The visual Arts have long been of interest to me, even prior to my own days spent in an art school…read morefor several years. So, seizing on the opportunity to write reviews for Yelp I decided it would provide a great opportunity to sight some galleries around Auckland that I had not yet seen since moving here last year. NKB on Mt Eden Road was holding an exhibition titled 'Impressions' (28th March till 16th April 2013) when I went in to have a look at both the gallery and the art. Neither moved me all that much I am sorry to say. The gallery was very small, boxed in and simplistic with its stark white walls and typical timber flooring. Now, this could be just me to some extent, a personal review remember, not a critic. I like 'old school' art and unique 'old school' galleries. So modern fine art is not really up my alley, now having said that the one piece that I did admire, just a little, was a piece called 'Lone Tree Wangamui' by Matt Palmer, a simple print that made an impact with its line work, colouring and composition. The gallery does have a more varied collection of fine art in the stockroom that can viewed on the website too.

Perhaps the most pleasant and affable art galleries in Auckland. By no means the largest, but nkb…read moreGallery has quality art over quantity. It is a sad thing that it has become common place to be ignored, or even looked down upon, by staff in art galleries. I was almost stunned as I entered nkb and the staff member politely finished his phone call and offered information on the exhibition, all without forcing a brochure into my hand and peering over my shoulder. This small Mt Eden shows off some great art, of various techniques, by up-and-coming New Zealand artists alongside some more familiar names. An inviting gallery I will be sure to keep an eye on in the future.

Fantastic park and walkway that I got to introduce to friends who had never heard of it or been…read morebefore! So glad they know of it now, especially the one who has a dog whose allowed on this track. Just next to Castor Bay, Kennedy is home to gun emplacements as well as tunnels from the Second World War. The tunnels are only open second Sunday of every month between 11am and 2pm for guided walks by volunteers from the Kennedy Park WWII Trust. There is also ample green grass and shade from trees next to the wooden coastal walkway. There is a sturdy wooden staircase leading to Back Beach where several people were doing up and down stair-runs and other fit-stuff. Good on them. Unfortunately we came at high tide so couldn't make it full all the way around the cliffs but definitely coming back at low tide to do more walk exploring and go for a swim! Having said that though, we instead did the coastal walk, noticed the spiderweb-centred playground that looked like fun as well. A proper dedicated car park space you can turn into after the main sign. Such a great park space- must see.

JF Kennedy Park is one of those fantastic spots that has somehow managed to remain relatively…read moreunknown - well, unknown enough at least to ensure it's not overcrowded or anything. You get there a little turnoff into a carpark off Beach Road which reveals a wide expanse of park complete with a quality playground. At first you don't quite realise how high up you are, but then you notice the water of the Hauraki Gulf on the horizon out to the east, walk to the edge of the park, and see that you're actually on a high clifftop. You can follow a wooden staircase all the way down the cliff-face, revealing a beautiful beach mercifully free of direct car access which makes gives it a nice secluded feel. It is a favourite of the fitness/dog walking crowd, but most of the time this beach is pretty well empty so it's a great place to come for a swim, enjoy some Vitamin D, and marvel at the golden rock of the cliff. My favourite time to come is just before sunset - it's especially peaceful around this time, and in summer the water's still lovely and warm.

This does not compare to Sydney, it actually looks more like the old railway bridge connecting…read moreQueens to Manhattan. They do have bridge climbs and jumps from here. Originally built in 1959, this long-standing bridge and city icon doubled its lanes from 4 to 8 and recently added pedestrian walkways as well as a special bridge-climbing adventure for most ages and abilities. There is an island underneath with views of the city & harbor.

One of my favourite places to drive and park at in the city is Westhaven, just under the cityside…read moreof the Harbour Bridge. It's a perfectly tranquil spot to sit and contemplate how Auckland isn't actually that bad when you find the pretty spots. A few months after I discovered this place, I used it as a location for a magazine I was working on at the time. It was a motoring themed issue and we had a classic car club come down during "the magic hour" and pose with their gorgeous vehicles and gorgeous smiles amongst gorgeous evening light. Bliss! Out of all the covers I've ever art directed, this was in my top five. Great lighting, great Harbour Bridge backdrop. Awesome.

The Devonport Domain is known amongst locals to be home of the North Shore Cricket Club. If you…read morehappen along on a Saturday afternoon and enjoy a good afternoon of cricket, then pick up a half pint from the cricket club building, sit yourself on the bank and enjoy the game. There is a lot of shade from all the leafy oak trees surrounding the pitch, so you can sit on the bank or possibly the thoughtfully provided wooden park benches dotted around the domain. There is also a playground for the little ones with safety matting below, so it is quite a child friendly place to go. There are basic toilets available, but don't expect soap.

This place is so quintessentially English - on a warm afternoon you just want to sit on the grass,…read morewatch the cricketers do their thing and listen to The Kinks... Anyway, in years gone by I've spent plenty of time on these fields either as a player or a spectator, and there just aren't many more picturesque places to play cricket or football - the field is a perfectly maintained green carpet, the backdrop is all leafy old trees, houses and North Head and Mt Vic a short distance away. I don't play much sport anymore, but there still aren't many more relaxing spots for a walk than this and for that reason I still like to come down here.

Well this was going to be one of the highlights of the trip for me. I felt like gadget man, GoPro…read moreand camera's ready to roll. But ............................ Fortunately talking to our hosts at the lodge we were staying at informed us that the health & safety police had closed off the tunnels. I was very disappointed, but we decided to rock up there anywhere and might try a bit of exploring. We had high hopes when saw quite a few cars parked. After a good walk up to the site, our hosts were correct the tunnels are closed to the public until about 2016. We did not spot any signage advising of their closure until we were about to walk through the gate to the complex. Still we had some great views on the way up and down. There is not much at the site, we saw several families with disappointed children with torches in hand. Not a bad place for a picnic, but there are other more accessible locations for one.

If you're over on Waiheke, Stony Batter is an awesome day trip. It's on the eastern end of the…read moreisland so you'll need a car to get there (about 40mins from the wharf the ferry arrives into). Stony Batter is a series of underground tunnels and rooms from World War II; if you are claustrophobic this is not for you! It's very very dark down there and the tunnels go pretty deep, so for everyone else it's awesome fun. A torch is ABSOLUTLEY ESSENTIAL, with out a torch don't even bother entering, it's dangerous. If you've forgotten yours you can hire them there for $5. This is where my highlight comes in; the lady you pay has a giant pet sheep. It follows her everywhere (I can't remember the name, but something like Dolly perhaps?). Anyway it's pretty bizarre to see this big woolly creature following her around like a dog; that alone names the trip worth it.

This is a really wonderful venue with the primary function of a performing arts school, rehearsal…read morespace and performance venue. It also runs seminars, has a café and is now home to The Actors Programme. It runs a full range of evening and weekend part time classes, with programmes covering all the performing arts with everything from acting for screen and stage, singing, dance and if you want to run away and join the circus, you can learn the tricks here. There's something for every age group and a lot of well respected industry professionals run workshops out of here. It's a really wonderful space that is intrinsic to Auckland's artistic community and even if you are more of an observer than a participant, TAPAC has something for everyone, so at least come and see a show. There's school holiday programmes as well as term time programmes and the facilities and tutors are top class. Bloody marvellous!

TAPAC is a bit of an Auckland institution. Virtually any kid growing up in central Auckland with an…read moreinterest in the performing arts will have heard of TAPAC, even if they didn't attend any classes there. TAPAC is recognised as one of the best performing arts facilities in the area, with an extensive range of classes available -for all ages and abilities - as well as great studios and mini theatres for rehearsals and performances. In my early teens I participated in an acting class at TAPAC. The class was great. It covered a variety of styles of acting, whether for screen or the stage, and it was really good for boosting my self confidence and leadership qualities - though I didn't realise it at the time of course! Whether dancing, acting, singing or even circus skills and acrobatics are your forte, or you've just always wanted to give them a try - TAPAC is the place for you. Tip: TAPAC also host school holiday programmes, so if your child is unsure about signing up to regular lessons this is a good way to see whether they want to pursue these classes any further!

The Rose Centre is located just off Lake Road, in an unassuming cul de sac, with ample parking &…read morehas a distinct 'community' feel. I have been to a few theatre productions here, which are generally affordable, low-key and headed up by 'Company Theatre' who produce three shows a year & are resident in the space. The Rose Centre is also utilised for fitness, singing & French language class, meditation, yoga & other interactive community events. You can also rent the space for meetings, rehearsals, parties, meet ups and children's playgroups. There are two community lounges which are perfect for the before mentioned activities. They have a website - so check them out:)

Though not a park you would ever really recommend to anyone, the clearing in the corner of Khyber…read morePass and Broadway in the heart of Newmarket is actually a really lovely place to enjoy lunch while in Newmarket. I used to work in retail on Broadway and on my lunch break would go food hunting and usually end up sitting in some cafe or in the Westfield shopping mall. It never occurred to me to take me lunch down to this reserve and enjoy it there instead. Recently when I was in Newmarket I passed through this clearing and actually stopped for a moment to appreciate the sight before me. Dozens of suit-clad men and women had kicked off their shoes, parked up on a patch of grass and were out in the sun enjoying their lunch. It was great. If you work in Newmarket or are out with friends enjoying a day of retail therapy, keep this lovely square in mind, it's a delightful place to take a minute out of your busy day and relax.

I ended up stopping here recently because I needed a pee. No, I didn't go on the grass, I went in…read morethe public toilet - I may have gone on the grass if I was drunk and twenty years younger. Anyway, it's a nice little touch of greenery and a relief from all the retail overload on Broadway. It's a good place to have lunch and a lot of people who work in the area take their sushi and sandwiches here on a hot day. If you don't fancy dining here al fresco, there's plenty of nice bars and restuarants in this area such as The Lumsden bar on the corner. I use to buy a book in the Baci Lounge in the Rialto Centre nearby and come read it here. Sadly, the Baci Lounge is gone, a victim of the information age but this little green area survives and continues to thrive.