Since moving to Newmarket I've been at a loss for where I can exercise outside comfortably - that…read morewas, until my partner introduced me to Tahaki Reserve. It's an expansive, nicely sheltered park on the side of Mount Eden that's also easy to get to & from. A quick walk here ensures I've got plenty of fun, physical things to do; from braving the Flying Fox, hill sprints up a refreshingly even paved path, cartwheels along the lush grass fields, hopping onto the adult-friendly swings, testing my metal on the small merry-go round, hanging on the monkey bars and even playing a quick game of tic tac toe! My partner and I spent hours here enjoying the sun and revelling in the opportunity to have fun whilst getting fit. I got to embrace my inner child in a perfectly lovely environment that I'll be sure to visit regularly from now on. Afterwards, due to the great location, it was all to easy for us to stroll past a dairy for a sneaky ice cream in celebration of our favourite new park. I recommend Tahaki Reserve to both adults and children, there's something's for everyone to enjoy.

Tahaki Reserve is a park I have spent countless hours playing in over the years. Located on the…read moreside of Mt Eden, this park boasts a pretty good playground, flying fox, mini amphitheatre where movies and gigs are often held and nice grounds for a picnic. I admit the flying fox used to be my favourite aspect of Tahaki Reserve - it was an old wooden one that you held on to, not like the ones you sit on now - and we used to where our rollerblades at the same time. You can imagine the fun we had! Zooming off on the flying fox, only to put your feet down at the end and keep going on your rollerblades! Needless to say I grazed many a knee at Tahaki Reserve when I was younger, and even had the privilege of kicking the top off my toe there - but the fact that it remains one of my favourite parks is testament to how nice it is there. Though I no longer run amuck around the playground, I still enjoy picnic dinners in Tahaki Reserve. Taking hot Chinese takeaways and sitting on the wee stage in the top corner of the park is a pretty nice way to spend an evening with your partner, or group of friends, not to mention it's perfect for midday picnics with the family and a friendly game of Frisbee! Tip: Tahaki Reserve also hosts full moon parties on occasion - a whole lot of free-spirited people gather in the park and party the night away - it's pretty cool!

To call this a reserve - or even really a park - is to give this patch of ground more grandness…read morethan it really deserves. A better way to describe this is a piece of waste land, too small to put a house on, that Auckland has decided to justify the existence of by putting some toilets on it and a sign that says 'Sandringham Reserve'. Luckily the council took one extra step in glorifying this awkwardly-shaped street corner, and this is its saving grace. They put a playground on it and, although not large, it is a decent one. It's that usual wood-with-primary-coloured-pipes-and-plastic set-up that anyone who's been to a park in New Zealand in the last twenty years will be familiar with, and it's the only one in or around the Sandringham village, unless you're willing to take your small children on a hike up to the primary school by Pizza Haven, and nobody will be keen on that, not children or parents. Good thing there's Sandringham Reserve then, right?

Cute colourful and clever little park. Pretty new by the looks. Great size for keeping an eye on…read moreboth kids at once. Fully fenced, toilets and picnic space nearby and great coffee over road at Atomic. Amazing what you can create with stumps, planks, concrete and a few old tyres. Would've loved a swing or two but the kids (3.5 & 1yo) really enjoyed it all the same

Blockhouse Bay Beach is, strictly speaking, artificial. The white sand on the beach is trucked in…read moreto create the beach area for people to enjoy, but once you're out into the water, it's actually a muddy bottom, which you can see at low tide. Don't let this put you off though, as the water tends to be nice and calm, sheltered from the harbour as it is by the headland. We went down to check it out as a place to paddleboard from, and we had a great time paddling out past the headland and around the basin. The park facilities are awesome, and despite being right in the middle of the suburbs, it never really tends to be that busy, which is choice, as I hate beaches and parks that get spoilt by an overabundance of people. All in all, a great little spot to head out for a paddle, or chill out with fish and chips on the grass and enjoy the day.

This side of the harbour seems to be strangely under used, I suspect because everyone heads out to…read morethe more scenic Titirangi, but it's actually a really good place to come and hang out on a good day. Blockhouse Bay is a little horseshoe shape, so it's a bit more sheltered than some of the other beaches around the area which are more exposed, so even on a windy day it's quite pleasant. Swimming isn't that wonderful here as the tide never comes in that far, so it's always a bit of a wade out to somewhere where it's more than ankle deep, but it's a good place for a wander, or a swing on the swings, or just to sit and read a book and eat an iceblock.

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!

I know Potter's Park only because it hosts the terrific annual Auckland International Cultural…read moreFestival, and it make the perfect location. The park is big enough so that there's plenty of room for a good-sized stage as well as heaps of stalls, but small enough so that it still feels like a community event, and you're pretty much guaranteed a good view even if you're not right at the front. There's also all the usual parky stuff - a playground, toilets, and lots of big old trees, so I'd say it'd be a good spot for any of the other events it regularly hosts - including Family Fun Days, Carols by Candlelight, and the Community Spirit Family Carnival - as well for a family day out.

Potters Park is beautiful and historic with gorgeous tall Norfolk Pines and a darn good playground…read more(and, randomly, an award-winning toilet block). The park's amenities also include basketball courts which always seem to be in use and one of the most excellent things about the playground here is that it's fully fenced. I've spent a lot of time in this park and can recommend it for kids of all ages. I would say though to go hard on the sunblock and make sure the kids are wearing hats, because the Westerley sun in the afternoons is haaaaarsh bro. I know that's probably a bonus to a lot of people but I'm part vampire and just melt. Despite the traffic at the busy intersection, this is another of Auckland's really great green spaces and the "pigeon lady" who feeds the birds here is one of the local Balmoral personalities that make it such a cool neighbourhood.

I discovered this park one day when out walking. It is tucked away at the end of a no exit street…read more The playground has been recently updated and I think it is a pretty great park. Find a spot at a BBQ table or hang out on the grass, or if you want to get active run up and down the hill at the back of the park.. If you have children I'm sure they would love the new playground. How much fun do those two, bright greeen enclosed slides look?! (I'm yet to actually try them out). When I was at this park last, one family had iPhone in hand and were geocaching. So there might be something really awesome to find... or it might just be a box, who knows?!

Totally disagree with Eddy D on this one. I've taken dogs that ice been dog sitting here and had no…read moreproblems even with ones that are easily distracted. State housing? I live in Mission Bay and the homes and good people of Waterview seem fine to me. The grassed areas are rolling slopes away from from the road and there is a beautiful forest area that backs onto the water inlet. The playground is about 100m away from the road, there are almost always families playing there and using the lying fox. There is a public toilet which is well maintained. The dog area is away from the playground and even further from the road. If you are running a dog, they can't even see the road and get good exercise on the gentle slopes. There are well constructed loop paths down even further away from the road, under the trees. Think quaint bridges across a bubbling creek (weather dependent) and shady massive native trees with grasses clearings and park benches to enjoy the view. There is actually two loops, one that follows the creek and a slightly longer one which follows the edge of the estuary. Although this back part of the park is leash on, I've always seen dogs roaming free with their owners.

Heron Park had been recommended to me in the past but I have only had a chance to get there this…read moreweek for the first time. Cool place! I welcomed the rolling hills, albeit small ones, with serene views of the hills off in the distance as I approached on foot from Great North Road. The more I walk along the pathway winding its way around these grassy mounds, the more the sound of traffic winds it way back. The play ground is set quite far back from the road which is great, otherwise safety would be a bit of a worry for parents. They also have a flying fox, fun for the older kiddies. A designated dog off leash area too, which by the look of the map is probably a bit too close to the road however. It was an enjoyable stroll amongst a very open area, with some well established trees and some young ones slowly maturing. If you want to get here by car, the entrance is on Cadman Avenue.

This is a reasonable sized park for a neighbourhood park. It is situated between St Leonards Ave…read moreand Watling Ave (which both run off Mt Eden Road). There is rolling grass, a playground, and even a tree swing to discover, which is popular with the kids. The perfect park for children to be able to play hide and seek in or my favourite game from back in the day 'go home stay home'. I visited this park a few times during the summer to just lie out in the sun with a book - very relaxing! So if you haven't yet discovered this local park, how about visiting it on the next sunny day, because I think it is pretty great.