This is one of the most beautiful green spaces I've ever seen in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed…read morewandering through the grounds of the domain. Especially the greenhouses. I wanted to stay in those spaces, smell all the flowers, touch all the plants, and pick some of the very ripe fruits and vegetables. I admit to smelling some flowers and touching a few plants, but no fruits or veggies were at risk. Highly recommend the Auckland Domain if you are in Auckland. It's free, beautiful, and walking it is great exercise. It's made of win.

Green lawns, ball fields, gazebos with live music, clean public restrooms, unique trees & shrubs,…read moreendless trails with lots of benches & a very nice day. I loved the trees, I expected to see a Hobbit crawl out. We were walking to the museum & then back to our hotel. We passed pristine rolling hills, a bowling center, tennis center, Olympic aquatic center .... Many were biking, walking, jogging and enjoying the green space. There is a botanic garden near the museum.

In the central Auckland suburbs there's really only a choice of two football clubs and Three Kings…read moreUnited is probably the biggest. When your kid decides they want to play soccer it's a whole new world and although this is our second year I still found registration a bit of a nightmare. Still, once you're in the club and assigned a team it can really take over your Winter. The club allocates teams, organises games, tournaments, fundraising and all other manner of administration that no doubt goes into running an organisation as large as this. It's also primarily volunteers who make things happen and once you've gotten used to the early starts it's a lovely community to be a part of.

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.

My daughter has been attending TriStar Gymnastics since Term 3 of last year. Helpfully they offered…read morea "try before you buy" session for free which is exactly what you need for these kinds of post school activities - there's nothing worse than committing to a whole term of something that just isn't what you thought it would be. There's really only a choice of two big gymnastics clubs in the central Auckland area and TriStar is based out of a massive purpose-built gymnasium next to Cameron Pool in Mt Roskill. Strangely enough there's not a lot of signage so if you see the big building with the red windows, you are in the right place. Once we decided to go ahead and join, there was an Enrolment Form to fill out and obviously fees to pay. My daughter is in the Incentive class which costs $155 per term (or $140 with prompt payment discount) for a one hour class each week. There's a huge range of classes on offer for every age group and when we were in the investigation stages, the information on the website, while comprehensive, was a bit confusing. I suggest a phone call for clarification as to which class is most suitable and to let them know when you'll be visiting. Also you won't find the fees on the site until you open the Enrolment Form. Our experience here has been great with the teachers being immediately welcoming and putting my daughter at ease (particularly the exotically monikered Flaminio!). There have been a few hiccups with the accounting side of things but I suppose this is to be expected given the number of people who attend the club. There is a small waiting area for parents with a window so you can watch your kids if you want to. The only real beef I have is that communication is not great but again, this is a function of the fact that there is only an hour and therefore it makes sense not to waste time chit chatting to the parents. I don't think parents are actively discouraged from being inside the gym but I would suggest rather than bothering your child's instructor who has a class to teach, take any questions you might have to the front desk as there is usually someone there who can help you. We are at the point now where my daughter is ready for the next level but this has not been addressed by her teachers so we'll bring it up with them and see where we go from here.... overall I think choosing between this club and the YMCA gymnastics programme comes down to what is most convenient for you and your family. I actually took my children to the YMCA's pre-school programme when they were little and that was a very positive experience so go with what works for you.

This year I was proud to take part in the 11th Annual Coastal Challenge. The start of the challenge…read morestarted as far north as Arkles Bay in Whagaparoa 33 km from the finish line of Windsor Reserve in Devonport. I however did not do the full monty option as they call it, and instead opted for a more achievable distance for a first time challenge; the 6km run/walk from Hauraki corner of Takapuna beach to Devonport. I was very pleased with the course, I joined hundreds of the people race towards the finish and it was a thrill and success to take part in such a worthy cause, the charity partner Hospice North Shore, use all money raised from the coastal challenge to support the community palliative care team. The challenge is also divided into age categories : under 20, 20-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 plus. The events to choose from we're 6km,11km,17km, 22km, and 33km. You can either run or walk. The course included racing along the beach, climbing along rocks and occasionally getting a bit wet, but nothing over the knee. I know that the larger distances definitely include some water time. Views were just sensational along the way of Rangitoto, and all the beautiful beaches from Takapuna to Narrowneck. I look forward to challenging my distance next year with a few more km's.

The best thing about watching the Olympics is discovering how truly badass some sports can be,…read moreespecially when they are shown in slow motion. Table Tennis was the one that really grabbed me during the Beijing Olympics, watching the massive variance in body shapes as they played out some jaw dropping games. After playing for a while in my friends garage, we decided to venture out to the open tournament night that is run at the Auckland Table Tennis Association on Wednesdays. It costs 7 dollars to enter, and is run very well. It runs on a ladder system, where you play to 21 points, whoever wins moves one table up. Unfortunately, despite all the practice I had put in, I was completely dominated, with the final humiliation coming at the hands of a 13 year old with "learning disabilities." The stadium is also open for individuals, with table and bat hire available at 15 dollars an hour. The facilities are basic, but the space itself does what it is set up to - provide an arena for table tennis.

Played netball here for years…read more It is a great place to play social sports. My low rating is due to the facilities. They are a sports venue and don't even have a drinking fountain. You used to be able to fill up your water bottle from an outdoor tap, the handle on this tap has since been removed. For a place to play sports not to have a place to full up your drink bottles aside from the warm toilet taps is just not good enough.

St Lukes Indoor Sports has great facilities, good prices, and a fun and engaging atmosphere. With…read moreyear-round schedules set up to host indoor cricket, netball, soccer and dodgeball you can be sure to find a home for your team. The place is owned and run by a great guy called Matt who lives out his passion for indoor sports by playing in a number of teams throughout the year. All games are umpired/refereed by his staff who are usually around to have a beer and a laugh with after the games. The renovated warehouse holds 3 astro-turf courts which are marked out for cricket, soccer and netball and are sectioned off with floor-to-ceiling nets. There is a fully licenced bar (which sells beer and RTD's at pretty reasonable prices) and a lounge with couches and SKY TV. Plenty of parking out the front and just 10 minutes from the CBD. Their catch phrase says it all really "The most fun indoors....with your clothes on" !

Thanks to our New Zealand friends (Geoffrey and Margaret), whom we met the year before during our…read morecruise through Southeast Asia, for planning a day of fun, exercise, and good eats in Auckland. We started with a hike up Mount Eden (Maungawhau), a dormant volcano and the highest natural point in Auckland, offering panoramic views of the city from its summit. As we hiked uphill along pathways and boardwalks to the summit, our friends explained that Mount Eden is a culturally significant Māori site, pointing out its historical Māori pā (fortified village) terraces and its sacred 160-ft-deep crater. It took us about 18 minutes to hike up from the parking lot to the summit while following the pathway to the boardwalks. The uphill hike was relatively easy with an elevation gain of nearly 240 feet, and I was sure glad that my osteoarthritic knee wasn't "acting up." We prepared for this hike by taking physically challenging shore excursions and actively exercising pre- and during our cruise. After all, we didn't want to reach the summit wheezing and out of breath, because we truly wanted to enjoy the panoramic views and take in the cultural and historical background from our younger friends. It was very windy atop and along the summit boardwalks, and I had to either hold on or lean into the handrails, otherwise be blown about like tumbleweed. At the summit, we were treated to a 360° panoramic view of Auckland city, its nearby neighborhoods, the iconic Sky Tower, Auckland Harbor Bridge, Rangitoto Island, and a glimpse of the South towards the Auckland Airport. Instead of returning to our vehicle the same way we had climbed up, our friends guided us downhill on a less steep, paved private roadway. Our round-trip hike took about an hour, and it was a beautiful day to spend with friends, enjoying iconic sights and learning about Māori history and culture.

At 196 meters high, Mount Eden, a dormant volcano, is the highest natural point in Auckland. It…read morewas named in honour of George Eden, the 1st Earl of Auckland (a white guy), by Governor William Hobson (another white guy). In the Māori language, Mount Eden is called Maungawhau, which means "mountain of the whau tree". At the top of Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a large, grassy crater 50 meters deep which is sacred to the Māori and must not be entered. Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a popular for hiking, and while it is not a long or difficult hike, there are steep sections. Around the crater are boardwalks that were installed in 2020 for people to take a stroll. Fortunately when we went hiking on Mount Eden/Maungawhau, the weather was nice, although it was quite windy at the top. I took a lot of photos to try and capture the beauty of the area, but it's something you just have to experience in person. If you like hiking and nature, don't miss Mount Eden/Maungawhau. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Hiking]