Papakura has needed this new skate park for...well forever really. The old skate park (if you can…read moreactually call it that) was in a similar location as the present one, but it was in the carpark. I'm not even sure that it was supposed to be there or if some kids just added various obstacles to it, but basically all it contained was a few boxes, rails and an old washing machine for grinding. Classic Kura ingenuity. Anyway the new, proper concreted skate park is 100 times better than the old one. Complete with ramps, rails, kickers, quarter pipes and a little bowl part, this park is quite small, but smooth and well built. Like any skate park, you're best to go here while the kids are at school, because afterwards it gets busy with anyone who has something on wheels.

Waiuku skate park is pretty nice, but doesn't really have anything special about it. It has a few…read morerails, boxes and flat banks, with a relatively large flat area in between, but that's about it. The designers seriously thought that less is more here. At least the concrete is pretty open and kind of smooth. Also, this skate park is usually pretty quiet during the daytime, which is the best time to go. It's located right on the edge of Massey Park, which is used for a number of different sports; soccer, rugby and cricket. If you don't live around this area, then the skate park here is not really worth the long drive. You will probably be a little disappointed that you used so much petrol.

Until high-school I'd never really had much to do with Craigavon Park. Located on the outskirts of…read moreBlockhouse Bay it's a little further west than I'd ever had reason to venture, but throughout my high-school years cross country runs, fun-runs and various other fundraisers were held at this park. Home to a pretty decent playground, BBQs, a scenic walk and even a skate park - Craigavon Park has activities and events that cater to the whole family. Pack a picnic, the Frisbee, backyard cricket set and your dog - and enjoy the day at one of west Auckland's most popular parks. Bonus: Craigavon Park played host to the Hippie festival late last year. It was such a great day. Travelling painted vans, palm readings, eclectic knick-knacks, decorated lightbulbs, handcrafted wooden toys, and delicious food - the festival was absolutely brilliant and if it ever comes back to Craigavon Park, make sure you don't miss it!

You could easily miss the Devonport Skatepark if you didn't know where to look for it. Tucked away…read morefrom the main road into town opposite the Golf course and right in the middle of Ngataringa Park, this park has unlimited lines and transitions for all skill levels. It was designed by a bunch of local boys quite a few years ago and they included every hip gap and rail you can think of. The layout is huge and there's plenty of space. And even if it was complete crap, its still the coolest location! You can play music without bothering any neighbours and kick back in the grass when you need a break.

Great skate park. Can be a little bit of a mission to get there if you are not local to the area…read more Nice and spaced out, one of the better parks around for bikes in my opinion. I ate it bad when I was there a little while ago. I was on my friends downhill mountain bike, I came up to the table top with way too much speed, and for some reason, just at the last second I decided to try and pull a 180. Before I knew it the ground was coming towards my face in slow motion, oh man that was painful.

Even though this skate park is kind of crappy, it does have a few good things going for it. For one…read moreit has a very cool mini half-pipe made out of aluminium, making it super smooth and great for beginners. This skate park is also in a nice secluded location, which means that there's barely ever anyone there; most of the time we have had the park to ourselves. It is right beside the water too which makes for some sweet background scenery, and if you get too hot you can always run down for a refreshing swim. A couple of downsides are that the secluded location of this park means that it is a fair drive from most places around Auckland. Also, the concrete part of the skate park is pretty lame to be honest, with only a few obstacles to jump and grind; a skilled skater won't be very impressed.

Howick Historical Village is in the park, it is pretty fun to walk about and go see it on a"live…read moreday" you can join a school class from the late 1800's. $15 Adult entry - $8 kids under 5's are free

Well, I have no clue who Lloyd Elsmore is, but he makes a pretty cool park. Covering a significant…read moreexpanse of East Auckland, it has a swimming pool, skate ramps, fields, sports clubs and the Howick Historical Village on site. Walking my dog here, I spied cyclists on the skate ramps, kids laughing on the playground, cars driving to and from sports matches and new games being set up for kids after school. They have plenty of sports days here - I know, because I can hear the announcer from my house a few kms away! It's also a good place to host an event, as I remember coming here a few years ago for a South African Festival. If you're looking for a day of fun, I reckon Lloyd Elsmore will fill your Saturday quite nicely.

I don't really know how to describe this skate park. Poor design, poor obstacle choices, poor…read moreconstruction and poor execution. There are only a few things here that are able to be utilised, everything else is humanly impossible to ride. For example there is a full pipe, but it's so small and possibly in the worst place imaginable. The builders didn't seriously think that skaters would be capable of going around this thing did they? There are some stairs and a box that are decent to use, but the concrete isn't all that smooth, especially the concrete in the bowl. Oh the bowl, one of the worst that I have seen. It would be a bit better if it was smooth, but alas it is not. Enough negativity, here are two positive things about Clark's Beach skate park. One, it is often quiet here so you can skate in peace. Two, the golf course is right next door.

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.

Huge area to take kids for a play, Has alot of land and most…read moreof it has a path. Can get abit muddy in places but still avoidable. Has a duck pond for tots and a playground for primary kids and forts for older kids.

Sir Barry Curtis Park in Flatbush was opened in 2009. Today was our first visit. The walkways are…read moreextensive but many of them come to a sudden dead-end. Random hills with no paths. And extremely muddy after rain (today we got mud splashed to above our knees!). As it is a new park, there is a lack of mature trees. It appears that a great deal of ratepayers money has been spent on this park, and apart from the children's playground and skateboard park, there is nothing to attract walkers. We would have liked to have seen gardens and a cafe for starters. And an off leash dog exercise area. However it looks as though is a fun place for children to ride bikes and scooters.