Jellicoe Park is one of those War Memorial parks that we have all over our country and as well as…read morereminding us of the lives lost at war, the monuments of the 1920s and 30s somehow define our national character. To me this park is Kiwiana at its prettiest. It's been around for more than 100 years and is now home to several historic buildings alongside its gorgeous entrance arch, fountain and flowerbeds. The Norfolk pines are majestic and I love coming here for the lighting of the Christmas Lights every year. The largest of the trees is festooned, the switch flicked and the atmosphere makes it my favourite of all Auckland's community events. There is something about the history of Onehunga and its strong Pacific population that sees the most diverse people come together for a night of family festivities that perfectly reflect this suburb's individuality. The Fencible Cottage and Blockhouse are open and the people of the 'Hunga feel the love. (If you don't know about the Fencibles, look it up - it's a fascinating and fairly obscure piece of Auckland history.) The buildings are occasionally opened up at other times by The Onehunga Historical Society and are well worth a look if you get the chance. Otherwise, just come play in the playground, relax and enjoy, it's a beautiful place.

This park is the oldest park in Onehunga but I feel like not that many people know about it, or if…read morethey do it just doesn't come to their minds when thinking about a nice trip out. But in fact if you dedicate an hour to this park you will find that you will have a really great time. It's a memorial park that was renamed in 1921 for the Governor General so you can get an idea of what it is like. It's like stepping back in time to the Victorian era with it's 100 year old pine trees, big old fountain, historic buildings and beautiful archways. The flat grassy areas are perfect for a picnic or to play a game of rugby with friends and family. Opposite the park are some beautiful old houses too which can make your day at Jellicoe even better if you come on the first and third Sunday of each month between 1.30 and 4pm as they are open to the public on those days.

Want somewhere that you can come and bring your baby who is crawling, your toddler who is starting…read moreto walk or for your toddler/kid who needs to burn off some energy then this is the place to come. They have special areas for the smaller ones and other more exciting areas for the bigger more adventurous kids - even looks exciting to me I wouldn't mind sliding down the big air slide. There are also dress up areas next to the pretend house that has a bedroom and kitchen. They also have a small carousel and little cars for them to zoom around in . I wouldn't recommend this place for under 10 months old, but anything from 10 months is fine. This place is also pretty special to me as its where my baby took her first unsupported steps after she had been walking around pushing a little baby stroller. For under 1 year olds is free, but all adults have to pay but you get a cold or hot drink so its all worth it. Theres also plenty of parking and great meet up point for a coffee group.

This is such a fun place for little kids! They can (and do) go absolutely crazy and wild, and…read moresprint around with sweat actually dripping from their hair (I'm not even kidding, you should bring a towel, it's really gross) - totally focused on having with with the element of danger (from all the climbing and obstacles and other kids also sprinting around crashing into each other). So if you just think about the fact the kids are having a great time, it's all ok. But if you look a bit closer... well actually it's best not to. My main issues are that it's a bit dirty, like for example the ball pit is full of sticky balls that pick up all the dirt from the ground, and then little kids suck on them. Plus there's the whole sweat factor. Some of the toys and activities are getting pretty old now and could do with replacing. Added to this is the food issue - the whole place reeks of deep fried food because you can have birthday parties there and you get huge trolleys of every kind of fried food there is. When it all come out of the kitchen at once, the stench is overwhelming. Also, you are not supposed to bring your own food, so it is not ideal for children with allergies. (they may have changed this policy, I'm not sure). Parents are charged an entry fee. But you get a free drink.

Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

I discovered this park one day when out walking. It is tucked away at the end of a no exit street…read more The playground has been recently updated and I think it is a pretty great park. Find a spot at a BBQ table or hang out on the grass, or if you want to get active run up and down the hill at the back of the park.. If you have children I'm sure they would love the new playground. How much fun do those two, bright greeen enclosed slides look?! (I'm yet to actually try them out). When I was at this park last, one family had iPhone in hand and were geocaching. So there might be something really awesome to find... or it might just be a box, who knows?!

What a great park with everything you need in one place. It has a secure childrens playground…read morewhich is fenced all the way around, access only via the 2 gates so very secure for the little ones. It has this great path all the way around the park with exercise activities you can do while you are walking or running around. You can also come here for sports acitivies, soccer, cricket, rugby etc. Also onsite is the Ellerslie YMCA which also has a child centre. On the otherside there is also the duck pond and wildlife reserve with lots of ducks and pukekos. Its a great park if you are in or near the area, and its one that I miss going to as I just to be just a hop and a skip away from it.

It's true this is a great park ! Big open kids play area ,…read morewith a small gate to keep them in . Ample parking and it looks like they're trying to sort the drainage issues on the sports field . No public toilet though .

This is a reasonable sized park for a neighbourhood park. It is situated between St Leonards Ave…read moreand Watling Ave (which both run off Mt Eden Road). There is rolling grass, a playground, and even a tree swing to discover, which is popular with the kids. The perfect park for children to be able to play hide and seek in or my favourite game from back in the day 'go home stay home'. I visited this park a few times during the summer to just lie out in the sun with a book - very relaxing! So if you haven't yet discovered this local park, how about visiting it on the next sunny day, because I think it is pretty great.

Inflatable World is an indoor playground made solely of brightly coloured inflatables such as the…read moreblown up mushrooms, horizontal bungy, boxing ring with foam poles, symmetrical bouncy castle and flytrap with velcro full-body suits. There are three sections with one designated area for the very little. Personal favourites were playful beating my friend up in the boxing ring, getting stuck on the velcro bounce wall and racing in the obstacle-bouncy castle to the final slide in the centre. Located behind the Caltex, careful where you park cause it's a busy area with lots of businesses congregated in that shared space. If you need it, they have some food on premises but you're allowed to bring your own though not into the inflatable areas. Bring your own socks and try stay for the full three hour session you get with entry, but it's a lot harder than you think cause you tire quickly. Also be careful not to hurt yourself because the inflatables are harder and have less bounce than you would think (particularly that backward bungy cord in the horizontal runs). You work up a sweat quite quickly so wear loose, comfortable gear, leaving extras like jewellery and watches at home. A great unintentional workout place, but more designed for the kids and families than young/adults

I only discovered this reserve while looking for parking. Mt Eden village has many cafes and food…read moreplaces, Mt Eden has a reputation for being a good cafe district. Quite often though, the more popular places will be cram packed with people, so if you wanted to get your food and go someplace a bit more quiet then this is a good spot. There are park benches and tables closer to the playground or you could sit on the grass. In a space closer to the parking lot there are a lot of benches surrounding a circular area. Whenever I have over 15 minutes to wait for a bus, I'll go and sit here. Especially on a sunny day this is a nice place to sit and relax.

Essex Reserve is a lovely wee park right in Mt Eden village but tucked behind so it's off the main…read moredrag. It has a good little playground, some nice big shady trees and a cool sculpture by Richard Wedekind called Bystanders. What I love most about this reserve is its community events; I've been to a Halloween event here that had witches with cauldrons, face painters, lucky dips for the kids and lots more. The annual Artists in Eden event is also held here (and in fact is coming up very shortly), which is a really great day out for the whole family as well as the chance to see well-known local artists create an entire work in just a few hours. To me Essex Reserve is an integral part of Mt Eden whether it's playing host to festivities or simply providing an oasis in the urban hubbub.

I met Amanda from The Vintage Table when I was sourcing vintage supplies for my wedding a while…read moreback. We've become firm friends and I am so happy to be able to give her a bit of promo for her amazing work which has been featured in magazines and at regular events around Auckland. Like me, her love of "nana chic" precedes the current craze and it's great that so many people now appreciate the vintage aesthethic and appreciate her beautiful stuff. The Vintage Table supply everything from glassware, china, antique birdcages, linens, cutlery and even the odd piece of furniture - all available to hire for your event. She also does High Tea, all-inclusive for a sophisticated way to celebrate a special occasion. Her collection is truly amazing and the service and pricing excellent (in fact, I reckon she could charge more!). I was like a kid in a lolly shop going through her things and deciding which bits I wanted to borrow - I would have taken all of it if I could but the favourite pieces I used were the glass bottles as vases and the tealight holders. Instant vintage glamour and perfect for my mismatched home-made-with-love wedding.

At Gloputt, everything glows in the dark! Your mini golf stick, the ball, the hole, the random…read moresynthetic trees and plants, as well as various water features and decorations. It's a great photo opportunity if you're wearing white, otherwise you can silhouette yourself in front of various neon objects. Much like most Mini Putt places, it has some really easy greens and some extremely difficult ones. I guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy it whether you are good at golf or not, as it's truly a unique experience. Take the whole family or some friends. It costs about the same as a movie ticket, which is a great deal! You'll remember it for ages to come.

Glow in the dark mini-golf!…read more Never knew it was here until a friend suggested we stop by on a birthday. So cool! So glad she came up with this idea. It's a combination of the dark with the awesome patterned tracks, glow in the dark golf clubs and golf balls that make this a winner. They have 16 holes to play with their own unique buildings, pathways and fairways in technicolour. Loved what they've done with the spaces particularly the hang down from the ceiling foliage at the start and the funky lights in the mirrored room. A lovely indoor activity that is highly memorable. Great for occasions as well.