I just went to my first kickboxing class at Auckland MMA yesterday, and while a couple of fingers…read moreon my left hand are doing strange crampy things as I type, I've got to say that I loved it. The class I went to was full of people that were either experienced fighters or had been to classes before, so I was out of my depth quite a bit and alone in my out-of-depthness. The coach was great at helping with form, where to keep my weight etc, and the woman I was working with was really helpful at teaching me to keep my face protected and how to move my whole body to effectively punch and kick. I really liked this place and will hopefully be able to head there more often. For men - there are heaps of guys who attend there, and for women - I trained with at least ten. Good turnout, good coaches, and hopefully good things to come!

Howick Historical Village is in the park, it is pretty fun to walk about and go see it on a"live…read moreday" you can join a school class from the late 1800's. $15 Adult entry - $8 kids under 5's are free

Well, I have no clue who Lloyd Elsmore is, but he makes a pretty cool park. Covering a significant…read moreexpanse of East Auckland, it has a swimming pool, skate ramps, fields, sports clubs and the Howick Historical Village on site. Walking my dog here, I spied cyclists on the skate ramps, kids laughing on the playground, cars driving to and from sports matches and new games being set up for kids after school. They have plenty of sports days here - I know, because I can hear the announcer from my house a few kms away! It's also a good place to host an event, as I remember coming here a few years ago for a South African Festival. If you're looking for a day of fun, I reckon Lloyd Elsmore will fill your Saturday quite nicely.

Matt Taka, aka Fitbro Trainers, runs group fitness sessions in beautiful settings, like the sunrise…read moreat the Panmure Basin, at little Bucklands Beach, Eastern Beach, other beaches and at parks. His style of fitness allows everyone in the session to go at their own pace without slowing anyone else down. He likes you to do as much as you can of one activity in bursts of time on the spot, which means you can push yourself without making yourself sick to keep up- though Matt will push you harder anyway. It isn't the cheapest fitness option, but if you can afford it, it is a lovely way to exersize out in the settings, and having a group of people doing it around you, as well as the trainer there watching you, helping you and pushing you, you are much more likely to attend than the gym.