Despite being a bit scared of dogs, Mt Eden Dog Park is one of my favourite places in Auckland…read more Situated halfway up the mountain, it has a brilliant view for you to enjoy while letting your dog (or in my case, my friend's dog) have a good run around. I've spent hours up there over the years, gossiping and catching up with my best friend. We often take milkshakes bought in Mt Eden Village up there with us, and it's a really nice way to spend a few hours in the afternoon. The park itself is big enough for your dog to have a good run and explore, while also offering a trough of water to keep them hydrated. Bonus: Every now and again couches magically appear in the dog park, and tucking up on them with a friend and yum drink is a great way to enjoy the amazing view.

I am not a dog lover or even an animal lover. Dogs scare me and for a reason. I have been chased…read moreand nearly bitten by dogs so it took a lot of strength for me to even go to the dog park. A friend of mine has a dog a cute dog called Million. She is the first dog I have ever patted and she is a bundle of joy. My friend and I took her for a walk and we ended up at dog park with other dogs. It was rather interesting watching the dogs interact with each other. The owners of the dogs all got along and talked about their dogs. I actually had a lovely time and I learnt something different.

I went there yesterday for the first time in years and loved it. There isn't many places where dogs…read morecan run around in a safe environment and it was nice not having to worry about people that are afraid of dogs. It was just a great, relaxed break in the day that me and my dog, Chonker, thoroughly enjoyed.

I only recently found this place. I was looking for a safe area where my boy Zuzu & I could get a…read morelittle exercise, away from cars & construction & danger. We found it. Zuzu has a ball in this place. The fences off area is amazing for a chap who doesn't normally get the chance to be free to explore without me tugging on his lead all the time. As an added bonus there are other dogs there too. Zuzu doesn't get much of a chance to socialise with other dogs, they are usually to busy or too far away. So having a relaxed environment where the pressure is off is great. Especially for Zuzu. The only downside is that you have to drive there. I say its a downside because Zuzu has a tendency to get car sick really easily. So if you're a lucky owner who's dog doesn't get sick, jump in your car & get there. After all..... There is no better sight than seeing your dog having a blast, wagging its tail & frolicking in the long grass.

Phyllis Reserve is situated at the end of Springleigh Road, a wee street tucked behind the Unitec…read morecampus in Mt Albert. This reserve serves a number of functions so is quite well known by Auckland locals. Phyllis Reserve is home to the Akarana Dog Training Club, a soccer club and fields and also a great walkway. It's the walkway in particular that I love about Phyllis Reserve. The path leads you down behind the soccer fields and takes you along the edge of a little stream that runs the length of the Unitec campus. It's a great place to take your dog for a walk, go for a run or powerwalk and gossip with friends on a Saturday morning. I actually used to go running there in the evenings by myself quite a lot until I was warned against it. Due to its location - being tucked out of sight and away from houses and passersby, it can be quite dangerous in Phyllis Reserve (and particularly on the walkway) if you are by yourself. So while I definitely recommend it as a place to enjoy some exercise, make sure you don't go alone or if you do that you go during the day time. Tip: The walkway takes you past a little waterfall that I think is pretty beautiful. There is even a clearing in front of it with a park bench all set up - this would be a great picnic spot on a sunny day!

This park is a regular of mine, I always turn to it in times of need. When I'm looking for…read moresomewhere fun to walk my dog? I come here because there is a large open field for her to run in, as well as forest type track walks for her to explore. When I'm looking for a natural location for photoshoots? I come here because it's local, it has great parking as well as looking untamed much like forests that you would find out of Auckland (just in a miniature scale). The reserve also offers barbecues, tables, a sportsfield with a cricket pitch, netball and tennis courts as well as half courts. As I said before, there is plenty of street parking which is free, so even if you aren't into sports, come here and have a barbie on their electric bbq's!

Windmill reserve is actually the shit. It's a good sized field, surrounded by big pine trees and a…read morebit of a track that you can walk along. It's great for exploring and I take photos back there sometime and pretend I've taken them somewhere out of the city in a secret location or something. Next to the field is a set of in Winter - netball courts, in Summer - tennis courts. All free to play on. Yeah, they're kind of concrete and shitty, but they're still cool and there's heaps of them so you're likely to find space if you want to have a game. The best. Full Disclosure: I live near here so I'm kind of biased.

Great place to walk a woof. Shame the water care are such c- units and remove pictures off then…read morewater tank aye. Stink water care stains

This place is Zuzu & myself's new favourite place to do. Great for the small, medium and bigger…read moredogs. It also caters for all different levels of fitness. I am hopelessly overweight & unfit & yet together we both manage to have a pant worthy walk. Best thing of all.... Everyone is very nice. I think you have to leave your preconceptions & prejudices at the gate, it just isn't tolerated there. The best time of day to go in the summer time is between 5 & 6. The heat of the sun is starting to diminish, plus there are more doggies to say hello to!

When my 6 year old nephew comes to stay with me, we spend a lot of time at this park! It's super…read moreclose to where I live and it has different play grounds to suit different ages, There is a "little kid's" playground with safe swings and slides that aren't so long or steep and there is also a "big kid's" playground that's quite separate. You have to climb up some stairs to get to it. I think the separation is quite good though because quite often the little kids can be a bit intimidated of the boisterous big kids. In this playground there is a huge slide going down the side of the hill which was great fun for my nephew and also a big flying fox. I would definitely recommend to parents or babysitters because there is space to park and it's not right on a busy road.

I used to be a Grey Lynn local up till a few years ago, and just recently popped back for a…read morefriend's son's birthday party in the park. I realize now that for a city park Grey Lynn is well rounded. It has a fantastic playground for the kids to play in, right next to an outdoor paddling, splash pool- which is free to use of course. There are lots of leafy green trees to shade the hot sun in the middle of the day; as well as a giant flying fox for the older kids to let loose on. This park is fab for running laps in, playing soccer, or basketball at, and taking the family dog out for a run and fetch. They even have a cool Skate Ramp to flip some boards on too. I have always enjoyed Grey Lynn Park and will continue to for many years to come.

Kick a ball around, see who can swing the highest at the playground, fry a few things on the…read morebarbeque (after thoroughly cleaning it of course!) or splash in the pool. (if it happens to be full - every time I've been here it's been empty. To the point that my American friends joked that's how Kiwi's like their pools) The Grey Lynn festival goes on here once a year, otherwise it's just a nice area to hang around in without travelling far away from the city. It's not so nice to be near at night though, so make sure the sun is shining and the weather is fine.

This is a tiny park that is quite close to where I live, it isn't much really, basically it is a…read moreconcrete foot path that leads through to a grassed area from an entrance on LittleJohn Street through to a basketball court and path that leads out onto Olsen Avenue. There is a small kids playground with a jungle gym, slides and swings just next to the kindergarten and the grassed area has many trees. It isn't so much a park as it is a large backyard. There are no park benches, no flowers, the playground is not much either. This is a good place to take kids, just for the playground. You can't really kick a ball around or anything because there are trees in the way. There is no field, you could not run here but if you need a place to take you dog for a walk or want to shoot some hoops and you're in the area then it might be worth your while.

Surprisingly underused little park in Ponsonby with a children's playground and dog friendly area…read more Nice view of the sky tower and a good place for an impromptu picnic if you are in the neighborhood.

I have given this reserve five stars for a few reasons, firstly because it is wonderful to find…read morethese pockets of nature so beautifully "put together" for urban and public use. This reserve is on the corner of busy New North Road and Burch Street in Mount Albert. It has gorgeous big trees, some are starting to turn orange when I visited today, a sign Autumn is fats approaching. They provide shade, beauty and ambience to the place. There are a few park benches but not many, use the grass is you miss out! It is not a very big reserve and probably not the type you would bring a large group of people; and even though it is not an overly private spot, you can still immerse yourselves towards the centre and forget about the outside world for a few moments. There is also a statue by a local artist that may hold some interest.