some people are far from pro active in picking up their dog waste so watch where you step .

I am confused about Onehunga. There's long been a campaign to "restore the foreshore", particularly…read moresince the State Highway 20 extension going through the bottom of the suburb was completed. It's an admirable idea but let's face it, it's a bit late - there's giant cement tanks at the wharf, power pylons galore and yes, a motorway. My confusion arises from the fact that a lot of time and resources have been poured into the campaign for restoration of the beach but economically the suburb has been slowly falling in to a wasteland with more and more businesses going under or up and leaving. Surely supporting these businesses to create a thriving local economy would be of more benefit and bring more life to this special piece of Auckland? Anyway, the Onehunga Bay Reserve is located right next to the motorway and used to look fairly attractive and green with a lagoon, a playground and a fitness trail. Currently it is undergoing a massive renovation and looks crappy but in two years time there will apparently be a reclaimed beach here. It's hard to believe but I hope it's true. Like I said, I'm just not that sure that this is where the money needed to be spent.

Tahaki Reserve is a park I have spent countless hours playing in over the years. Located on the…read moreside of Mt Eden, this park boasts a pretty good playground, flying fox, mini amphitheatre where movies and gigs are often held and nice grounds for a picnic. I admit the flying fox used to be my favourite aspect of Tahaki Reserve - it was an old wooden one that you held on to, not like the ones you sit on now - and we used to where our rollerblades at the same time. You can imagine the fun we had! Zooming off on the flying fox, only to put your feet down at the end and keep going on your rollerblades! Needless to say I grazed many a knee at Tahaki Reserve when I was younger, and even had the privilege of kicking the top off my toe there - but the fact that it remains one of my favourite parks is testament to how nice it is there. Though I no longer run amuck around the playground, I still enjoy picnic dinners in Tahaki Reserve. Taking hot Chinese takeaways and sitting on the wee stage in the top corner of the park is a pretty nice way to spend an evening with your partner, or group of friends, not to mention it's perfect for midday picnics with the family and a friendly game of Frisbee! Tip: Tahaki Reserve also hosts full moon parties on occasion - a whole lot of free-spirited people gather in the park and party the night away - it's pretty cool!

Since moving to Newmarket I've been at a loss for where I can exercise outside comfortably - that…read morewas, until my partner introduced me to Tahaki Reserve. It's an expansive, nicely sheltered park on the side of Mount Eden that's also easy to get to & from. A quick walk here ensures I've got plenty of fun, physical things to do; from braving the Flying Fox, hill sprints up a refreshingly even paved path, cartwheels along the lush grass fields, hopping onto the adult-friendly swings, testing my metal on the small merry-go round, hanging on the monkey bars and even playing a quick game of tic tac toe! My partner and I spent hours here enjoying the sun and revelling in the opportunity to have fun whilst getting fit. I got to embrace my inner child in a perfectly lovely environment that I'll be sure to visit regularly from now on. Afterwards, due to the great location, it was all to easy for us to stroll past a dairy for a sneaky ice cream in celebration of our favourite new park. I recommend Tahaki Reserve to both adults and children, there's something's for everyone to enjoy.

Love the facilities here. The grounds are clean and well maintained. The parents' area is within…read moresight of the playground. The staff are friendly and expertly proficient in providing food and beverages. My children love this place. This is my first time here as we normally go to "Jump", an indoor trampoline facility just up the road. The best thing about Bounce and Beyond is that unlike "Jump" there is no time limit. Your kids can run them selves up and down the huge inflatable slides until they pass out! Bonus!!! ;-) Busy time is Saturday and this is shown on the website. If you're keen on a quiet day, you're best to avoid busy times here with the screams of delight emanating from the scores of delighted children and the thrum of the motorised fans keeping the inflatable apparati inflated. I'm here at peak time right now and it's nothing to worry about. Great place, with a great atmosphere. There are party facilities available for hire as well as free parking nearby. There is also a gladiator ring where two combatants (child or adult) can bash each other with padded jousts, trying to knock their opponent of their raised dais. A whole lot of fun, for a reasonable price, for as long as you like! What could be better at energy sapping for your little terrors, I mean angels? Nothing is better than this place in the whole of Gods green earth. Love, love and love!

"Sackville Reserve" is the business. What I mean by that is the park offers privacy for your…read morechildren to play, you can sit and have coffee or lunch on the (plentiful) lawn, they can run around in the surrounding 'kiwiana' tame bush land, without interruption. Fantastic. This park has a modest playground, 4 swings, climb wall, slide, monkey bars, 2 picnic tables and a few park benches. There is lots of surrounding space for free play too. Always clean, well looked after grounds. Rubbish bins on site. No toilet though. You can park directly outside "Sackville Reserve" in a suburban street, safe in the knowledge that you don't have to walk miles for the trip home! Love!

What a great park with everything you need in one place. It has a secure childrens playground…read morewhich is fenced all the way around, access only via the 2 gates so very secure for the little ones. It has this great path all the way around the park with exercise activities you can do while you are walking or running around. You can also come here for sports acitivies, soccer, cricket, rugby etc. Also onsite is the Ellerslie YMCA which also has a child centre. On the otherside there is also the duck pond and wildlife reserve with lots of ducks and pukekos. Its a great park if you are in or near the area, and its one that I miss going to as I just to be just a hop and a skip away from it.

It's true this is a great park ! Big open kids play area ,…read morewith a small gate to keep them in . Ample parking and it looks like they're trying to sort the drainage issues on the sports field . No public toilet though .

My best Panmure Basin story involves me coming across at man while I was out on a mid-week walk…read morearound the Basin. He was down at the water's edge, in a suit and tie and looking very smart, but he was throwing a stick for his dog like it was the weekend. As I got closer I noticed he was talking quite loudly into his cell phone, something along the lines of "Oh nah mate we're absolutely flat out here, it's so full-on, I can't talk mate, I've gotta go, I'm in a meeting". And I thought "Good on ya mate". I love walking my dog around Panmure Basin. She's only little so it takes us the best part of an hour to get around the whole thing. It's a great spot to walk or run since there's car parking (not heaps, but enough), and most of the walkway is in good condition, although there are places where the tree roots are busting through.

The Basin is an idyllic recreational facility located in Panmure just off the Pakuranga Highway…read more The track around the basin is a decent 3.6 kilometres, and is perfect for both joggers and walkers - I have lots of memories running around and around lap after lap when I was young and crazy and ran much more than I currently do. There are lots of exercise stations located around the basin, so you can have quite an all-rounded workout mixing up running and body-weight resistance training. There are a decent number of seats to stop and sit at if you get a bit tired, and also a few hills in the mix for that extra challenge on your morning jog. Dogs are allowed and there are plenty of toilets located around the track, making for a convenient and attractive exercise location with lots of facilities available.

Blockhouse Bay Beach is, strictly speaking, artificial. The white sand on the beach is trucked in…read moreto create the beach area for people to enjoy, but once you're out into the water, it's actually a muddy bottom, which you can see at low tide. Don't let this put you off though, as the water tends to be nice and calm, sheltered from the harbour as it is by the headland. We went down to check it out as a place to paddleboard from, and we had a great time paddling out past the headland and around the basin. The park facilities are awesome, and despite being right in the middle of the suburbs, it never really tends to be that busy, which is choice, as I hate beaches and parks that get spoilt by an overabundance of people. All in all, a great little spot to head out for a paddle, or chill out with fish and chips on the grass and enjoy the day.

This side of the harbour seems to be strangely under used, I suspect because everyone heads out to…read morethe more scenic Titirangi, but it's actually a really good place to come and hang out on a good day. Blockhouse Bay is a little horseshoe shape, so it's a bit more sheltered than some of the other beaches around the area which are more exposed, so even on a windy day it's quite pleasant. Swimming isn't that wonderful here as the tide never comes in that far, so it's always a bit of a wade out to somewhere where it's more than ankle deep, but it's a good place for a wander, or a swing on the swings, or just to sit and read a book and eat an iceblock.

Want somewhere that you can come and bring your baby who is crawling, your toddler who is starting…read moreto walk or for your toddler/kid who needs to burn off some energy then this is the place to come. They have special areas for the smaller ones and other more exciting areas for the bigger more adventurous kids - even looks exciting to me I wouldn't mind sliding down the big air slide. There are also dress up areas next to the pretend house that has a bedroom and kitchen. They also have a small carousel and little cars for them to zoom around in . I wouldn't recommend this place for under 10 months old, but anything from 10 months is fine. This place is also pretty special to me as its where my baby took her first unsupported steps after she had been walking around pushing a little baby stroller. For under 1 year olds is free, but all adults have to pay but you get a cold or hot drink so its all worth it. Theres also plenty of parking and great meet up point for a coffee group.

This is such a fun place for little kids! They can (and do) go absolutely crazy and wild, and…read moresprint around with sweat actually dripping from their hair (I'm not even kidding, you should bring a towel, it's really gross) - totally focused on having with with the element of danger (from all the climbing and obstacles and other kids also sprinting around crashing into each other). So if you just think about the fact the kids are having a great time, it's all ok. But if you look a bit closer... well actually it's best not to. My main issues are that it's a bit dirty, like for example the ball pit is full of sticky balls that pick up all the dirt from the ground, and then little kids suck on them. Plus there's the whole sweat factor. Some of the toys and activities are getting pretty old now and could do with replacing. Added to this is the food issue - the whole place reeks of deep fried food because you can have birthday parties there and you get huge trolleys of every kind of fried food there is. When it all come out of the kitchen at once, the stench is overwhelming. Also, you are not supposed to bring your own food, so it is not ideal for children with allergies. (they may have changed this policy, I'm not sure). Parents are charged an entry fee. But you get a free drink.