The Westhaven Marina adds a lot of beauty and interest to the Auckland waterfront, and helps us…read moreclaim it as a true "city of sails". The marina has a surprising number of services for yachties as well, even clothes washing machines are hidden in some of the shower/toilet blocks for the full-time residents. For those with smaller boats Pier Z has a launching ramp, as well as a busy café and a whole bunche of charter boats (mainly fishing) that go in and out all day. There is also a spiffing new shower block available for public use. If you're not a boatie, the marina still makes an excellent location for a flat, scenic walk or run close to the CBD.

This a great revitalized area in Auckland. It's a great walk from the CBD. And there are dozens of…read morerestaurants. An urban park and even cooler there's an Asian set of stands on the weekend. Delicious. Besides the theater and the shops there's at lots of condos and great city and bay views.

Restaurants, the civic center, Hyatt and children playing. A nice walkway on route to the fish…read moremarket.

After having worked near this beast of a mountain for over a year , And after a talk with Alex D…read moreabout what things u you should do in this super city of ours , I was prompted to check out Mt Wellington . Maungarei / Mount Wellington was used as a pā, and its flanks, particularly on the eastern side, are covered in food storage pits and terraced house sites. That wee fact above pasted from Wiki was just as amazing to me , I had no idea it was a pā site . I'm guessing you need to be a athlete of sorts to run up it as I've seen many do , however that was a non option for me today , I will try to tackle that in the future though . With views for as far as you can see !! And a great place for a picnic . If you have visitors from overseas bring them here ! Way less crowds than Mt Eden and One Tree Hill .

Mount Wellington is the most sinister of the "mountains" around Auckland (cynical South Islanders,…read morechuckle now). If it wasn't the model for Maurice Gee's terrifying Under the Mountain, it should have been. I shudder just to look at it. If you like, you can drive up it. Or, if you're a sadist, run up it. At the top is a rest stop with room for approximately 1.5 cars, overlooking Panmure (not the most visually spectacular of the Auckland suburbs), and on the other side, the old quarry, which now has a pretentious name because they are infilling it with ticky-tacky houses that all look the same as the others (which I've heard is a real challenge when you come home slightly tipsy - lots of knocking on the neighbours' doors and apologies ensue).

Thanks to our New Zealand friends (Geoffrey and Margaret), whom we met the year before during our…read morecruise through Southeast Asia, for planning a day of fun, exercise, and good eats in Auckland. We started with a hike up Mount Eden (Maungawhau), a dormant volcano and the highest natural point in Auckland, offering panoramic views of the city from its summit. As we hiked uphill along pathways and boardwalks to the summit, our friends explained that Mount Eden is a culturally significant Māori site, pointing out its historical Māori pā (fortified village) terraces and its sacred 160-ft-deep crater. It took us about 18 minutes to hike up from the parking lot to the summit while following the pathway to the boardwalks. The uphill hike was relatively easy with an elevation gain of nearly 240 feet, and I was sure glad that my osteoarthritic knee wasn't "acting up." We prepared for this hike by taking physically challenging shore excursions and actively exercising pre- and during our cruise. After all, we didn't want to reach the summit wheezing and out of breath, because we truly wanted to enjoy the panoramic views and take in the cultural and historical background from our younger friends. It was very windy atop and along the summit boardwalks, and I had to either hold on or lean into the handrails, otherwise be blown about like tumbleweed. At the summit, we were treated to a 360° panoramic view of Auckland city, its nearby neighborhoods, the iconic Sky Tower, Auckland Harbor Bridge, Rangitoto Island, and a glimpse of the South towards the Auckland Airport. Instead of returning to our vehicle the same way we had climbed up, our friends guided us downhill on a less steep, paved private roadway. Our round-trip hike took about an hour, and it was a beautiful day to spend with friends, enjoying iconic sights and learning about Māori history and culture.

At 196 meters high, Mount Eden, a dormant volcano, is the highest natural point in Auckland. It…read morewas named in honour of George Eden, the 1st Earl of Auckland (a white guy), by Governor William Hobson (another white guy). In the Māori language, Mount Eden is called Maungawhau, which means "mountain of the whau tree". At the top of Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a large, grassy crater 50 meters deep which is sacred to the Māori and must not be entered. Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a popular for hiking, and while it is not a long or difficult hike, there are steep sections. Around the crater are boardwalks that were installed in 2020 for people to take a stroll. Fortunately when we went hiking on Mount Eden/Maungawhau, the weather was nice, although it was quite windy at the top. I took a lot of photos to try and capture the beauty of the area, but it's something you just have to experience in person. If you like hiking and nature, don't miss Mount Eden/Maungawhau. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Hiking]

This really is a special little spot, nestled right in the heart of Devonport Township. It's very…read morepopular with the Devonport Yummy Mummies set and their pint size charges. Right on the waters edge, there's plenty of wooden benches around the perimeter of the park to have a seat and watch the boats come and go on the water, even feed the seagulls if you were so inclined. There's a decent playground, to keep the kids entertained and on hot summer days the little bay/inlet of water towards the back of the reserve is the perfect space to take the littlies for a swim as its noticeably calm and gentle out there.

Great park on the waterfront ideal for picnics or throwing a rugby ball. There's a playground for…read morethe kiddies and heaps of space to run around. On weekends its usually filled with couples and families eating fish and chips or strolling around by the water, pretty nice spot. This is where Devonport's annual Food and Wine Festival has always been held - when the quiet park transforms into tent city for foodies and wine-drinkers alike with a stage for live music. We used to come down every year even when we were kids as there was so much to do and look at. The festival has chilled out in recent years I think due to increased prices and possibly a larger police presence to keep an eye on any drunkards but anyway the point is Windsor Reserve is a great venue! They have Carols by Candlelight at Christmastime and all sorts of other family picnic concerts throughout the year. I also recently came across a 'Families in Parks' summer fun programme on Tuesdays mornings where they bring lots of little bikes and toys down for toddlers - perfect if you're looking for something fun and free to do with little kids.

I went here yesterday for the first time, suggested by some friends from Auckland (who I hadn't…read moreseen in 15 years) as a nice place that would be child friendly. Driving up from Hamilton with two sets of directions (printed from Google maps and navigation from my phone) and we still got a little lost... I'll take some credit for that, but also to forewarn you that the signing up to the park isn't that great and it's a little out of the way. There was plenty of parking when we arrived around 10:15 on a Saturday morning. There were already a lot of people there, appeared to be many birthdays and parties, rented jump houses and the like. There are lots of picnic tables around. It would be friendly for strollers/prams/push chairs. We also brought our son's little balance bike, and he enjoyed riding around on it there. Mostly, it's flat gravel areas for walking, flat grassy areas and very little paved area. The park was free to enter and to view the animals. It didn't appear to be staffed during the time we were there. You just walk around the various animal areas. We saw some rabbits, chickens, sheep, cows, goats, horses and a pig. My son (3-years-old) liked it, but wasn't blown away. Maybe we've been to too many animal parks lately. After walking through the animal areas (took about 30 minutes at a very slow pace), we grabbed a picnic table and chatted until my friends had to leave. One, somewhat bizarre thing, is that we couldn't find any garbage cans/rubbish bins here. So, if you are planning to generate trash, bring some bags with you. There appears to be some camping areas and some walking tracks. We didn't go around any of these, so I don't have any comment about those. Overall, I thought this place was fine, but not amazing. It's free, so you can't complain too much :)

Except for the rain, I had an excellent Ambury Park experience. You go through it as part of the Te…read moreAraroa trail (hiking trail that spans the length of NZ) so it makes an excellent place to stop for the night. I bumped into a park ranger as I arrived and she was really awesome, and since I was hiking the TA, allowed me to camp free of charge. The grass is flat, the toilet facilities are clean, and there's water available: everything a tramper could ever want. I didn't spend much time wandering the rest of the park (after walking in the rain all day I was kind of over it) but it's a nice outdoor area and a great place to take the family.

Roxy and Lulu absolutely froth over this place. So many new smells and friends to be made. Milford…read morebeach really is a haven for dogs. This morning we even came across a rather large stingray that had washed up during the storm, which got the critters v.excited (and rather smelly). As far as beaches go, I would say Milford is of average size. At a leisurely pace it probably takes around 15mins to walk from one end to the other. However, If you are feeling spry I would highly recommend continuing on to Takapuna. The views are spectacular and the terrain is varied, which keeps things interesting. Be sure to wear your walking shoes though as things get a bit rocky! Whilst Milford Beach is great for dogs/morning walks it definitely not may fav spot for sunbathing. The sand is rather gritty and at high tide there is no beach to speak of. Instead head around to the much more secluded Thorne Bay.

A great beach with a huge field and playground nearby for the kids- at the main entrance and car…read morepark. There are lots of trees for climbing in and to rest in the shade as well as public BBQ's available. A boat launch lives right down the end in the corner. Several residential streets lead onto this beach- thankfully as it's sometimes a mission to find a park in the height of summer in the main area. A great view straight across to Rangitoto as well as rock pools on each end of the beach when it's low tide. Have spent many a childhood summer day looking into it trying to finding walking crabs, shrimps and other aquatic things. It's quite extensive rock pools so you can walk around and out quite a bit. The water is somewhat green-clear and great for swimming- not too rough and in the summer time they have lifeguard flags to keep the littlies safe in the water. Golden sand and a decent sized beach for you to lay down a towel and get some sun tanning in. They also have concrete walkways elevated above the sand when it's too high tide that wraps around the edge of the sand towards Takapuna. Beautiful sunsets here and great for dogs. A low key version of Takapuna that's nearby and still lovely.

Albert Park is an enchanting space. Around the perimeter are pathways surrounded by huge, stately…read moretrees. As you move into the center of the park, there's lush grass and a ton of the most beautifully landscaped flowerbeds I've ever seen. There are a ton of park benches throughout the park, but there were a ton of folks sitting on the grass with chairs and blankets. It was such a nice space, if I lived in Auckland I'd use that park all the time. Highly recommend.

Minutes from Auckland's central business district, we can all find respite in the green space known…read moreas Albert Park. From the old trees to the stately bandstand, from it's statue of Queen Victoria to those of famed New Zealanders, this park oozes history! It is beautiful, close to downtown/university and right next to the Auckland Art Museum. On a sunny day, you'll find everyone on the benches or sprawled on the lawn. It's the favorite space of office workers, college students and visitors too!