Living up to its name, Point View Reserve looms on a hilltop where you can see much of Auckland…read morefrom a strategically placed park bench. Basically, you can park your car, wander a few feet and breath in an awesome view. It's a good place to walk the dog, and its forested parts are home to some Long-Tailed Bats. They are hard to see, so keep your eyes peeled! I'd say the problem with Point View is getting there. It's incredibly easy to miss the entrance, as it's surrounded by bush. On the 80km an hour stretch of road, no matter how many times I go, I always manage to zoom past it and wonder why I'm heading to Clevedon! So take note that it's near a curve in the road and to your right if you're coming from East Auckland.

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.

Well, this place is stunning. En route to one of my friend's houses, I've always driven past on…read moreSomerville Rd and done a double take to look at the scenery. A beautiful landscape of farmland, bush and the sea in the distance, it's not hard to see why. I parked on the gravel near the barn and began walking my dog. The paths are dusty and gravelly, so I found it annoying with the shoes I was wearing. You definitely want proper walking shoes! I'm told it gets incredibly muddy during rainy seasons too. There's a few cow pats along the way, so keep an eye on where you're going. Aside from that, you can enjoy multiple different walks, such as the Loop (1 hr) & Rotary (30 mins). There's a bit of climbing up and down steep hills, but you can look forward to forests, sea views, wildlife and a waterfall along the way.

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.

Probably the most aptly named road you'll find, Pigeon Mountain Rd leads to indeed, Pigeon Mountain…read moreWetlands. Named after the Pigeons that used to live here, this dormant volcano is now home to cute pukekos, stilts and swampland. There's plenty of board walks, gravel roads and shrubbery to guide yourself through. I took my dog along (they have to stay on the leash) and she found the wire netting on the board walk extremely weird. She kept dancing on it like it was hot coals! Incredibly funny. Then the pukeko's arrived to size her up, and she was ready to flee. They were far more afraid of her than she was of them though, as they quickly leapt off the board walk and into the flax! Anyway, it's a pleasant, short walk for those inclined to take adventures around East Auckland.

I always thought Pigeon Mountain was a euphamism for a really big pile of pigeon poo. So you can…read moreimagine what I thought Pigeon Mountain Wetland was. These misunderstandings aside, I love walking here these days I bring my dog and she has a great time being alternately brave and fearful of the pukekos. I adore getting so close up to pukeko, they're such little weirdos, but really cute. This is a nice place to bring out-of-towners who are into photography - they'll be able to get some amazing shots. The walkway is in good condition and the walk isn't too long, so it's nice for the whole family too.

So glad to have discovered this local reserve so close to my flat!…read more Kepa Bush reserve is tucked away behind Eastridge Shopping Centre, with some nice views across the Purewa creek and through to Hobson Bay. The reserve is home to some well-marked gravel trails as well as a number of rugged, muddy ones that travel along the creek (thus something to satisfy everyone ;)). There are entry points along Kepa road, Thatcher Street and Colenso Place as well. Sadly, the reserve does not connect to the trails around Orakei basin (due to the waterways) so you'll either be doing a few loops to get a solid run in or it's best to exit at Colenso Place and run along Kepa through the the basin for a longer adventure. A bit of history for all those curious fellows out there: Kepa Bush reserve covers 14 hectares and was established in 1962 when the Auckland City Council purchased it from St John's College. You're welcome.

We live across the road from this reserve, never thought it would turn out to be such a beautiful…read moreshort walk right at my doorstep! It feels like you're in the middle of a forest far away from the city until you hear a train pass and realise you're surrounded by the rat race of busyness . There's an outlook point and seating area where you can just enjoy the view or take time out to reflect. Worth taking a walk here after a hard day's work.

What a great park with everything you need in one place. It has a secure childrens playground…read morewhich is fenced all the way around, access only via the 2 gates so very secure for the little ones. It has this great path all the way around the park with exercise activities you can do while you are walking or running around. You can also come here for sports acitivies, soccer, cricket, rugby etc. Also onsite is the Ellerslie YMCA which also has a child centre. On the otherside there is also the duck pond and wildlife reserve with lots of ducks and pukekos. Its a great park if you are in or near the area, and its one that I miss going to as I just to be just a hop and a skip away from it.

It's true this is a great park ! Big open kids play area ,…read morewith a small gate to keep them in . Ample parking and it looks like they're trying to sort the drainage issues on the sports field . No public toilet though .