Very solid school in all areas. The teachers and staff were dedicated, focussed, and committed…read morebeyond the usual school requirement. Most staff gave up personal time to be involved in school events. It was a very positive experience being part of the community and easy to be involved supporting the school. We would highly recommend it to anyone considering this school. There are almost no schools in the area to match it. If only they ran an Intermediate school to follow on with life would be perfect...!

A great place to host events for different numbers of people. Whether your group is large or small…read moreGreylynn community centre will hook you up! The first time I went to the community centre was for a youth talent show. The room was perfect as it accommodated the number of attendees. The kitchen was always clean and located inside the hall we where using. This made it easier at snack time as it was just a matter of taking items from the kitchen to the table we had set up buffet style outside the kitchen. The rooms are also built in a way that makes it flexible to arrange the room the way that suits you and your event. Although there is parking on site, it is limited. Luckily there are plenty of off street parking spaces.

This is a very well utilised community centre with clean spacious facilities if any local…read moreorganisation or group wanted to hire a space for a regular night of the week or temporary meetings, functions, etc. The staff have always been very friendly and helpful when I have been involved with hiring the facilities for regular set periods of time. The payments have generally been smooth and communication professional. It always seems quite busy, whatever the season, with various groups occupying the many rooms available, so if you want to set up a meditation or yoga course you might want to double check that karate or zumba are not also taking place that same night right next door! They also hold a farmers market at the centre on Sunday mornings that is worth supporting.

I think this is a pretty neat idea. People donate their old, unwanted clothing and household goods,…read moreit gets sold cheaply to people in need and then money goes to save poor defenseless animals. Everyone's a winner. The shop itself is really well laid out and light and airy, and the items themselves seem to be numerous and really cheap as chips. I saw a sofa and chair set in fairly good condition for $80, and the sign in the window says they do specials for beneficiaries as well, so if you had a community services card you could probably know the price down even further. Proof that humanity and altruism do still exist.

Loving this store. I always make the effort to come into this store. A good range of products…read more. clothing and accessories, toys, games, furniture, craft, bric-a-brac and other homeware items. All are set at very reasonable prices. Always leave with something. Staff are friendly.

This is where both my children spent (and one is still spending) their primary years. It has long…read morehad a reputation as being one of the best schools in the central Auckland suburbs, so much so that house prices, including rentals, in the area are a good hundred dollars more (per week, rental or add three zeros for purchase) than those just over the boundary. All parents in Auckland come up against the bloody school zone dilemma because opinions are like arseholes - everyone has one. In the end I think that you can never know what a school is like for your particular child and family until you try it yourself. Our first few years here were great, although it's important to note that this is a "learning" school for teachers which means there's a good proportion who are just starting out in their careers. This has proved to be a positive and a negative - it just depends on the teacher. After a really great three or so years things things began to slide and choices were being made that many parents were questioning. The outcome of this is that the school is currently under a temporary principal (who seems to be doing a great job under the circumstances) and the hope is that the new permanent principal will start in Term 2 2013. The school community is very much looking forward to this as big decisions regarding the way forward will once again be possible so if you are thinking of this school for your child, keep your ear to ground and see what happens.

I never actually went to Maungawhau, but I had friends who did. They turned out alright. My…read moreintroduction to this place was years after primary school, when I was inducted into the illicit, underground cricket ring that operated out of here. Illicit and underground might be overstating it a bit. Basically we would just play little games of cricket on the courts here in the afternoons sometimes. For a school grounds after hours it's nice how much use it gets. Quite apart from us wrecking our shoulders pretending we know how to bowl, you often see other people throwing balls around, or small children on roller blades and bikes being trailed by weary, obliging parents. This school is a focal point of the community not only because it's a school, with everything that entails, but also because of the space itself and the use people make of it. This is really nice to see, and we're happy to donate several tennis balls to the cause (we've left most of them on the roof, and a couple lodged in that big tree).

Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

Located on Como street opposite the very large North Shore Westfield shopping mall is this very…read morewell stocked Pumpkin Patch. Literally has all the latest as well as a large section of sale items too. So your bound to find what you are looking for on your visit. I have to mention they have just the most adorable outfits, and I was happy to take my boy in for a new pair of shoes, the prices are very reasonable and you are getting quality, that will last longer than the little tykes can grow. Staff on both visits, have been exceptional. Very friendly, and helpful. Basically ask them and they are more than happy to help you find exactly what you are after. On both visits I have purchased shoes for the little boy, and it has not taken longer than ten minutes to sort it out. Lots of choice, and great help, with quality clothing and accessories. If you join up to the Pumpkin Patch Club when in store (for free), you can receive emails to let you know when the sales are on too.

I cannot recommend Oaktree Kindergarten highly enough. From the moment my daughter, Felicity,…read morestarted here, the teachers have gone above and beyond in creating a safe, loving, and inspiring environment. They are not only highly professional and experienced but also genuinely warm, patient, and attentive to each child's individual needs. What stands out most is how incredibly supportive and nurturing the teachers are. They truly see Felicity as a whole person -- encouraging her confidence, creativity, independence, and social skills. Whenever I drop her off, I feel reassured knowing she is surrounded by such dedicated and caring educators. The activities are also exceptional. From hands-on science experiments (like making "dinosaur eggs" fizz open with hidden surprises inside) to imaginative play, music, art, and storytelling, every day is filled with rich opportunities for learning and discovery. I've seen Felicity grow in confidence, curiosity, and joy since joining Oaktree, and she now comes home excited to share what she's learned. It is the greatest feeling as a parent to see my daughter run to her teachers with unconditional hugs and to know that she has a special connection with each and every one of them. That bond is priceless, and it speaks volumes about the heart this team puts into their work. A special thank you to Jane, Lucy, Jenny, Vanessa, Amy, and Natalie -- you are an incredible team, and I am deeply grateful for the love and dedication you show every single day. If you're looking for a kindergarten that is more than just a childcare centre -- a place where your child will be truly valued, guided, and inspired -- Oaktree Kindergarten is the best choice you could make.

Technically a child should be writing this review. I think if a four-year-old could type it would…read morego something like this... "I like going to kindy here because there is a fun playground with a slide and I can climb up on it with my friends. I like going on all the swings too! Inside there are toys everywhere I can play with and we also do painting and make cool stuff. I learnt to count in Maori and now I know all about fire trucks and police cars." But that's just a guess... I went to a four-year-old birthday party here in the weekend and it was the perfect venue for this event. The kids were set free on all the play equipment outside so there were no issues with keeping them entertained. There was a kitchen to prepare the party food and lots of nice shady areas for the adults to sit. I heard it was really inexpensive too with a small fee to be paid for birthday parties of any child enrolled in the kindy. My nephew comes here a few times a week and he absolutely loves it. He calls it "big boy kindy" and has made some wonderful friends here. The stories I hear about his adventures at Oaktree make me wish I could take a day off from my life to build sandcastles and paint pictures with the carefree kiddies.

This is such a cool store, one of the go to options for when I have to buy gifts because everything…read morethere is unique. Even though it is New Zealand designed and made, there is not too much kiwiana, that makes for good gifts for tourists or people you know who are overseas but much of the store is just products created by amazingly talented people of whom Texan Art Schools bring collectively into their store. You'll find textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry and prints here as well as what I think must be feijoa candles because the store smells of feijoas. A while back I purchased some amazing glass vases and a dish for myself and had wanted to go back and get another colour of one of the vases. It was gone. So lesson here is that you need to just buy it at the time. Stock is often limited.