For us, the monthly visit to the night market is really just entertainment for the kids and a very…read morecheap dinner. I love any Asian/Indian/ethno food so can always find something to keep the wolf from the door. There is a wide range of cuisines: Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Philipino, Hungarian, Hong Kong, Pacific Island, and more plus a plethora of post prandial sweets. The food quality at some stalls might be a bit iffy - I suppose at $6 they won't be using the best ingredients, but I have never been sick!!. Sometimes I wonder about the hygiene too but fingers crossed... A lot of the food is in bain maries pre-cooked but the last two meals I've had have been cooked on the spot. It always amazes me that there is a huge queue for churros, which must be the most over-rated snack ever - flavourless dough sticks covered in a sauce of choice. Having said that though I wish I owned that business because the queues reach out the door and they are making a killing!! As at the time of writing this, the Pakuranga market is getting overcrowded. We went last night, arriving at 6pm opening time and it was already extremely busy. We were glad to be in and out within 30 minutes because it was becoming uncomfortably congested. If the crowds continue to grow, the market will need to expand its area. If I was designing the space I would move the "dining" tables to an area away from the throng of hungry punters trying to buy food. And in my perfect world pushchairs would be BANNED from all pedestrian areas!! Why, oh why, do people bring push chairs into crowded pedestrian areas? Dumb. I recommend the night market for a bit of frivolous fun on an evening when you have nothing else on and want to take the kids out for some low key entertainment and dinner. The "shopping" is best avoided unless you want fruit and veges. However, if on the other hand, you have an urge to offload your cash on $2 Shop junk, costume jewellery, flannelette onesies, carvings, mobile phone covers and accessories, a (fully-clothed) back/neck massage, ear candles, cheap and nasty nail polish and nail art, a dubious fortune telling, or second-hand bric-a-brac then this will be your Shangri-la!

Awesome place to have a super unhealthy Friday night dinner. The cuisine there is just so varied u…read morecan have anything u cud think of.. Obviously cheap food.. As for the shopping.. There are a few vege stores and a lot of cheap low quality stuff, items that may entertain children..

Fresh Gallery is consistently one of the best, most interesting and stimulating galleries in…read moreAuckland. I think this is because it gets the best of both worlds: it has links with the trad art scene, as well as looking beyond that to artists who are outside of this. It's been a really pivotal part of getting exposure for many of the artists who have exhibited here, and at the same time is an integral part of the Otara community and really responsive to that. I can't think of another place in Auckland that walks this tightrope so lightly. Fresh has just re-opened, and is totally amazing for those of us who knew it in its last incarnation: it now seems giant, and has workshop space and a cafe. Pretty flash.

If you like a market with a real sense of community, you have to try the Howick Village Market…read more Okay, I'm probably biased because it's my local, but it has everything you'd expect (fruit, vege, artisan foods) plus some special stuff like stationery, vintage jewellery, plants, and clothing. If you take your dog to the market, be prepared for an extremely slow shopping day, as the Market is the perfect place for impromptu doggie dates and extended lead entanglements. Check out my list of favourite stalls at the market, and don't forget to pop into the excellent Save the Children Howick in the corner of the square, and wander down to Classy Crafts if you like a bit of retro handicraft

Dogs, food, bargains, jewellery, arts, craft, games and musicians. The Howick Village Market is…read moreabsolutely buzzing with life and smiling people. I happened to go here on Town & Country day, when they had games with pumpkins, a carriage driven by clydesdale horses and people dressed in the traditional garb of long ago. I couldn't help but enjoy myself! Parking is a little bit crazy on market day, so get in early, or be prepared to walk further. There's a radio station blaring out all your need to know and some extremely talented buskers on nearly every corner. Couldn't help but stop and listen for a while.

I mainly wanted this glowworm tour because they allow pictures to be taken while in the cave. The…read moretour date I was looking at was fully booked but you can email them to be added to the waitlist. I asked to be added to the waitlist for 2 on October 12, and got off the waitlist on November 9, for a tour on December 28 so don't give up hope if it is originally fully booked! I did the spellbound explorer tour which included a walk through a cave as well as a boat ride through a cave for the glowworms. The tour guide was great and allowed pictures during the first back and forth on the boat ride and asked us to put away our phones during the second. This is because the first go-around allows for the eyes to adjust and see the glowworms better so the second go-around the glowworms are much brighter. The cave walk was also a nice add on for 20 NZD but if the tour with the cave walk is not available the regular boat ride is perfect on its own. I loved this tour as our tour guide took pictures for each group that wanted some with glowworms and also provided us with personal pictures of glowworms taken with a nicer camera with a longer shutter speed.

Oceane was an informative and friendly guide. We were able to see so many glow worms! It was like…read moreseeing the milky way! Ask her about Mama Mia if you like aquatic wildlife.

Before I moved to this part of Auckland, I found this to be a convenient spot to meet with Highland…read morePark locals. It's a cafe run by Asians (of course), and has some good food and coffee for you to enjoy. There are indeed some nice bamboo decorations about, and the cabinet is filled with delicious temptations. I've noticed people enjoy eavesdropping on your conversation here, perhaps from a lack of things to do. I guess I did have a few study dates here, and that intrigued people a bit too much! haha Aside from that, I really like this place. The staff are really friendly, and don't seem at all in a hurry to usher you out the door. (even though you know you've been there 3 hours and really ought to order something else!)

I'm not a major fan of Howick so don't really frequent it that often. So I don't really get to try…read moreout all it has to offer. Having said that the Bamboo Garden Cafe was quite nice when I went there recently. I'm a fan of asian cuisine so can be quite fussy when I try a new place (new for me) that serves it. Their blackboard was great for the many options on offer and on display in cabinet too. I didn't really like the set up though. It is a vast space so could be used in a number of ways. The way they have set up the restaurant makes it look like a sidenote - you know the kinds of restaurants that are attached to like a museum or something. It just wasn't to my liking, too much like a cafeteria for my taste. They did offer a lot of vegetarian options though which was great, and expected as with most asian restaurants. They also do take aways so that is a plus.

We are so lucky to have this amazing walkway in our neighbourhood! I'm actually a bit hesitant to…read morewrite a review for it, because it is pretty well hidden and is one of those 'local knowledge' specialities. The walkway across the water from the Meadowbank Train Station to the Orakei Train Station is a lovely easy walk (it's straight and flat, so good for kids), and follows the train line. Very handy for all the times that the trains are cancelled and you can walk to Orakei to get the rail bus. Both ends of this bridge link up with the Orakei Basin loop walk, that goes around the whole water area. It is a beautiful walk or run, and is mostly flat apart from some areas with very steep stairs.

Orakei Basin is a nice little area in Remuera to go for a walk. The council have recently given it…read morea revamp putting in a walk way across the water next to the train line. This connects it to Meadowbank and continues back through into Remuera via Lucerne Road area. This little walk way is great because it's hidden with a lot of bush making it a nice get away from the city. It is also an off-leash dog area and a water ski area all managed by the Auckland City Council. One thing to watch out for is that there are quite a few stairs along this track, not really making it ideal if you're planning on taking a push chair.

I always seem to forget about Tahuna Torea Reserve!…read more ...and then I remember that I forgot and promise myself not to let it slip from memory again. And then, of course, I forget about that promise. Which is why this review is so important: HEY SARAH THERE IS THIS SUPREMELY AWESOME RESERVE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO AGAIN. So yes, allow me to elaborate the reasons I am a fan of this little Reserve: 1. Sea views (see pic) 2. Bird life (they have a duck pond and a very large group of Pukeko's) 3. Option to run on gravel (bonus: it's flat) 4. Option to run along the beach (at low tide) 5. Interconnectedness to more parks/trails (i.e. Glendowie Park and then onto Churchill park, Glover park). Maybe that'll work? Ingrain.in.memory. :)

Tahuna Torea is a stunning reserve that I am lucky enough to live very close to. It is very well…read morelooked after by a group of park rangers, and the pathways are all very safe and easy to walk or run on. I wouldn't recommend biking through here, as there are a few sharp corners here and there and also quite a few steps, however it makes for a great shaded running loop which takes about 5-10 minutes to get around (depending which paths you take). There is also an option to head out to the spit when the tide is out, which allows you to get quite close to all the boats moored at Half Moon Bay. No dogs are allowed in this park, which allows the wildlife to flourish, such as the native New Zealand dotterel bird. The park is also right next to the Tamaki Estuary, which is a great beach for family picnics and swimming in the summer.

Perched on a gentle slope at the bottom of Norman's Hill Road in Onehunga, there's something almost…read moreeerie about this park but in a good way. You can sit here and look out at the Manukau Harbour and imagine it as it once was when the suburb was first settled. The view has changed a bit but the sense of peace here has not. It's just a tiny little patch of green but one of those places where if you just stop the car and hop out and sit for 10 minutes, you'll carry on through the rest of your day feeling refreshed. Maybe it's the briny scent on the air or maybe it's my childhood memories but this little reserve, more than most, just does it for me.

The reserve at the bottom of Roberta Avenue is one of my favourites to go running through - yes it…read moreis not THAT big, so running around it once would probably take 5 minutes at the most, but if you want a nice grassy open space to do a few laps of then this place is pretty ideal. The grass also makes it perfect for a casual game of soccer/ rugby/ cricket; which are all often games I see in action whenever I go down there. It is also an off leash area for your dog, making it the perfect place to throw a frisbee around for a bit with your beloved pooch. And if you have little ones then a visit to the playground is a must - although its old, it is still functional and evidently provides hours of fun to all of the local kids who play there.

Heaps of this walkway was recently repaved and widened, and now I reckon it's the perfect place for…read morewalking, cycling, and running. It's also a nice place to walk your dog (only on a lead though) and lots of people come here for the fishing too. There's a nice view of Mount Wellington, and if you can, come at sunset and enjoy a really special view of the sun sinking below the mountain over the water. There are lots of places where you can get down onto the track, and you can walk right around from the mangroves to the Pigeon Mountain track with the pukeko. The Pakuranga Sailing Club is also on this track, as well as some nifty free outdoor fitness equipment. The beach near the Sailing Club is nice for a paddle, and there's a cool giant snakes and ladders games for the kids.

Yes this is a great place to walk. I would like to correct the review here and say that dogs are…read moreallowed on or off leash on this rotary walk, and wish more people would accept this fact without becoming abusive to dog owners legally walking their controlee and well behaved animals here! There is a large and very well explained sign at the beginning of the walk which starts at the panmure bridge that is headed: NOTICE TO DOG OWNERS. It states very clearly that dogs may be walks her on or off leash under the owners control and I'm tired of people yelling rudely at me that my dog should be on a leash. She is a service and therapy dog and well behaved and under my control at all times. Please, people be aware of the rules! Share the walk with some good manners! Zoe M please see the sign and amend your post.