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

Having decided to try visiting this bird sanctuary on a lark (thanks folks, I'll be here all…read morenight), I was impressed enough with it. One visits by boat either from downtown Auckland (which I imagine is a scenic ride) or from a more remote peninsula near the island where the boat stops just before reaching it (which is nice if you want somewhere free to park for the day). The boat ride is most of the cost; for a small additional fee you get a guided tour lead by one of a remarkably large number of local volunteers. Why not? The guide leads you through the middle of the island with some narration, before finishing at a lighthouse and leaving you the second half of the day to roam alone. There weren't that many visible birds during New Zealand "winter"; you'd here more than you see. The island was once a farm before being purposefully replanted as a forest. Things grow fast here; it looks quite wild. Up to the point of reaching the light house, I'd probably have written a four star review. However, they buried the lead. Exploring alone yielded vast panoramic views of the entire region. The island is centrally located between the city and a variety of other islands. New Zealand's indigenous people are of Polynesian descent, and while you walk around here you might confuse the volcanic landscapes, abundant greenery, and clear turquoise water for a more archetypically Polynesian vacation spot. There are a few swimmable spots. It is a big enough island that there were significant areas of track that I did not see even after hustling around the coastline. Always leave 'em wanting more, the saying goes. If I had occasion to, I wouldn't mine going again, which having paid $60 to see an island that had no trees at the time I was born is something. Tips: *There were a ton of local schoolkids, but the guides kindly separated out kids and adults for the tour, and once you're off the boat, it really isn't an issue. *Adults get free tea and coffee at the end of the tour, but no food. There is literally nothing even to buy. Bring decent food. *A truck loads any bags you might want to leave at the wharf, and carries them to the lighthouse and back, meaning you do not need to carry what you bring while walking the island. *They are very concerned about biosecurity, so wear clean shoes and bring only closed, zippable bags. *Apparently the name means that it's a really windy island. Which it really is. Be ready for wild temperature differences based on wind and shade.

Seriously one of Auckland's greatest outdoor treasures. This pest-free island is a magical place…read morethat harkens back to the days before massive deforestation for farming, hunting, and introduction of pests shrank the population of New Zealand's birds. The bird songs you'll hear here are incredible! Amazing work has been done to reforest native plants and trees, and reintroduce rare birds on this island. You can see hihi (stitchbirds), saddlebacks, kakariki (red crowned parakeets), bellbirds, north island robin, heaps and heaps of tui, wood pigeon, little blue penguins, kokako (if you're lucky) and of course, my favorite - the takahē (a population of less than 300 exist in the world, and this is one of the few places you can see them in the wild - plus BABIES!) So worth paying the $70 to take the ferry out there. Pack your lunch and your sunscreen, bring your swimsuit and good hiking shoes, and get ready for an amazing day. The extra $5 for the guided tour is worth doing at least once. The guides are very knowledgable and will point out the birds and interesting plants and give you a history of the island. However, when we went the second time without the group, we saw heaps more birds, I think as we were separate from many of the larger (noisier) groups. I'm dying to stay overnight at the DOC hut and try to spot a kiwi! The huts are booked well in advance so you're gonna have to troll the website for an opening. Also be sure to book your trip well in advance as the ferry can book up during peak season, and you don't want to miss out!!

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.

Just had a bite at Catalina and need to walk the dog so I meandered over through the park and to…read morethe playground. What a great space with its cool climbing structures that look like pieces of sculpture art and are loads of fun for the kids to play on. This will be an anchor in the new community that is going to include hundreds of new houses and schools. The playground is surrounded by native plantings and wide open spaces with shady trees. This playground and surrounding park will form part of a coastal walk and cycleway.

Marlborough Park in Glenfield has a little bit of everything for everyone. I love visiting for the…read moreplayground as it has a section of low tunnels and abacus balls for my preschooler to enjoy playing with; also swings and slides that suit the little and big kid. Not only are the children catered for, there is a basketball court, a skate bowl, a climbing frame, and even a flying fox. If your jogging in the area, why not pop in and work out on the free adult gym equipment? Fantastic park for a picnic on a warm sunny day, and with lots of trees is just really pretty to look at. Please don't miss the peace of Marlborough Park.

Tui Park is one of my new local parks, its a great park with the standard playing areas with swings…read moreand slides. It also has this cool big climbing net and even the fathers can get up there with their kids, I think its best for around 5 plus, its a bit big for the littler ones. It features a neat skateboard/scooter area which the kids love. It also has a big grass area to run around and play a bit of sport, cricket, softball etc. There is also access down to the beach from the park via a small bush walk. I have also been to a number of the Summer fun days in the park here which are really good. Also possibly in the future the Beach Haven Plunket may move to this park.

I'm a fan of green spaces in cities, and this is a beautiful one. For a free activity exploring…read moreoutside, this is a must visit. There are walking paths directly off of the Auckland Zoo parking lot and entrance, so it's easy to visit the park at the same time. There are both open and forested spaces here, with meandering paths around the central lake. The main draw for me here was the birds, with endangered moorhens, plus swans, geese, and songbirds. Most are docile enough to get great up-close photos. I was there on a mostly cloudy day, but it was still a worthwhile place to explore. There are also many trees and flowers here, I'm sure in the springtime it's more colorful. There are picnic tables and benches everywhere, so it'd be a great place to relax away from the bustle of the city. Getting here by public transportation is easy with a train stop nearby. If you're visiting Auckland and looking for something free and natural to do, you could easily spend a few hours here.

The coolest of all parks in Auckland, in my opinion!…read more A lot of water, black swans, geese, and all other animals all around. Nice place to spend with kids.

One of the best parks around in a busy residential area. I've been living in this area for nearly 8…read moreyears (or more can't even remember now!) and they just keep improving this park for the better. They have developed this awesome bike track for kids, complete with ramps and bridges and round about with stop signs (to teach them early about driving haha) and from the looks of it, all the kids in the neighbourhood LOVE it. I have tried skateboarding on this track and it's definitely harder so stick to scooters and bikes. The "big kids" playground is so EPIC with flying foxes (can never get too old for this but can be too tall as my bottom and legs will graze the bark), miniature climbing wall, tall tunnel slide, bridges, monkey bars oh my gosh you name it. Don't fret! There's a miniature playground for the little ones that's more safe and to a smaller scale and and really cool swings (for babies, toddlers or the big kids like myself! ) For the adults or the more adventurous kiddies there's a forestry/bush walk that really cool to have in a residential jungle. And they've cleaned it up, made better, stronger and wider walking paths. There's a big field for soccer, lacrosse, rugby etc and biggish public toilets next to it. A big pond with water coming in from the harbour and ducks (sometimes cute little ducklings) swimming lounging around and sometimes people race their remote boats in it too! There's a public BBQ by the miniature playground and also on weekends there's a coffee and ice cream truck on standby! There's just so much going on in this park that you can never get bored and probably never want to leave until someone has to drag you out hahaha

Silde fast. Fields big. Pump track long good. Swings good. Coming back tomorrow. Flying fox more…read morelike zooming fox.

I love taking my son to Preschool Play at our local parks on the shore…read more The Kapatiki Local Board and Community Trust has a free of charge morning of play for the preschool age child, and they bring a whole bunch of toys and games for the little one to spend a few hours having lots of fun with other local children. My coffee group from maternity class usually make this our spot to meet once a week when the weather is fine, and Its been such a glorious summer/fall that we have had lots of fun at numerous parks around the north shore. If you have a child aged anywhere between 10 months and three years I would say that they would be thrilled to bits with Preschool Play. A great chance for my child to interact with other people and their kids, and he always has a blast. I will miss Preschool Play through the winter, but can't wait to get back into it later this summer.