Waiatarua Reserve is a wetlands dog exercising park located in Meadowbank (close to the Remuera…read moreGolf Course). Perfect if you have a dog that needs to have a good run around and interact with others. There are a number of ponds around the reserve, perfect for your pooch to jump into and have a splash about. Dogs are not allowed in the wetlands area, but there you can be sure to find Pukekos hiding in between the reeds. On the skirts of the reserve is a half basketball court and a stake board park, perfect entertainment for the kids while you take the dog for a run. This has to be my favourite dog park located in the suburban area, definitely one to check out if you have an active dog that needs to let off some steam. There is a car park and plenty of parking available on street. The car park is security locked at 9:30pm daylight savings time and 8:30pm in the winter.

The Waiatarua Reserve is no secret to any dog-owner. The good part about this though is that the…read moreReserve is so large that even if it is quite busy there is still ample room for every pup and pooch to roam free, to sniff til their heart's content, and to play fetch like a maniac. There are several access points so parking is never a problem and the Reserve's users are generally very responsible it cleaning up after their dog's. It is a really excellent place for all dogs to brush up on their social skills and to have a doggie date with friends. The walking trail is pram friendly for all keen families. There are a few things to be weary of: 1) There is a pond which can be great for dogs take a swim. However, the water quality is notoriously dubious (with reports of dogs getting sick) and there can be a strong undercurrent after a big downpour. In fact, my pooch Tilly had a near drowning their last winter. 2) The reserve is not fully contained, so there are parts where a very driven dog could go on a walkabout into someone's yard if the pooch doesn't have good recall. 3) There are quite a few giant muddy puddles that every dogs insists on submerging themselves in. If you aren't prepared to give your dog a bath immediately afterward, plan accordingly. Likewise, if it is rainy bring your gumboots.

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!

Potters Park is beautiful and historic with gorgeous tall Norfolk Pines and a darn good playground…read more(and, randomly, an award-winning toilet block). The park's amenities also include basketball courts which always seem to be in use and one of the most excellent things about the playground here is that it's fully fenced. I've spent a lot of time in this park and can recommend it for kids of all ages. I would say though to go hard on the sunblock and make sure the kids are wearing hats, because the Westerley sun in the afternoons is haaaaarsh bro. I know that's probably a bonus to a lot of people but I'm part vampire and just melt. Despite the traffic at the busy intersection, this is another of Auckland's really great green spaces and the "pigeon lady" who feeds the birds here is one of the local Balmoral personalities that make it such a cool neighbourhood.

I know Potter's Park only because it hosts the terrific annual Auckland International Cultural…read moreFestival, and it make the perfect location. The park is big enough so that there's plenty of room for a good-sized stage as well as heaps of stalls, but small enough so that it still feels like a community event, and you're pretty much guaranteed a good view even if you're not right at the front. There's also all the usual parky stuff - a playground, toilets, and lots of big old trees, so I'd say it'd be a good spot for any of the other events it regularly hosts - including Family Fun Days, Carols by Candlelight, and the Community Spirit Family Carnival - as well for a family day out.

Though often accompanied with the noise of the nearby Murphy's Rd traffic or ever going development…read morenoises of Flat Bush, Murphy's Bush is still a delight to walk through with it's trickling stream, nice shaded, forest walks and beautiful fairy glade in the midst of it to have a picnic lunch or put up a marquee in for a special event. The tracks are a bit confusing and random, so be sure to note the signs or you'll find yourself right back where you started within 10 minutes! A good place if you're looking for a light walk rather than a challenging tramp. Not recommended for little ones, as there is no playground to entertain them with.

Beautiful native bush to show off to visitors. If you are into 'earthing' it is great place to go…read morebarefoot. Listen out for the sounds of native birds and be humbled by the height of the tall, straight trees. It is easy to get "displaced" despite the signage - as there is more than one carpark and picnic area.

Pros: - fun -…read moreinteractive - equipment and nice to have items (like fleece jackets, crocs) are included - knowledgeable guides - beautiful views Cons: - Auckland's downpours. lol. I took their sunset kayak tour to Rangitoto Island and thoroughly enjoyed the experience! There's an option to be picked up in the city (near the Auckland War Memorial Museum) which I did. The kayak guide (Eric) met us on time in front of the museum, ushered us into a mini van with kayaks at the back. On the way to the beach, he gave us an overview of what to expect for the day and got us talking to each other, which makes the experience even better! We were paired in twos, got our kayaks and ourselves ready for the journey. It's awesome that this company is really well-prepared and all-inclusive; it is winter at this time and they have fleece jackets of various sizes, crocs of various sizes, outer rain/waterproof jackets, life jackets and the oars. Impressive. All we had to do was show up in shorts (100% no jeans, they won't be comfortable when you get wet!) and comfortable clothing and you're good to go. When we got to Rangitoto, the guides prepared hot beverages and BBQ dinner for us while we took off our wet gears to dry for a bit. After a quick dinner, we began our hike to catch the sunset. One guide led us up the hike, telling us about the trees, bushes and the history of the island along the way. After about 45 min, we got to the top of trail. It was a foggy/rainy evening but we still caught a little bit of the sunset! Going down, we were each given a hand torch (talk about being all prepared!) and made our way back to the kayaks. It was getting cold and we quickly put on our gears and jumped back into our kayaks and made our way back to the city. We got back there around 8-8:30pm, helped to stow away the kayaks and off we went our separate ways. I couldn't have asked for a more fun, active and beautiful experience! Highly recommend this company and this tour if you want to explore Rangitoto!

Elle was great. Very informative and helpful. Dinner was delicious and brownies on top were…read moregreat. Nice group of paddlers.

Essex Reserve is a lovely wee park right in Mt Eden village but tucked behind so it's off the main…read moredrag. It has a good little playground, some nice big shady trees and a cool sculpture by Richard Wedekind called Bystanders. What I love most about this reserve is its community events; I've been to a Halloween event here that had witches with cauldrons, face painters, lucky dips for the kids and lots more. The annual Artists in Eden event is also held here (and in fact is coming up very shortly), which is a really great day out for the whole family as well as the chance to see well-known local artists create an entire work in just a few hours. To me Essex Reserve is an integral part of Mt Eden whether it's playing host to festivities or simply providing an oasis in the urban hubbub.

I only discovered this reserve while looking for parking. Mt Eden village has many cafes and food…read moreplaces, Mt Eden has a reputation for being a good cafe district. Quite often though, the more popular places will be cram packed with people, so if you wanted to get your food and go someplace a bit more quiet then this is a good spot. There are park benches and tables closer to the playground or you could sit on the grass. In a space closer to the parking lot there are a lot of benches surrounding a circular area. Whenever I have over 15 minutes to wait for a bus, I'll go and sit here. Especially on a sunny day this is a nice place to sit and relax.

Silde fast. Fields big. Pump track long good. Swings good. Coming back tomorrow. Flying fox more…read morelike zooming fox.

One of the best parks around in a busy residential area. I've been living in this area for nearly 8…read moreyears (or more can't even remember now!) and they just keep improving this park for the better. They have developed this awesome bike track for kids, complete with ramps and bridges and round about with stop signs (to teach them early about driving haha) and from the looks of it, all the kids in the neighbourhood LOVE it. I have tried skateboarding on this track and it's definitely harder so stick to scooters and bikes. The "big kids" playground is so EPIC with flying foxes (can never get too old for this but can be too tall as my bottom and legs will graze the bark), miniature climbing wall, tall tunnel slide, bridges, monkey bars oh my gosh you name it. Don't fret! There's a miniature playground for the little ones that's more safe and to a smaller scale and and really cool swings (for babies, toddlers or the big kids like myself! ) For the adults or the more adventurous kiddies there's a forestry/bush walk that really cool to have in a residential jungle. And they've cleaned it up, made better, stronger and wider walking paths. There's a big field for soccer, lacrosse, rugby etc and biggish public toilets next to it. A big pond with water coming in from the harbour and ducks (sometimes cute little ducklings) swimming lounging around and sometimes people race their remote boats in it too! There's a public BBQ by the miniature playground and also on weekends there's a coffee and ice cream truck on standby! There's just so much going on in this park that you can never get bored and probably never want to leave until someone has to drag you out hahaha

In what could be described as the premier location on the Waitemata Harbour, Orakei Marina provides…read morethe most accessible option for boat storage in Auckland's urban environment - accessible, both from the land, and to the sea. The boat ramp is also a great alternative for those that are not lucky enough to own a berth in the Marina. The location of the Marina at the top of the low speed zone in the harbour provides a quick getaway to all your favourite fishing spots and beaches. Orakei Marina offers full vessel services, perfect for the lazy boatie. We took off one Friday afternoon, avoiding the chaos of the inner harbour, returning with a chilly bin full to the brim of snapper, at Spot 'X' of course.