Totara Park is a South Auckland staple. Its highly likely that growing up in the Manurewa/Manukau…read morearea meant you were here for swimming lessons, a day out with family or school, or a hangout with friends. Its ideal for family picnics, barbecues (they have facilities available) and get-togethers. The children's playground keeps the younger ones, and the young at heart, entertained. The free supervised swimming pools are open in February and March, and are perfect for that relaxing swim on a scorching day. As a teenager, my dad dragged my siblings and I here every morning of the school holidays for the 45 minute bush walk, and while I barely liked it back then, I'm grateful. These days, that bush walk, among the other trails you can take at Totara Park, are somewhat of a blessing (apart from the killer stairs!). The farm track from the Redoubt Rd entrance to the main picnic area on Wairere Road is a popular one, just be sure not to run past the cows as they can get pretty scary (for me at least). Another track, the Puhinui Stream Forest Trail, takes about two hours to complete and connects Totara Park with the nearby Botanic Gardens.

On the headland between Muriwai and Maori Bay, you can have the unique experience of viewing a…read moreGannet colony from up close. When the colony was smaller the gannets were present on the outer islands, however as their numbers swelled they have been forced to come closer and closer to the viewing areas on the mainland. This means you can literally stand meters away from a wild bird that is fearless of humans close by in their own environment. In nest-building and breeding time, and when the birds are caring for their chicks you can experience these large and graceful creatures manoeuvring on the gusts of wind just out of arms reach above you. This is a truly hypnotic and completely free experience that visitors to Auckland really should see. And if you live here and haven't been out to take a look, I highly recommend it. Gannets are nesting August - March; they are not there all year around.

This is a reasonable sized park for a neighbourhood park. It is situated between St Leonards Ave…read moreand Watling Ave (which both run off Mt Eden Road). There is rolling grass, a playground, and even a tree swing to discover, which is popular with the kids. The perfect park for children to be able to play hide and seek in or my favourite game from back in the day 'go home stay home'. I visited this park a few times during the summer to just lie out in the sun with a book - very relaxing! So if you haven't yet discovered this local park, how about visiting it on the next sunny day, because I think it is pretty great.

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.

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.

This is one of my most favourite places to bring my dog, the lawns are so vast and the views are…read moreincredible here. Parking is easy as there is lots of free parking on site and navigating the grounds is also a cinch because of the walking track. I have never let my dog off the leash here it just doesn't feel right for some reason? I am unsure what the official rules are regarding dogs but it's better to be safe. The TSB Wallace Arts Centre also makes this place extra special standing majestically in the middle of the grounds. I like to pretend that it is my house and I'm simply taking a walk around my endless garden. If you are fitness focused, this place really can deliver as a walking or running destination as it is quite a large circuit with lots of inclines and declines! The views here as mentioned before also make it an excellent spot for a romantic picnic (tried and tested).

Monte Cecilia lies semi-hidden , off Hillsborough and Mt Albert Road - with the best parking up by…read morethe Pah Homestead, where the TSB James Wallace Art Gallery resides. The park spreads out from this high point , curving away down to the road on one side, the school on the other, and looking out over the Manukau Harbor on the far right. The park has the biggest collection of Northern Hemisphere trees in New Zealand - and they are certainly big themselves. When I play disc golf here, I usually have to dedicate at least half an hour to climbing trees to retrieve discs- provided, of course, they aren't at the very top of an old oak tree. There is a course available at : http://www.discgolf.co.nz/monteCourseDescription.htm, but the map can be a bit confusing - so it's worth contacting the contact available on that page to get shown around. Afterwards you can stop off for a coffee in the cafe, or head to Cameron Pools for a nice dip.

A great day trip if you're visiting Auckland. It has amazing black sand. My family and I came here…read moreas part of our Coast to Coast tour and had a good walk here after lunch. The gannets were nesting and the trail allowed you to see their nesting location and brought you to a cave and directly onto the beach. It's absolutely beautiful. The water was so clear and the sky was beautiful.

Awesome beach for surfing. But you really have to be good if you want to surf the green ones!!…read moreOtherwise it will be really dangerous. I have never seen so big and powerful waves before. And also the streams are so strong that I got real problems to stand up out of them. All in all hard for beginners but awesome for pros.

One of Dad's favourite spots for a day trip on the boat, this island sanctuary has beautiful sandy…read morebeaches and is a mere 30mins (approx) by boat from Westhaven marina. Relatively sheltered, the bays are perfect for kayaking, swimming or if you super trendy, paddleboarding. Ferries do run here throughout summer but they are sporadic so you'll need to check the Fullers website for the timetable before deciding when to go!

Motuihe Island is so magical. And yet, so close to Auckland city it's ridiculous. In a short 30…read moreminute boat ride you can be in paradise. We like to go for day trips, but there is a DOC camping ground on the Island so you can actually stay on there. All you need to do it just catch the ferry from Half Moon Bay, easy. There's also a cute little kiosk that sell ice blocks and essentials, so you're not completely in the wilderness. The best part about it is that if the wind is blowing in on one side of the island you can just walk fifty metres and be sheltered on the other side of the island. There are loads of trails around for walking and of course the views are simply priceless.