When my sister and I arrived at Enchanted Forest Mini Golf a few weekends ago, we were wowed! From…read morethe range of holes and facilities, to the friendly owner who was very helpful and chatted to all of his customers. This was really great considering I haven't received this kind of service at other mini golf places around Auckland. We really enjoyed the variety of holes. Sounds weird I know but Enchanted Forest Mini Golf seriously has two of the coolest holes we have ever seen! The first one you have to hit your golf ball through chains - it sounds harder than you think! The second hole was unique for sure. The hole is completely surrounded by netting. The aim is to hit your ball as hard as you can (it sits on a raised platform), and if possible, hit the bullseye up top, ultimately to get a 'hole in one'. Again, it is harder than you think, but it is loads of fun! Plus, all the kids around us really enjoyed it! Another highlight is that the space around the mini golf course is very large! There is a shop where you purchase your tickets and other things like cold drinks and ice creams. There are also plenty of tables and chairs, plus you can use their BBQ's located onsite (free to use if you play one round of mini golf). This would be perfect for a birthday party or family gathering. An added bonus is that there is a Countdown right next door - easy to stock up on food beforehand! I guess the only negative would be that it is a little rough around the edges but it definitely feels like you're in a forest (or bush!). Interesting fact - the space used to be a park, and instead of removing everything, they have kept all the original trees and plants which is nice to see - we even saw a Kauri tree! Overall, Enchanted Forest Mini Golf is the best I have tried in Auckland so far. The added bonuses (unique 'net' hole, BBQ's, supermarket next door and location) really make this mini golf worth going to, not just to play a few games, but also to get a group of family and friends along and have a BBQ lunch or dinner afterwards!

Te Pai Courts used to be a shit hole. It was just the outdoor courts with hardly any parking and an…read moreold ugly as building filled with cranky middle aged women upset at the world because they aren't championship netball players. These days, those women are still there, but instead Te Pai looks great with a new centre that is modern, spacious,a full parking lot, and plays host to a bunch of courts and also some tennis courts that are on the other side of the parking lot. Come any Saturday morning and you'll have tons of school kids playing early morning netball, anywhere from eight in the morning. They host social netball here too if you ever want to get a team together, but it's pretty expensive. On Saturdays they've got drinks and hot food for sale, and it's always great to see young Kiwi kids out there playing sport, getting fit and having fun.

Bruce Pulman is over 60 hectares of green grass and sports and recreation facilities. Its home to…read moremany sports teams and is in full swing during the netball and rugby seasons. It's also a wonderful local spot for those who like keep fit and active. Its great for a leisurely walk or a long run; a little more scenic and serene than road running. You won't feel like you're running around the block and there's a lot of open space to cover. There's also barely any traffic noise and away from the hustle and bustle of busy streets and jaywalkers. You could even throw the ball around a have a game of touch rugby here with some friends as there is ample space. If your mates are a bit more serious, the fields are available for hire in the evenings which includes extra gear, lights and so on. Bruce Pulman is also home the Gymsport Complex, which offers a range of classes from beginner levels and holiday programmes to competitive and advanced gymnasts. It's hosted many national and international competitions so its safe to say the facilities are top of the line; great to keep in mind if you've got children or you yourself are interested in having a go! Bruce Pulman is a great facility for many athletes, exercise lovers and people that just want to stay active and appreciate the great facilities we've got here.

A group of friends and I went here for a birthday. All 8 of us twenty-something year olds had a a…read moreblast. Marlene and Ruan Odendaal, went above and beyond for us and even gave us loads of tokens for their arcade games afterwards. I can't stress enough how hospitable they were! The lasertag was pretty hilarious; there was a kid's birthday party going on and it was us 'oldies' versus them HAHA. They did mix it up a bit after the first game though so that was cool. I didn't realize that they had teles outside, so people were watching us while we were in there #embarassing haha. We paid $17 each for 4 games and by the end of it a lot of us were really hot, tired but satisfied. Was SO worth the money! Will definitely come here again!

The ultimate kids birthday party experience, bar none. Every North Shore child had a birthday party…read morehere at some stage, and it never got old. Like seriously, still epic at the age of 21. It's laser tag set in a kinda trippy spaceship-styled maze with cool dry ice effects and strobes and stuff. It'd be cool on acid I imagine. Anyway you get a laser gun and a vest each and shoot eachother. Paintball without the pain really. Everything's wired up to a scoring system so you get a readout at the end, and I figured out how to win at the age of 10 - you just hide under a ramp and shoot everyone that runs past. But nobody does that - you aimlessly run around yelling - much more fun. Grown ups can watch on the video screens from outside and chuckle at how manic the kids get. Their website also says they do team building. Wouldn't mind working for a company that sends their employees to Laser Force!

I probably like Milford park more than the average punter because I grew up down the road…read more Throughout my childhood, I spent many a day at Milford Park climbing the trees, playing BYC and go home stay home. Trip down memory lane aside, Milford Park is still a great spot to bring the kiddies. There is a freshly painted, bright blue playground, toilets, BBQ pits AND the Beach is right next door. Not to mention in Summer there is frequently concerts or outdoor movie screenings. Oh, and for all those runners out there every Wednesday night there is a fun run that leaves from the Milford Cruising Club in the park and goes to Takapuna and back for only $7 ($3 for kids), free drink included!

I shouldn't review the park as high as I would prefer to keep this to myself - but better to be…read morehonest. A good little suburban park - good parking, safe kids playground, beach volleyball courts and the beach a hop and a skip away. The Creek provides a bit of action if the tide is in as the yachts and fisher boats trailing and out over the 4 hours of tide. Good takeouts and coffee close by in Milford and it is not surprising the number of people who get fish and chips from PJs (another secret) and eat them on the picnic tables worth a visit

Beautiful views all around. Wasn't too busy and that was probably due to the 25 or so minute walk…read morefrom the ferry terminal. Walk was easy and the scenery keep you occupied. The bench had a ton of shells everywhere and the water was too cold to get in. lol A few trees gave some shade and there were restrooms at the far end from where I came in.

Despite its ever-increasing popularity, Cheltenham Beach is still one of my absolute Auckland…read morefavourites. The water's always deep enough for swimming (when I've been)and Rangitoto looming in the Hauraki Gulf seen from here is just stunning. I always look at the houses along this beach and think the inhabitants are some of the luckiest people on Earth - even if privacy is scant to non-existent. And yes, the parking is at a premium but generally people are leaving as well as arriving. There's a little playground at one end and a big restaurant and function centre in the middle that I believe has had a spruce-up fairly recently. You can climb up North Head from here if you're keen but I like it for less vigorous activities. Just beautiful.

Definitely a community park with a unique history, Silo Park in Auckland NZ is located right off of…read morethe harbor in Wynyard Quarter. When we visited on a Sunday afternoon, it was very much alive with children, many of whom were practicing to ride their bikes (some with training wheels, many were not) at the adjacent parking lot. It is so named because of the 7 silos that dominate the scenery around the park. They were built and used to store cement, but have now been converted into an art and exhibition center and movie screen for outdoor cinema. How cool is that!

What a neat place for the whole family while in Auckland!! We had the luck to go during Christmas…read morefestivities our first time. There were Holiday food trucks and funny picture spots and lots of games for the kids. They had rides and I think there was a concert. Normally when we went they still had a awesome colorful playground and the sand pit for falls and a small wading pool for young kids they had to share with seagulls. My kids said it was there favorite place.

It's been a while since my last visit. It seems that a major renovation is going on at the moment…read more I must admit the I was on the cinema side only, did not visit the warehouse side of this visit. Will have to come back in the New Year and see how the revamp went, it used to be one of my favourite places to shop !!!

Botany Town Centre is by far and away one of the best malls in Auckland. With it's wonderful, open…read morelayout filled with greenery, fountains and even its very own hobbit hole, Botany has a great, outdoor ambience that I've never seen equalled by another mall. I'd say the only downside would be when it rains, but even then, there's an indoor part of the mall to enjoy. Hoyts Cinemas is convieniently located above the food court, so on a rainy day, there's no need to brave the elements to walk between places. Containing all the top clothing, jewellery, appliance, homeware and professional service stores, most of the time you don't need to go anywhere else. Be wary of prices though, as occasionally, better deals are found elsewhere. In terms of just heading out for dinner or a coffee, it's an ideal place to be.