I have been a premium member of 'Next Gen' for the last 6-7 months. Predominantly, I go to Pilates,…read moreYoga & Barre classes. They offer a good selection of weekday and weekend classes (not Barre). Mostly, the instructors have been excellent. Sometimes I play tennis - there are about 3 indoor and 8 outdoor courts, I think. My only complaint is they get booked up weeks in advance, which is ridiculous. Onsite cafe sells cabinet & hot food, also Allpress coffee which definitely gets them some brownie points! Next Gen staff have improved over the last few weeks, a lot more friendly and helpful than when I first joined. Great sauna, spa & pool facilities. Change rooms are due to be upgraded. Members are generally professionals and high-end. I enjoy the club, however it has a hefty price tag, so you need to go often!

I have been coming to Next Generation for a few months now. My Dad has been a member since it…read moreopened and he always has exciting things to say about it. So, I finally took the plunge and joined...my first ever gym! I wanted to try all of the facilities before writing a review just to see whether Next Generation really lived up to the hype. So far, the gym has been great, the Zumba classes challenging (but fun) and I went swimming today - it was very refreshing! But the best thing is definitely being able to play tennis! There are about 11 courts to choose from, and all you have to do is book the court in advance and voila, you're set for the day! And if it's sunny, jump in one of their pools to cool down - either the indoor one or the outdoor pool on the roof! Another great thing about the gym is that they have a cafe/restaurant onsite plus a lounge which is a great place to relax and unwind after a work out or come down to one of their monthly quiz nights! Highly recommend Next Generation - all the facilities are spot on plus you will have loads of fun!!!

Auckland City Athletics (ACA) is a well-established athletics club for athletes of all ages and all…read moreabilities, from internationally competitive cross country runners to casual track runners wanting to improve their fitness. The ACA website provides you with a range of coaches across all running, track and field disciplines, and most of these coaches have quite social, friendly training groups who would all make you feel quite welcome if you wanted to come along. These coaches, such as Barry Magee and Neil Bartlett, do this training for a nominal retainer, which shows that they have a genuine passion for their discipline and are not motivated by financial gain. The home base of the track athletes, Mt Smart, has had a recent upgrade and also has a gym available for club athletes at a small fee.

A small portion will have been introduced to the game of bowls by an affectionate grandparent, but…read morefor the majority of people, bowls will conjure up pictures of bowed old people in white outfits and caps. Thankfully, I was in the former of these groups and noticed the master stroke of coupling Epsom Bowls with George FM. A live DJ, BBQ and beer on a Sunday? The perfect disguise to lure my friends to the slow lane. During summer afternoons all this was offered, with unlimited games, for only $10 but any day you can play the greens for only $5. The patrons there will be genuinely happy to show you the ropes, an easy game to pick up but tricky to master. Less aggressive than ten-pin bowling, this game involves more control than speed. With two all-weather greens and pétanque you are basically guaranteed a game. A great way to catch up with friends or challenge workmates and get out in the sun with some competition and super cheap beers.

Seasoned pro, or always wanted to learn? Pompallier Tennis Club caters for everyone. They run a…read moregreat social programme if you're looking at increasing your tennis skills and meeting really nice people. Tracey O'Connor runs the club's coaching and she's absolutely awesome to deal with. The membership fees are really reasonable and what's better than having a cold beer after a hard game of tennis in the height of summer!

These Football (Soccer) fields used to be a boggy waterlogged mess, but the massive upgrade to…read moreartificial turf and proper drainage has turned this place into something special. It's looks like it has tons of junior fields now too. I remember sliding on astro turf many a year ago and it takes a few layers of skin away, but I'm assuming technology has taken care of that these days. Big thumbs up to all involved.

Lots of footy fields to boot a ball around, and a little playground to amuse the kids. Lots of…read moreparking.

Hell yea, Lawn Bowls. Long seen as the domain of retirees , it's time it took its rightful place as…read morethe sport of the 21st century. It's made for our generation. You get cheap drinks ( 9 dollar jugs, 4 dollar double spirits,) a game that can last four hours, and minimal exercise required, all while standing in the sun wearing white. What's not to like? Hillsboro Lawn Bowls club is the best I've been to - not that that's saying much, I've only been to two. When you walk in, you feel the place is steeped in tradition - pictures of past presidents line the walls, the carpet has the look of a few spilt beers over the years. Playing a game is easy enough , they let you borrow bowls and jacks , so long as there isn't a competition on. We went at 1 pm on a Friday and there was a social competition on, so managed to get a few tips out of the old timers there. They bought out a bucket of ice to keep all our jugs cold, and by the end of the day we had gone through a fair few of them. Loser has to drive home.

I love the grounds of the AURFC, otherwise known as Colin Maiden Park. It's home to social touch…read morerugby teams throughout the week (summer), pre-season training and of course its the place to be during rugby season (winter). The grounds are always well-looked after and even the drive through from Merton Road to the heart of the park is a nice one! I have a younger cousin that plays for the varsity juniors so I've been here several times to watch games and help out with events. The clubrooms here are awesome, and for someone who generally doesn't bother with rugby, its great to see how rich this club is in history. The clubrooms lead right out to the fields, so there's a great view if you're siting down and having drink or snack (they also have a great bar, for anyone that wanted to know that!), The space is also great for private events- its really spacious and could fit quite a lot of people in there too.

Quiz night on Tuesdays is the perfect excuse to try out the Horse and Trap. Rigsy is a hoot on the…read moremike. And the bar food is well above average. Pizzas, burgers and salads mingle with steaks and pies on the menu and sit even better upon the tongue. Nothing original, but it's all done well. Just what one hopes for at a local. All that's left to achieve is that elusive 1st place...

The Horse & Trap's tagline is that they are a "stable of social relaxing". When we visited on a…read morebusy Friday evening, this was certainly the case. It was pretty packed, with after-work suits, girls pre-loading for town, and an intriguing mix of middle-aged suburbanites. The 100 year old building that the bar is housed in has a lovely feel to it; spread across 3 floors with plenty of private function rooms and outdoor areas, this venue can hold a crowd. As a Monteith's bar, your tap selection also includes their range of ciders which makes for a refreshing summer tipple. We were planning to just grab a drink or two, but looked over the menu & decided to stay. 1 of the 2 man-sized appetites I was dining with had a hankering for a burger, and the Horse & Trap Burger was calling his name. Served with pepper relish, battered onion rings & fries for $20, this was a man-sized burger. It even had the Kiwi touch with large slices of beetroot adorning the filling. The pattie appeared to be homemade, which is a big thumbs up for a busy pub kitchen. The chips were well cooked & seasoned, onion rings crispy & the relish was tasty. The only minor complaint was that the burger had been zealously seasoned - a touch too much cumin & coriander overpowered the other flavours. Otherwise the burger craving was well sated, and the request for extra aioli was happily met. Our other dishes included the Pulled Pork Quesadilla with black beans, cheese, guacamole & salsa ($18). Again this was heartily-sized for a quesadilla. The filling was tasty, but the guacamole was more like pureed avocado as you can see from the photo. It was a little too smooth & runny to qualify as guacamole. The last dish of the 3 was the Open Steak Sandwich with caramelised onion, gravy & fries ($19). Often times you'll get served a rubbery minute steak or flaccid schnitzel in a steak sandwich, so I was pleasantly surprised to have a decent cut of steak, cooked medium-rare. The gravy & onions complemented it very well; all-in-all, pretty damn good pub grub. It's not the cheapest night out at the pub, but the food shouldn't disappoint. Maybe that's why the mostly middle-aged clientele are proud to call this their local.