Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

I recently popped into this gallery to check out a print I saw as I was passing by and was warmly…read moregreeted and chatted to but not overly pushed around (sometimes rare when it comes to places like this) so I stayed for a good look around. They have quite a wide range of contemporary art: painting, prints, jewellery, glass-art, and all by NZ artists too. If I'd actually been in the market for something (not just tyre-kicking) there was tons to choose from at a range of price-points. The gallery is directly across from the ferry building in Devonport so easy to access by ferry or bus and if you can't make it there then I'm told everything in the shop is also on their website - how handy!

Yesterday I was on a mission to view as many art galleries as I could in the city, honestly I…read moredidn't get to many, considering the size of Auckland their isn't actually a great deal around. I have heard that Wellington is the 'art capital' which I look forward to visiting one day. So, Lonely Dog Gallery I heard about you from a previous Yelp review and decided to go pay you a visit. The work here is thematic, comical, fine art and well presented. It is obviously in a specialised market which I am pleased to see does good business - I took note of quite a few red dots (art that has been bought). Plus being in such a good location next to Britomart's transport centre in the hub of the city must mean a lot of tourism flow through. I was also relieved to find it easy to get to, unlike some other inner city galleries I couldn't even find the bloody door to get inI d Although I didn't but any of the art I did buy one of the cards of the art, for my eldest sister in mind, (a big fan of dogs), $5.00 each or you can buy them in packs. They have a description on the back which added to the appeal.

Lonely Dog recently moved down Customs Street a few hundred metres closer to Queen Street…read more Otherwise, it's still the exact same intriguing spot for a quick look as it's always been. For those that don't know, Lonely Dog is a sort of art phenomenon started by Kiwi artist Ivan Clarke who one day started adding human-esque dogs into his dramatic landscape works. It's a sort of weird comic book meets fine landscape art mix, and as such it makes for some pretty surreal stuff with all sorts of symbolic parallels drawn between the dogs and reality. Can't say I've ever bought anything from here, but it's a fun place to linger for a few minutes for a look if you're in the area.

This place is a gem. I can't believe it's just open to the public. Anyone can access it and it's…read moreabsolutely free. The roses are gorgeous. There are small restaurants where you can order take away and eat here or at a nearby park. You can smell the roses as soon as you start walking in the garden. This place is quite a distance from central Auckland, but it's worth a stop!

A stunning open to the public park with over 5000 roses. We explored the gardens, then meandered…read morealong the paths to the overlook above the water. Gorgeous, with plenty of benches so you can sit and appreciate the peace and beautiful that's absolutely free. Long expanses of green space make it a perfect place for children!

New Zealand Beer Festival is an annual event held in Auckland's CBD and now at the magnificent…read moreCloud on Auckland's Queens Wharf. Here you have the opportunity to try a wide range of craft beer and ciders. There is an extensive range of predominantly New Zealand beer but also a few international super stars joining the collection. What better way to extend summer living than by attending Beer Fest at the end of summer. Located right on the water, this is the epitome of what summer should be. Basking in the sun by the water, beer in hand. This is an R18 event and ID's must be present. To find out when the next Beer Fest is pop on to their website where you can find all the details.

I go to Rialto on a semi-regular basis. Most of my experiences here have been good, although they…read moreoften seem short staffed (or the only staff on hand cannot perform all the tasks needed to serve someone). They don't have frozen coke and more often than not don't have Nut Top ice-creams (my favs) but they do have Kapiti ice-cream which serves as a great alternative. For those wanting an alcoholic beverage, they also have quite a range in their bar and bar snacks to match. Keep an eye out for deals - they often have special events or cheaper priced nights!

Rialto cinema is an attractive cinema that offers an extensive range of screenings, bringing to…read moreAuckland otherwise overlooked film festivals. Chirpy French pop played matched to their current French film festival while the current Hollywood hype was advertised beside screening from The Metropolitan Opera. And it is ONLY because of this range in movies that I would give this venue anything above a 1 star rating. While paying almost double the amount of other cinemas, expect service that is nothing short of a teenage bowling alley. Uncleared tables. A caffeinated decaf coffee. Ignored during a 10 minute interval in the movie. No to mention our exquisite opera was preluded with music by a rapper and a Spice Girl. Staff seemed to lack product knowledge, management or incentive so that their lethargic attitude left a bad taste in our mouth and an empty space in our bellies. Now if only there was some way of downloading movies and viewing them in the comfort of your own home...

The Victoria Picture Palace is New Zealand's oldest purpose-built picture theatre and is in every…read moreway, a community cinema. It's slant is towards those Arthouse sort of films that don't seem to get much play in the Hoyt's and IMAX theaters of today. The heritage building is really an asset, not only to Devonport but to Auckland as well, and I love being able to support businesses that in turn support the communities around them. It is regularly used also as a performance arts space as well. The actual movie theatre itself is very small and intimate, with only 20ish or so seats in the whole place, which lends to it a really intimate/ personal feel that you can't find elsewhere. Perfect place for a first date or some pre show canoodling in the back row! ;)

The Victoria Theatre Trust has been running events to raise money for the refurbishment of the 100…read moreyear old theatre or when you purchase a ticket you can give a $1 donation also. This way they can keep this historic building going for the public to enjoy movies and other performing arts. I went to see a screening on Wednesday night for the first time that I have been in this theatre and I thought it was lovely, so I am so glad they are refurbing it. The wooden floors were so original that they reminded me of the theatres I went to in the 80s when I was a child. The icecream's were awesome, heavy in their large waffle cone and the caramel had real chunks of caramel. I'll be back to help with the cause. Good work Vic Trust.

MY LIFE!!!!!! Drove…read morepast the newly "rejuvenated and revitalized" course the other day, and all that was going through my head was..."Why?" I was like...they've just gone and completely ruined it". Read that what had been done so far was only part 1, ( high hopes that part 2 was the animals, the Hippo in particular, getting put back in their rightful and honorable places...) NUP! Part 2 is going to be a food cart. So to the owners..Was it too hard to just replace the astro turf?; fix and repaint the animals,the mushrooms, and the buildings?; plant new plants?; put up a roof? Yeah the place was showing it's age, but revitalizing something, doesnt always mean that what your revitalizing has to be completely replaced. I haven't played it, I don't want to play it, and neither has my partner, because we both think that what you have replaced the old courses with, is nothing but rubbish. You've gone ruined what were 2 already awesome courses, and the animals just added to it. ( no other course in New Zealand, had a Gorilla standing over a cave on the 18th hole ). #Disappointed R.I.P Hippo, Gorilla, Giraffe, Zebra, T.Rex, and Brontosaurus. GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN!!!!

We've been going here for years. The course doesn't seem to get old. Still very enjoyable for all…read moreages and I keep trying to beat my score. Today I got two holes in 1. Call me legend. ha ha.. Lots of kids and families over school holidays but don't let that deter you. There is the original course with zoo animals and cool putt puts. The newer course is dinosaur inspired. The course is a little shorter without much foliage but it does have really good giant dinosaurs. Today it cost $45 for a family of four for 18 holes.

One of the best benefits of having kids is getting to be a kid yourself and Megazone is a great…read moreplace to do just that. I never understand when parents don't partake in childish activities - we even had a boys' birthday party here where a dad went INSIDE the warzone to just stand and watch. If you have no idea what all this is about, laserstrike is the preferred birthday party choice of boys (and some girls) aged 7 to 12 and probably older - we're not there yet. You rally your troops, divide them into two teams, tool up and go to war. There's an instruction video and staff on hand to help you get into your harness-thing. The harness-thing has light targets for your enemy to see and of course your laser gun. You then go run around in the dark shooting each other and the team with the most points wins. Most excellent entertainment - especially getting those kids that are, let's say, not your favourites. So ring up, book your group and they'll give you a room where you can do the food and cake thing along with two 20 minute game sessions. Get pizzas delivered and it's simple and fairly affordable as far as these things go. Just make sure you join in - it's bloody good exercise and wicked fun.

To be really honest, even though I 100% encourage creative endeavours and organisations, I've never…read morereally gotten a good vibe from the Depot. This isn't just a first impression either - living only a few houses away I've been here a lot. They're a tad on the snooty side and you get the feeling its all a bit exclusive. Even the front desk clerks are curt on their greetings. I'm probably shooting myself in the foot for saying this because this is the kind of place I would someday like to exhibit work. Apparently membership is open to anyone and by being a member you can show work in their small retail space The Small Dog Gallery...but I also haven't ever seen anything amazing in the Small Dog Gallery so maybe its not my loss after all. They have some good exhibitions, the space itself is clean and crisp and wide open which I quite like but on the whole it doesn't have much atmosphere

I love this place! I have exhibited there a couple of times now and have always found them to be…read moreextremely encouraging and helpful and very supportive of my creative ideas. They have very busy openings which are fun and vibrant, and an opportunity to meet artists from all levels of experience and walks of life.