Until high-school I'd never really had much to do with Craigavon Park. Located on the outskirts of…read moreBlockhouse Bay it's a little further west than I'd ever had reason to venture, but throughout my high-school years cross country runs, fun-runs and various other fundraisers were held at this park. Home to a pretty decent playground, BBQs, a scenic walk and even a skate park - Craigavon Park has activities and events that cater to the whole family. Pack a picnic, the Frisbee, backyard cricket set and your dog - and enjoy the day at one of west Auckland's most popular parks. Bonus: Craigavon Park played host to the Hippie festival late last year. It was such a great day. Travelling painted vans, palm readings, eclectic knick-knacks, decorated lightbulbs, handcrafted wooden toys, and delicious food - the festival was absolutely brilliant and if it ever comes back to Craigavon Park, make sure you don't miss it!

I love this little park located in the heart of Remuera. It has to be one of the more fun…read moreplaygrounds in the area. With a swing set, a big climbing frame, slides, a flying fox and a skate board bowl, there is something here to entertain all the kids while you could be walking the dog (on leash only). Upland Road playground also has a lot of greenery for you to sit down on and set up a picnic for lunch or those summer evenings. Located incredibly close to Benson Road dairy, it's only a short hop and skip away to get an ice block, ending a perfect fun filled afternoon at the playground. I have grown up coming to this playground and have taken my siblings here a number of times. It's always a favourite; you just can't go past the awesome flying fox!

This is a super cool park for kids! There's a playground with actually nice and maintained play…read morethings and swings, slides, all that sort of thing - appeals to young babies up to older children. Plenty of seating for parents while the kids play. There is also a big flying fox, and a skate park for the bigger kids. To one side is a cliff that kids can climb up and have a little picnic at the top. We have had several birthday parties here. And heaps of grassy playing area! HEAPS! But note - if you are allergic to grass, this is the grass that will make you come out in a rash. Parking is on the road.

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.

Waiatarua Reserve is a wetlands dog exercising park located in Meadowbank (close to the Remuera…read moreGolf Course). Perfect if you have a dog that needs to have a good run around and interact with others. There are a number of ponds around the reserve, perfect for your pooch to jump into and have a splash about. Dogs are not allowed in the wetlands area, but there you can be sure to find Pukekos hiding in between the reeds. On the skirts of the reserve is a half basketball court and a stake board park, perfect entertainment for the kids while you take the dog for a run. This has to be my favourite dog park located in the suburban area, definitely one to check out if you have an active dog that needs to let off some steam. There is a car park and plenty of parking available on street. The car park is security locked at 9:30pm daylight savings time and 8:30pm in the winter.

The Waiatarua Reserve is no secret to any dog-owner. The good part about this though is that the…read moreReserve is so large that even if it is quite busy there is still ample room for every pup and pooch to roam free, to sniff til their heart's content, and to play fetch like a maniac. There are several access points so parking is never a problem and the Reserve's users are generally very responsible it cleaning up after their dog's. It is a really excellent place for all dogs to brush up on their social skills and to have a doggie date with friends. The walking trail is pram friendly for all keen families. There are a few things to be weary of: 1) There is a pond which can be great for dogs take a swim. However, the water quality is notoriously dubious (with reports of dogs getting sick) and there can be a strong undercurrent after a big downpour. In fact, my pooch Tilly had a near drowning their last winter. 2) The reserve is not fully contained, so there are parts where a very driven dog could go on a walkabout into someone's yard if the pooch doesn't have good recall. 3) There are quite a few giant muddy puddles that every dogs insists on submerging themselves in. If you aren't prepared to give your dog a bath immediately afterward, plan accordingly. Likewise, if it is rainy bring your gumboots.

After a good carwash and two coats of wax, I took my nephew to the Albany Skate Park, as a reward…read morefor his help. Now, I promised him that my boarding days are over, and to tell the truth, never really started. But he is a master on a board, and can make Tony Hawke look like a beginner. Word of advice for parents; don't ever get your son a skateboard. It will either kill them, or you if you decide to watch. What these boys do on ramps with a flat piece of wood and four rubber wheels is nothing short of certifiable. My knees hurt just by looking at them. Next time I'm taking my car to the carwash, it is more expensive, but kinder to my heart.

Only recently finished, Albany skatepark sits just back from the main Oteha Valley Road thorough…read morefare opposite Mitre10 Mega and only minutes away from Westfield Albany and Albany Park and Ride. Its pretty polished-looking with a smooth concrete finish and its a decent size too. Theres plenty of rails, ledges, ramps, humps, and bowls to skate on. This park caters for all age and skill levels so its perfect to bring the kids for the day. Plenty of parking in front and a decent playground and toilets to keep everyone else happy, and if thats not enough then just pop up to the largest mall on the Shore!

Even though this skate park is kind of crappy, it does have a few good things going for it. For one…read moreit has a very cool mini half-pipe made out of aluminium, making it super smooth and great for beginners. This skate park is also in a nice secluded location, which means that there's barely ever anyone there; most of the time we have had the park to ourselves. It is right beside the water too which makes for some sweet background scenery, and if you get too hot you can always run down for a refreshing swim. A couple of downsides are that the secluded location of this park means that it is a fair drive from most places around Auckland. Also, the concrete part of the skate park is pretty lame to be honest, with only a few obstacles to jump and grind; a skilled skater won't be very impressed.

I have driven past this park so many times in the past couple of years and never ever ventured in,…read morefor the reason that it's not in my hood. So I was really happy to have the opportunity to attend a Free Music in Parks concert sponsored by Auckland City Council. Nixon Park may be more famously known for its Skate park or the two half courts to shoot some baskets. My experience of the park was when it transformed into a community of music and a sea of people, young and old, to enjoy free music and a free space to relax upon. Fantastic trees on the west side of the park, which provide shelter from the sun when it is at its most powerful comes in handy when you don't have sunscreen, are with little kiddies, or just need some time out from the rays. In this little oasis of trees you will also find a really cool tree swing that glides out for some free play time. The kids playground is small, but really good for the fifteen month to six year old, they have a few slides, see saws, and swings, not as modernized as of yet, but I'm sure it won't be long till they revamp this kids play area. Always enjoy a good Auckland park, and this was a great find.

Most kids rate Nixon Park for its skate area or the little playground. Mine rate it because of a…read moredodgy old rope swing up the hill at the back, hidden in the trees. Injuries have been sustained and I doubt it is remotely OSH approved but, just like back in the day, the home-made rope swing kicks the arse of those PC playgrounds. I don't know who put it there but I am glad that no one has (yet) had it pulled down due to misplaced (and misappropriated - if you don't like it don't let your kids play on it) safety concerns. True they have to be a bit careful about hitting the ground when they swing back but that's all part of the fun. And yes, that loop could be dangerous and yes, my son has got his leg caught in it and scraped the bejesus out of his torso (if a mishap is at all remotely possible, it will happen to him). But they LOVE it and I can totally see why. Just keep an eye on them - I'm constantly surprised at how many parents feel supervision is unnecessary (in all kinds of situations!). Nixon Park is also pretty cool for family and music events with its big flat field and the Kingsland Karnivale that took place last weekend was a lot of fun for everyone - with some particularly good shopping. And I do always love to see the carefree Titirangi dancing come and visit the central suburbs.

I had a chance to explore the Te Atatu Peninsula Township on my recent visit to see a good friend,…read moreand I had to check out the local kids playground to give it my okay. Located on Pringle road, off the main strip of the town, in Jack Pringle Park is a very neat play area for the kids. My toddler really enjoyed the blue boat that you can sit in, and play drive, and also the rocking dolphin as well. I was able to shelter a bit from the hot sweltering heat under the beautiful shady trees at the playground, and I could see lots of families having a picnic on the tables nearby. A couple 100 metres away is the skate park for the older kids, and lots of space to stretch out on the lawns and read a book, or have a snooze. I agree this is a great park for the area.

This is a tiny little park next to the library in Te Atatu Peninsula Village. It's next to the…read moreroundabout on the main road, so even though the traffic comes by pretty slowly through the village there are always heaps and heaps of cars so keep a good eye on your kids or your dog. There's a playground here for kids to play on, it's not very big though but there's usually hardly anyone here anyway. They've got some public toilets that are those good ones where you can electronically lock the doors so it's very private and you don't have to worry about getting walked in on. There's parking around the back with quite a few parks available, and with the village right there, there are heaps of food options too.

This very random skate park sits on the side of a busy main road. It's nothing totally fancy but it…read moresure is good enough to have a bit of fun on. From my point of view (I'm a very average skater) it looks like there's something to please every skater. There's nice friendly looking slopes for people like me and some rails and jumps for the real shredders. There's even this pole thing sticking out of the ground - who the hell knows what you're supposed to do on that... but it looks pretty hard core. The best thing I'd say about this one is that it's usually pretty empty. Most of the time I drive past there might be one or two people riding up and down but there's never a huge amount of people. If you're a local or are driving by with your board in the back of the car I'm sure it would be worth stopping in for a little jam and checking it out. Would beat riding up and down your road over and over again I'm sure.

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