Until high-school I'd never really had much to do with Craigavon Park. Located on the outskirts of…read moreBlockhouse Bay it's a little further west than I'd ever had reason to venture, but throughout my high-school years cross country runs, fun-runs and various other fundraisers were held at this park. Home to a pretty decent playground, BBQs, a scenic walk and even a skate park - Craigavon Park has activities and events that cater to the whole family. Pack a picnic, the Frisbee, backyard cricket set and your dog - and enjoy the day at one of west Auckland's most popular parks. Bonus: Craigavon Park played host to the Hippie festival late last year. It was such a great day. Travelling painted vans, palm readings, eclectic knick-knacks, decorated lightbulbs, handcrafted wooden toys, and delicious food - the festival was absolutely brilliant and if it ever comes back to Craigavon Park, make sure you don't miss it!

Great skate park. Can be a little bit of a mission to get there if you are not local to the area…read more Nice and spaced out, one of the better parks around for bikes in my opinion. I ate it bad when I was there a little while ago. I was on my friends downhill mountain bike, I came up to the table top with way too much speed, and for some reason, just at the last second I decided to try and pull a 180. Before I knew it the ground was coming towards my face in slow motion, oh man that was painful.

You could easily miss the Devonport Skatepark if you didn't know where to look for it. Tucked away…read morefrom the main road into town opposite the Golf course and right in the middle of Ngataringa Park, this park has unlimited lines and transitions for all skill levels. It was designed by a bunch of local boys quite a few years ago and they included every hip gap and rail you can think of. The layout is huge and there's plenty of space. And even if it was complete crap, its still the coolest location! You can play music without bothering any neighbours and kick back in the grass when you need a break.

My best Panmure Basin story involves me coming across at man while I was out on a mid-week walk…read morearound the Basin. He was down at the water's edge, in a suit and tie and looking very smart, but he was throwing a stick for his dog like it was the weekend. As I got closer I noticed he was talking quite loudly into his cell phone, something along the lines of "Oh nah mate we're absolutely flat out here, it's so full-on, I can't talk mate, I've gotta go, I'm in a meeting". And I thought "Good on ya mate". I love walking my dog around Panmure Basin. She's only little so it takes us the best part of an hour to get around the whole thing. It's a great spot to walk or run since there's car parking (not heaps, but enough), and most of the walkway is in good condition, although there are places where the tree roots are busting through.

The Basin is an idyllic recreational facility located in Panmure just off the Pakuranga Highway…read more The track around the basin is a decent 3.6 kilometres, and is perfect for both joggers and walkers - I have lots of memories running around and around lap after lap when I was young and crazy and ran much more than I currently do. There are lots of exercise stations located around the basin, so you can have quite an all-rounded workout mixing up running and body-weight resistance training. There are a decent number of seats to stop and sit at if you get a bit tired, and also a few hills in the mix for that extra challenge on your morning jog. Dogs are allowed and there are plenty of toilets located around the track, making for a convenient and attractive exercise location with lots of facilities available.

I love this little park located in the heart of Remuera. It has to be one of the more fun…read moreplaygrounds in the area. With a swing set, a big climbing frame, slides, a flying fox and a skate board bowl, there is something here to entertain all the kids while you could be walking the dog (on leash only). Upland Road playground also has a lot of greenery for you to sit down on and set up a picnic for lunch or those summer evenings. Located incredibly close to Benson Road dairy, it's only a short hop and skip away to get an ice block, ending a perfect fun filled afternoon at the playground. I have grown up coming to this playground and have taken my siblings here a number of times. It's always a favourite; you just can't go past the awesome flying fox!

This is a super cool park for kids! There's a playground with actually nice and maintained play…read morethings and swings, slides, all that sort of thing - appeals to young babies up to older children. Plenty of seating for parents while the kids play. There is also a big flying fox, and a skate park for the bigger kids. To one side is a cliff that kids can climb up and have a little picnic at the top. We have had several birthday parties here. And heaps of grassy playing area! HEAPS! But note - if you are allergic to grass, this is the grass that will make you come out in a rash. Parking is on the road.

Waiatarua Reserve is a wetlands dog exercising park located in Meadowbank (close to the Remuera…read moreGolf Course). Perfect if you have a dog that needs to have a good run around and interact with others. There are a number of ponds around the reserve, perfect for your pooch to jump into and have a splash about. Dogs are not allowed in the wetlands area, but there you can be sure to find Pukekos hiding in between the reeds. On the skirts of the reserve is a half basketball court and a stake board park, perfect entertainment for the kids while you take the dog for a run. This has to be my favourite dog park located in the suburban area, definitely one to check out if you have an active dog that needs to let off some steam. There is a car park and plenty of parking available on street. The car park is security locked at 9:30pm daylight savings time and 8:30pm in the winter.

The Waiatarua Reserve is no secret to any dog-owner. The good part about this though is that the…read moreReserve is so large that even if it is quite busy there is still ample room for every pup and pooch to roam free, to sniff til their heart's content, and to play fetch like a maniac. There are several access points so parking is never a problem and the Reserve's users are generally very responsible it cleaning up after their dog's. It is a really excellent place for all dogs to brush up on their social skills and to have a doggie date with friends. The walking trail is pram friendly for all keen families. There are a few things to be weary of: 1) There is a pond which can be great for dogs take a swim. However, the water quality is notoriously dubious (with reports of dogs getting sick) and there can be a strong undercurrent after a big downpour. In fact, my pooch Tilly had a near drowning their last winter. 2) The reserve is not fully contained, so there are parts where a very driven dog could go on a walkabout into someone's yard if the pooch doesn't have good recall. 3) There are quite a few giant muddy puddles that every dogs insists on submerging themselves in. If you aren't prepared to give your dog a bath immediately afterward, plan accordingly. Likewise, if it is rainy bring your gumboots.

Even though this skate park is kind of crappy, it does have a few good things going for it. For one…read moreit has a very cool mini half-pipe made out of aluminium, making it super smooth and great for beginners. This skate park is also in a nice secluded location, which means that there's barely ever anyone there; most of the time we have had the park to ourselves. It is right beside the water too which makes for some sweet background scenery, and if you get too hot you can always run down for a refreshing swim. A couple of downsides are that the secluded location of this park means that it is a fair drive from most places around Auckland. Also, the concrete part of the skate park is pretty lame to be honest, with only a few obstacles to jump and grind; a skilled skater won't be very impressed.

I cannot believe that this skateboarding bowl in Pukekohe still exists. It's pretty ridiculous to…read morebe honest. The shape of it is like a big teardrop. You start out at the skinny part at the top, which is almost like half a tube, and this gets steeper and wider until you end up dropping down into the main round bowl part. And that's it. There's not much else you can do when you get to the end, just have to pick up your board and walk back up to the top again. It kind of reminds me of the luge in Rotorua. Of course you can do some tricks on the way down the track and in the main bowl itself, but on the whole it's a pretty poorly designed skate park. Maybe it's better for BMX.

I have driven past this park so many times in the past couple of years and never ever ventured in,…read morefor the reason that it's not in my hood. So I was really happy to have the opportunity to attend a Free Music in Parks concert sponsored by Auckland City Council. Nixon Park may be more famously known for its Skate park or the two half courts to shoot some baskets. My experience of the park was when it transformed into a community of music and a sea of people, young and old, to enjoy free music and a free space to relax upon. Fantastic trees on the west side of the park, which provide shelter from the sun when it is at its most powerful comes in handy when you don't have sunscreen, are with little kiddies, or just need some time out from the rays. In this little oasis of trees you will also find a really cool tree swing that glides out for some free play time. The kids playground is small, but really good for the fifteen month to six year old, they have a few slides, see saws, and swings, not as modernized as of yet, but I'm sure it won't be long till they revamp this kids play area. Always enjoy a good Auckland park, and this was a great find.

Most kids rate Nixon Park for its skate area or the little playground. Mine rate it because of a…read moredodgy old rope swing up the hill at the back, hidden in the trees. Injuries have been sustained and I doubt it is remotely OSH approved but, just like back in the day, the home-made rope swing kicks the arse of those PC playgrounds. I don't know who put it there but I am glad that no one has (yet) had it pulled down due to misplaced (and misappropriated - if you don't like it don't let your kids play on it) safety concerns. True they have to be a bit careful about hitting the ground when they swing back but that's all part of the fun. And yes, that loop could be dangerous and yes, my son has got his leg caught in it and scraped the bejesus out of his torso (if a mishap is at all remotely possible, it will happen to him). But they LOVE it and I can totally see why. Just keep an eye on them - I'm constantly surprised at how many parents feel supervision is unnecessary (in all kinds of situations!). Nixon Park is also pretty cool for family and music events with its big flat field and the Kingsland Karnivale that took place last weekend was a lot of fun for everyone - with some particularly good shopping. And I do always love to see the carefree Titirangi dancing come and visit the central suburbs.

Papakura has needed this new skate park for...well forever really. The old skate park (if you can…read moreactually call it that) was in a similar location as the present one, but it was in the carpark. I'm not even sure that it was supposed to be there or if some kids just added various obstacles to it, but basically all it contained was a few boxes, rails and an old washing machine for grinding. Classic Kura ingenuity. Anyway the new, proper concreted skate park is 100 times better than the old one. Complete with ramps, rails, kickers, quarter pipes and a little bowl part, this park is quite small, but smooth and well built. Like any skate park, you're best to go here while the kids are at school, because afterwards it gets busy with anyone who has something on wheels.