Alberton was definitely in the running when I was choosing a wedding venue as it is just so…read morebeautiful. It's one of those places that is constantly used for fashion, film and even music video shoots because its historic character is so well preserved. It is grand, old and beautiful but there are some rules and regulations that apply to keeping it that way so keep that in mind if you are thinking of using it for an event. The great thing is that it's open to the public so all you have to do is wander on in and explore all its nooks and crannies at your leisure. You will have to pay for the pleasure but that's as it should be in order to keep preserve places like this for future generations. The grounds are stunning as well and a visit here can take you back in time for some romantic day-dreaming. Great for kids too - history is so much more interesting when it's tangible.

Auckland's got a bad track record of hanging on to our historic buildings. Noteworthy architecture?…read moreImportant cultural heritage? Nah, let's tear it down and put up a featureless grey box full of leaky apartments. Sigh. At least we've got it right here though. Alberton House is from the mid 1800s, and it's a pretty neat place. It's a good venue for events (I was here for a wedding), but even without that it's cool just to have a wander around looking at the building itself, with its rabbit-warren servants' quarters and wooden everything. Also if you go upstairs (I say stairs, it's more like a ladder built for elves), they've got a few rooms set up with period furniture, and some of the creepiest dolls I've seen in a long time. This place is worth a visit, especially if the weather is good.

Beautiful views from the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park at Bastion Point…read more Take the Explorer Bus to stop #8 and enjoy the park. The bus comes about every 30 minutes. The memorial has a sunken reflecting pool, a huge obelisk and the most beautiful surrounding garden. Climb up and down the steps to get a better view. Walk through the park to get a better view overlooking the harbor. What a difference a day makes. Monday was blue skies and so sunny as compared to the intermittent thunderstorms and overcast skies the day before. A nice way to enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon in Auckland.

Michael Savage is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike in central Auckland. From…read morehere you have spectacular views of Auckland city; I've seen several sunsets here and I'm never tired of them. You're also able to visit the memorial of the park's namesake, Michael Joseph Savage, who founded the Welfare State and was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. The monument is such a great piece of New Zealand history and is surrounded by a pond and beautiful gardens you can walk through. The parking spaces fill up quickly here but there's more than enough room for everyone, whether you're exercising, having a picnic or going for a leisurely stroll. The rolling grass areas are huge and give you a great view no matter where you are. If you aren't travelling by car, there's pedestrian access on the west end of Mission Bay. If you forget to bring dessert with you, there's almost always an ice cream truck there in the afternoon. My partner and I make frequent visits here usually after lunch dates on Tamaki Drive, as its a great place to digest, chill out and appreciate this great piece of our city. Wedding parties are also a common sight and its no surprise considering the beautiful backdrop the memorial offers. You're sure to see tourists by the busload every hour here, viewing the scenery and taking snaps galore. Its nice to know that visitors get to see this place, as it really is an Auckland marvel through and through.

I was wandering around Blockhouse Bay the other day when, for the first time in my life, I saw that…read morethe Armanasco House was open. This is quite the rarity apparently, with the Blockhouse Bay Historical Society being the keyholders and guardsmen of this historical landmark. So I went in and checked out the exhibition they had on - a selection of historical photos of Blockhouse Bay. Under the eagle eyed supervision of a lady who reminded me a little too much of the exorcist in "The Poltergeist," I checked out the old photos - but my attention wasn't held for too long . For out the back window stood the prime attraction of the house - the dunny. An old longdrop that has been preserved all these years. There is something poetic about the preservation of a toilet - I'm not sure if I can put it into words, but if that dunny could speak, it would definitely have some stories to tell. Armanasco house is worth a look if you are in the area and it's open - but it is also available for viewing by appointment.

Bean bags are the best, everyone knows this. So when you cross this with downtown Auckland's only…read morepublic green space its makes for a pretty awesome combo. Informally known 'Takutai Lawn' in the newly updated trendy Britomart Precinct is a favourite lunch time spot among the corporates in the area. I'ts become a pretty common sight to see suits with their cut lunches pull up a pew (or beanbags in this case) and soak up the summer sunshine in their breaks, from time to time impromptu meetings are even held out there if the heat gets too much. Takutai square is a pretty happening place, theres always something going on, especially in the summertime. There's been music gigs held there, every Saturday it holds the City Farmers Market on adjoining Gore Street (one of my local haunts) and a popular addition too has been the open air film screenings.

This slab of greenery outside the Atrium on Takutai attracts a mix of people who lay on scattered…read morered bean bags or sprawl across the lawn from tourists to corporates escaping their cubicles at lunch time. If you don't want the grass stains there are benches closer to Tyler Street. On Saturday mornings the lawn is filled with market goers who have come down to the Farmers markets on Gore Street and will be enjoying their breakfast or brunch. Britomart also holds concerts and other events here so it is worth keeping an eye out on the Britomart website to see what is happening down on the green.

This suburb in itself needs a special mention - it doesn't have cool volcanoes, it doesn't have a…read morehip reputation (more infamous so it seems), nor does it have lines of cool cafes, restaurants and/or shops, but it does have some really large huntsman/Avondale spider sculptures! Cool it it's own creepy way! Plus I vote that it is on the turnaround; it is a great location geographically, the link between out West and the inner city, it doesn't come with the same commercialised build up of suburban New Lynn nearby and, well, it has character! Plus, the amount of $2 stores could actually be a record breaker me thinks. Last count was thirteen of them. I have given Avondale four stars, for potential and quirkiness.

I unfortunately have point out Avondale as a suburb for different reasons than the previous review…read more Avondale is one of those "on the way" suburbs, planted in the middle of where you are coming from and where you want to get to. One, it's on the way to the motorway if you're coming from out west and need to get to the city. It feels like you have to wind your way through the busy streets for five days before you even see an on ramp. There aren't really any good shops to stop for, and the whole village needs to be done up or smashed down so they can start over. I went to school in Avondale so I guess I don't have good memory of the suburb, because all the houses were gross, all the people walking around were gross, the train station and bus stops were gross. There were no good places to eat, no cafes for coffee. I just really don't see why people would come to Avondale, unless they had to. Sorry.

This hall is at least as old as I am if not older. I remember it as part of my community fabric…read morethroughout the years as it plays host to a huge variety of functions and events. I've been to 21sts here, 50th wedding anniversaries, 5 year old birthday parties and engagement parties. There is a basic kitchen with everything you need for catering, trestle tables tucked under the stage if you want a seated occasion, a stage for performing events, and best of all the place has a great, relaxed vibe. I coordinated a children's fashion show here as a fundraiser for the kindergarten years ago and it was a roaring success. The local film club host their art house cinema showings here, usually on a chilly winter's night so you get to sip mulled wine while you rug up and wait for the heaters to kick in. The weekend craft markets are held in the hall, spilling out into the carpark. There are endless uses for a great community hall like this and glad to have it in my patch.

Loved visiting this beautiful Wintergarden in Auckland Domain…read more Wintergardens are conservatories or glasshouses that were built to enjoy flowers in the winter. They were very popular stating in the early 1900s. The Auckland Domain Wintergarden was built a century ago. It has two glasshouses that contain the most beautiful flowers, a sunken Fernery and a courtyard with a pond and sculptures. Loved the glasshouse filled with so many colorful flowers. Giant hibiscus. Sunflowers. Gladiolas. Foxgloves. Begonias. The Fernery is so interesting. Loved walking into the sunken quarry and looking at all of the native ferns. The wooden statues which represent bird native to New Zealand were a nice touch. The Wintergarden is free. Located in the Auckland Domain, it is a nice place to stop and enjoy the flowers and history.

One of the highlights of my trip to Auckland was visiting the Wintergardens. It was an especially…read morecold and gray day when I set out to explore Auckland Domain, so by the time I got here I was thankful to be heading inside. The gardens are two main greenhouses: one very warm, the other more temperate. In between the two is a fountain and pool, outdoor plants, and at the back is the entry to the fernery (a word I didn't know existed but now I want one for myself). The building on the right of the entrance is the warm one, which keeps the doors closed. Inside are many warmer weather plans including orchids, lotus, ferns, and tropical flowers. The building on the left is more temperate and has flowers galore; so many colors it's hard to know what to see first. The fernery is an amazing place - dark, damp, and quiet; you can either walk around the ring path at the top or go down the stairs to the bottom to look up. There are statues of various New Zealand birds around to show you what their silhouettes would look like if you came across them in the wild. You can't be aware how varied ferns are until coming here. This is an amazing free activity to do on your visit to Auckland, plus lots more nearby. You can easily spend a day in Auckland Domain. There were a few groups of retired people and school groups as well, worthwhile for any age.

Ferries run every :10 and it's a :15 ride for $12. We walked through the wharf and easily found…read morethe bus stop wait. This beautiful island feels more like. Cape Cod than Auckland. There is a very laid back relaxing vibe here, it feels like we are a world away from the bustling city of Auckland. We easily spent 6 hours here & could have stayed longer. Victoria Road is where the shops and restaurants are located . The architecture is Edwardian and Victorian, but I didn't think it looked particularly special. I found some locally made artistic greeting cards & enjoyed the charming gift shops. We stopping for dinner at the Patriot. There are 4 pristine beaches on Davenport. There are a local and also Torpedo Bay Navy Museums here. There are many charming shops, cafés, restaurants and friendly people.

We stayed in Devonport on the beach. It's a charming beach city, but it wasn't as cute as I…read moreexpected. It was not on my favorites list. We ate at several of the restaurants. All were good enough, but nothing was amazing. Mount Vic was the highlight of our stay here. This is definitely worth the lovely walk up.