I totally love this place, there is clearly nothing like it in Auckland that I have seen yet thus…read morefar. As a second time visitor and this time taking it in my stride to venture over on my own with the kiddies; I was happily entertained by the kids aged two to eleven( a fantastic note to self that there is something for all ages here). The under four's even have there own zone to enjoy. My first visit here probably was a year ago, and I was attending with children for a five year olds birthday. There are special tables you can hire out for a birthday party, this particular party was catered for by the family in charge, and the kids had a ball! After an hour or so of jumping on inflated castles and running through courses with slides and tunnels the kids gathered for a sit down lunch before running back to enjoy Inflatable world once they had got a bit of food. Not only is this place fantastic for parties but during the first week of school holidays i had three under twelve year olds, and this was my turn to for a bit of fun! The weather may not be so hot outdoors, but at Inflatable its fun and feels sunny! Even in winter you can keep the chills away by sitting under heaters on the chairs provided. A lifesaver for parents and caregivers the kids love it, and you end the visit with very tired ad thrilled kids, who always want to return. The car park is onsite, however gotta be lucky when its busy as they do fill up quick.

Came here for an 8 year old birthday party. It is located in the same building/business as Planet…read moreSport, which initially was a bit confusing as their website had no mention of this. There are heaps of different bouncy castles for te kids to play on, plus a under 5 area which my toddler enjoyed. Toys were in good condition too. You are allowed and encouraged to bring in your own food and drink (no alcohol of course) as there isn't a cafe on site.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!…read more Discovered this park the other day with my one year old son. I can't believe the amount of times I have driven by and not stopped for a closer look!! Duck feeding - yes Picnic friendly - yes Fully equipped modern playground - yes Sherwood reserve is expansive and connects to Freyburg Park off Anzac Road. If you are keen on a family picnic and/or outing to the playground with the kids but don't want to deal with tlhe crowds that Browns Bay has, this is a MUST VISIT!!

Gorgeous reserve. I use the walkway that runs through it from time to time and I love the scenery…read moreand the huge fresh grassy patches. The pathway that winds down and around is perfect for a bit of bike riding or skating down. Just don't do what I did and jump off your board on a downward slope... I had to watch in horror as my skateboard took a dive into the stream! There's a block of shops at the top of the reserve with a dairy and there's also a playground up top. Great spot for a slow Sunday stroll.

One of the best benefits of having kids is getting to be a kid yourself and Megazone is a great…read moreplace to do just that. I never understand when parents don't partake in childish activities - we even had a boys' birthday party here where a dad went INSIDE the warzone to just stand and watch. If you have no idea what all this is about, laserstrike is the preferred birthday party choice of boys (and some girls) aged 7 to 12 and probably older - we're not there yet. You rally your troops, divide them into two teams, tool up and go to war. There's an instruction video and staff on hand to help you get into your harness-thing. The harness-thing has light targets for your enemy to see and of course your laser gun. You then go run around in the dark shooting each other and the team with the most points wins. Most excellent entertainment - especially getting those kids that are, let's say, not your favourites. So ring up, book your group and they'll give you a room where you can do the food and cake thing along with two 20 minute game sessions. Get pizzas delivered and it's simple and fairly affordable as far as these things go. Just make sure you join in - it's bloody good exercise and wicked fun.

Laserstrike! You can do it here. What else do I need to say? Only that's it crazy good fun, and if…read moreyou're not totally exhausted by the end of it from running up and down ramps, hiding from the other team, and ambushing your opponents, you're not playing it right. This is one of the more fun laserstrike places I've been to, because it's got two floors, plenty of hiding spots and full on ATTACK music. They also give you an extremely serious briefing, which is pretty funny considering what a dork you look like when you put on the harness. Try and get a couple of groups together, it's more fun when you know the people you are playing with and against, not to mention it being a pretty good way of finding out who is a take-no-prisoners, no-mercy type, (yes, it's always the quiet one) and who is a big scardy cat.

Silde fast. Fields big. Pump track long good. Swings good. Coming back tomorrow. Flying fox more…read morelike zooming fox.

One of the best parks around in a busy residential area. I've been living in this area for nearly 8…read moreyears (or more can't even remember now!) and they just keep improving this park for the better. They have developed this awesome bike track for kids, complete with ramps and bridges and round about with stop signs (to teach them early about driving haha) and from the looks of it, all the kids in the neighbourhood LOVE it. I have tried skateboarding on this track and it's definitely harder so stick to scooters and bikes. The "big kids" playground is so EPIC with flying foxes (can never get too old for this but can be too tall as my bottom and legs will graze the bark), miniature climbing wall, tall tunnel slide, bridges, monkey bars oh my gosh you name it. Don't fret! There's a miniature playground for the little ones that's more safe and to a smaller scale and and really cool swings (for babies, toddlers or the big kids like myself! ) For the adults or the more adventurous kiddies there's a forestry/bush walk that really cool to have in a residential jungle. And they've cleaned it up, made better, stronger and wider walking paths. There's a big field for soccer, lacrosse, rugby etc and biggish public toilets next to it. A big pond with water coming in from the harbour and ducks (sometimes cute little ducklings) swimming lounging around and sometimes people race their remote boats in it too! There's a public BBQ by the miniature playground and also on weekends there's a coffee and ice cream truck on standby! There's just so much going on in this park that you can never get bored and probably never want to leave until someone has to drag you out hahaha

Marlborough Park in Glenfield has a little bit of everything for everyone. I love visiting for the…read moreplayground as it has a section of low tunnels and abacus balls for my preschooler to enjoy playing with; also swings and slides that suit the little and big kid. Not only are the children catered for, there is a basketball court, a skate bowl, a climbing frame, and even a flying fox. If your jogging in the area, why not pop in and work out on the free adult gym equipment? Fantastic park for a picnic on a warm sunny day, and with lots of trees is just really pretty to look at. Please don't miss the peace of Marlborough Park.

Awesome team @ the CBD branch A++ would recommend highly special salute to Oshyun, who was…read morehelpful as cheers

In some ways Timezone have blurred the line between traditional arcade gaming and more of a…read morecarnival style of entertainment. Quiet a few of their games are more interactive than your button bashing joystick classics. Some being extremely physical. When you see somebody who is really good at the dance game you cannot help but stare, the combination of their lightning fast dance moves and the lights and sounds coming out of the game machine is really quite striking. In true carnival fashion, some of their games do not work through simulated graphics but are purely mechanical. There is a basketball game where you shoot hoops for prizes, and other kinds of strategy games which require real physical skill. I find that these more physically interactive games gives the place a a much more festive atmosphere. Go there if your're young or if you have young.

To be fair, North Shore Events Centre is a little bit of a diamond in the rough. Conveniently…read morelocated in Wairau Valley, Glenfield, it is home to events of all kinds and of varying degrees of prominence. Community-based sports programmes are held here throughout the year mainly focusing on basketball and netball but ranging as wide as martial arts and badminton. It has the capacity for corporate events and conferences and has even been known to throw down the odd concert or two. I saw Faith No More and The Beastie Boys here a really really long time ago! It had been years since I had been there until the middle of last Australian Basketball season when I really started following the Breakers - NSEC is their home ground. I have to say the relatively small confines of the arena and the 3000 odd maximum capacity means that when the team is playing well the place is electric! Yeah it needs a bit of a spruce up and could do with some better promotion to attract more events, but when you break it all down the place has character and an energy that comes alive when being used to its full advantage. Hopefully there is an action plan to take the arena into the future as it certainly holds a place in the hearts of many North Shore locals.

The city of Auckland is filled with good event destinations, from Vector Arena to the Bruce Mason,…read moreASB Show grounds to the Logan Campbell Centre. All these places provide event organisers a plethora of choice from which to stage their events. And it is this wealth of choice that is prohibiting the North Shore Events Center from reaching its true potential. Every time I've attended a sporting event or trade show, I've wondered why it is not utilized more, and why promoters seem to ignore it as a viable host. Sure it is small, but it is this usable size that gives it its charm, and the location is convenient for residents of the Shore, and those coming over the bridge. Maybe the council needs to spend some money on an upgrade, and get a professional marketing team to promote it to local businesses. If any councilors are reading this, I am qualified and available for the job, hope to hear from you soon.

I probably like Milford park more than the average punter because I grew up down the road…read more Throughout my childhood, I spent many a day at Milford Park climbing the trees, playing BYC and go home stay home. Trip down memory lane aside, Milford Park is still a great spot to bring the kiddies. There is a freshly painted, bright blue playground, toilets, BBQ pits AND the Beach is right next door. Not to mention in Summer there is frequently concerts or outdoor movie screenings. Oh, and for all those runners out there every Wednesday night there is a fun run that leaves from the Milford Cruising Club in the park and goes to Takapuna and back for only $7 ($3 for kids), free drink included!

I shouldn't review the park as high as I would prefer to keep this to myself - but better to be…read morehonest. A good little suburban park - good parking, safe kids playground, beach volleyball courts and the beach a hop and a skip away. The Creek provides a bit of action if the tide is in as the yachts and fisher boats trailing and out over the 4 hours of tide. Good takeouts and coffee close by in Milford and it is not surprising the number of people who get fish and chips from PJs (another secret) and eat them on the picnic tables worth a visit

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.