Nice Kiwi beach! This place is on Browns Bay, just north of…read moreAuckland, across the bridge. It faces the sea, and is right off the main drag of town. The park has a playground, outdoor showers, bathroom facilities that include changing rooms, benches and outdoor seating, and trashcans. There's plenty to see and do along here. The beach is nice, and was in full use when I went. There's lots of interesting shells along here, and places for people to swim and boat. They had a tractor out launching boats when I went! The park is wide open with a few trees, so you can get a footie game going! There's lots of food options nearby, where you can get takeout and enjoy the view from here. I went when there was the Brown Bay flea market going on, and this was a good followup.

Great playground overlooking Browns Bay beach. Picnic tables nearby if you want to bring a picnic,…read moregrab a pizza, sushi or fish and chips from one of the shops on Clyde road. There are swings for the older kids separated from the two baby swings and a huge play structure with slides on all sides. My son likes walking back and forth on the wobbly bridges and there is also an interesting looking spinning circle that always is occupied by dizzy children. There are a couple of really good climbing trees that stay quite close to the ground.

I'd been in Auckland for precisely two weeks when my friends insisted one hot hungover Sunday that…read morethey were going to drive me to Tawharanui beach for a day of sunbathing. Sit in a car for over an hour? On a boiling hot day? With a hangover? I still can't believe they managed to talk me into it...But I'm oh so glad they did. Tawharanui is without a doubt my favourite out of Auckland day trip. The beach is just gorgeous with perfect white sand, big crashing waves and lots of caves at the side you can explore. It literally makes the inner city beaches pale in comparison. Stop in Matakana for ice-cream or a meal on the way there or back. Load up a cool box with beer and sit and take in the amazing view. Tip: it gets really packed on sunny days so head there early to secure a good spot. Also, not drinking the night before will help to uphold your enthusiasm for the journey.

Nice walking beach that's got a lot of fun events going regularly. The estuary arts centre is…read morealways a nice place to visit.

Orewa is a very long stretch of sand just past the Orewa bridge over the Orewa river. It's really…read moregreat at high tide though you have to walk very far into water before it gets deep- which is neither here nor there. The surf club has a prominent spot along the beach with it's large lifeguard swim between the flags markers and a lifeguard chair to guard. Thought the elevated wooden square flat stage in front of the surf building was great for a sit down/ picnic and view. It's definitely a family beach- with lots of kids during the school holidays with their buckets and sandcastles as well as a playground to entertain. Not only- it's great for both swimmers and surfers alike with good waves but also can be rather still to make it easier to swim in. Lots of sand for you to lay down a towel to get some sun tan or above grassy areas with some shade from trees. It's bookmarked with cliffs on either end and in one direction you can look out towards Hatfields and in the other- Stanmore Bay, Manly, Tindalls, Army Bay all the way to the large Shakespear park. SUP in an unmissably large tent and noticed a group of kayaks going out. Public toilets available behind the surf club and a huge car park to fill. A good beach- sure to find something to please every type of beach-go-er.

I am such a huge fan of the outdoors and we are just spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches in…read moreour beautiful city. Located on the North Shore in between Mairangi Bay and Rothesay Bay is this little gem called Murrays Bay. With a lovely stretch of soft beach to relax upon, and a bay that is perfect for swimming, and boating. The Murrays Bay Wharf is great for jumping off in high tide, as there is a nice depth to the water for a big splash. If you are a keen fisherman/woman, or kid sink a line off the wharf and as you ponder on the view of Rangitoto island wait on that lucky bite. Great place really to teach the young children to fish, as it is safe and picturesque. The Bay is also home to Murrays Bay Sailing Club; located at 513 Beach Road which offers sailing facilities for all levels of dinghy sailing. An East Coast Bays jewel to sum it up.

Murrays Bay is a small beach next door to Mairangi- which you can get to easily by the cool…read moreconcrete walkway between them. It's best at low tide but we had quite a big of fun getting splashes from high tide as well. Beware though it does get slippery when wet. Murrays; most recognisable landmark would be the wharf to the opposite end of this path- where people queue up to jump off and ladder up again for another go. Looks like good fun! There is a steep concrete path that goes alongside the cliff-top houses on the same side as the wharf and goes to Rothesay Bay. A sailing club also lives here and there is grassy areas with a few trees for shade that isn't too far from the golden sand and water. A concrete staircase down to the inviting water and view of Rangitoto- quite popular in the summer so park at a nearby side street and come on down

This is a beautiful and well looked after Holiday Park, in an amazing location, literally right…read morebeside the beach. It is only a short walk and you can find yourself on Pakiri Beach, which is a pretty stunning beach in itself. I've been here a few times for swimming and snorkelling, and the water is usually really clear. We also tried a bit of surfcasting off the beach, but only managed to catch a few small kahawai. You can't ask for a much better location really, and the staff/owners are friendly and accommodating. They have a whole range of cabins to choose from, and plenty of space for tents. One downside is that this place is very expensive, even just for camping. Be prepared to pay a bit extra, especially in peak season when prices skyrocket.

So glad we made the trek to the park during our stay in Auckland. Not too far from the city yet so…read morebeautiful and made for the perfect day. Of course you have to stop for the photo opp with the frame that pretty near to when you enter the park. But even on a busier day than some of the photos depict on this site - it didn't feel crowded. There's a big loop trail that you can traverse. We opted to walk along the beach and find our way to some makeshift ladder that got us up on the trail. Need a bit of flexibility to do this and you must get in the ocean a little to get there. Multiple look-out points on the trail and great views of Auckland. A must do! **If you can get it together to grab some picnic food - this would be a great place for that as well.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!…read more Discovered this park the other day with my one year old son. I can't believe the amount of times I have driven by and not stopped for a closer look!! Duck feeding - yes Picnic friendly - yes Fully equipped modern playground - yes Sherwood reserve is expansive and connects to Freyburg Park off Anzac Road. If you are keen on a family picnic and/or outing to the playground with the kids but don't want to deal with tlhe crowds that Browns Bay has, this is a MUST VISIT!!

Gorgeous reserve. I use the walkway that runs through it from time to time and I love the scenery…read moreand the huge fresh grassy patches. The pathway that winds down and around is perfect for a bit of bike riding or skating down. Just don't do what I did and jump off your board on a downward slope... I had to watch in horror as my skateboard took a dive into the stream! There's a block of shops at the top of the reserve with a dairy and there's also a playground up top. Great spot for a slow Sunday stroll.

Ti Point and Ti Point wharf are a perfect place to take the family and spend the day. The wharf is…read moresmall, but gets busy with fisherman. It's great for fishing with the kids; you can usually pull in a sprat or two with a hand line over the side. If you walk along the coast from the wharf there are some beautiful old trees to set up under for the day. They are great for the kids to climb and some have rope swings or picnic tables. If the tide is out there is a little sandy bay protected by rocks perfect for swimming. There is also a walkign track that awinds aroudn the coast, where rocks can be accessed for heavier duty fishing. Ti Point is a little difficult to get to; you turn off from Leigh road down a winding metal road. Parking is also a little sparse. But once you're there it's a great little place to explore.