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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

This park seems to be a dogs idea of heaven . Water to swim in , birds to chase and other dogs to…read moreplay with . I can see the other reviewers misgivings and for sure this place is far from perfect . But there is a large car park and a new playground so in time when its finished it will/might be a bit better . The public toilets are always clean and have toilet paper which believe me is hard to come by in some public facilities . You can walk a circuit around the Bay Area and if I had a dog I would bring them here . Side note : some people are far from pro active in picking up their dog waste so watch where you step .

I am confused about Onehunga. There's long been a campaign to "restore the foreshore", particularly…read moresince the State Highway 20 extension going through the bottom of the suburb was completed. It's an admirable idea but let's face it, it's a bit late - there's giant cement tanks at the wharf, power pylons galore and yes, a motorway. My confusion arises from the fact that a lot of time and resources have been poured into the campaign for restoration of the beach but economically the suburb has been slowly falling in to a wasteland with more and more businesses going under or up and leaving. Surely supporting these businesses to create a thriving local economy would be of more benefit and bring more life to this special piece of Auckland? Anyway, the Onehunga Bay Reserve is located right next to the motorway and used to look fairly attractive and green with a lagoon, a playground and a fitness trail. Currently it is undergoing a massive renovation and looks crappy but in two years time there will apparently be a reclaimed beach here. It's hard to believe but I hope it's true. Like I said, I'm just not that sure that this is where the money needed to be spent.

Lake Pupuke was created by a volcanic eruption, aaaages ago. It was the same one that created that…read morecool Kauri fossil forest in between Takapuna Beach & Thorne Bay. Anyways, nowadays it's used for a flurry of activities in Summer. There's a windsurfing school down by Sylvian Park, plenty of kayakers and dragon boaters and even regular sailing and rowing competitions. Yes, you can swim at Lake Pupuke too but the sea at the Eastern end is only a couple of hundred metres away and is much nicer! The great thing about the lake is that if it's windy at the beach, 90% of the time it'll be calm at the lake and vice versa! I'll admit, I grew up around the corner so may be somewhat biased but I think it's an all round decent lake that's well-worth visiting for a summer picnic or water based activity!