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.

Eden Creative Recycling is a wonderful asset to the Auckland Community, particularly early…read morechildhood teachers and artists. This is a trust organisation that collects unwanted materials from businesses that have excess or unwanted items and then offers this multitude of stuff back into the community for those that may need or want to work in a more ecological and sustainable way. It is a great resource to teachers on a budget, but also most importantly teaches children the value in recycling and enhancing creativity. I use to work in this field not so long ago, so I have dealt with this company personally. There were off cuts of fabric, cardboard cylinders, hard plastic tubes, plastic bottle caps, paper, boxes, light metal tube things - many items! As you will see by the note on their website, they are no longer located on Akiraho Street in Mount Eden, however if you call Yvonne on 0274 879 116 you can arrange a time to go see what is on offer and have a chat. Did I mention that this stuff is free?

Growing up I was the sporty girl, math and reading were never my strengths. It was here at Kip…read moreMcGrath I managed to gain confidence in myself and my ability when it came to math and reading. It was here I felt they made it fun, with no pressure from my peers around me to get the answer right. At Kip McGrath everyone is in the same boat and here for the same reasons, to get extra tuition to help build the individuals confidence when it comes to learning. Margaret and Tom Eades are the owners who were there when I needed assistance and are still there to this day helping children you need extra support. They're both very encouraging people and do a great job running this little business. I have had a lot of friends do Kip McGrath growing up and I know they are all very thankful for the help they received. It's certainly worth the expense, especially as I find children learn better when it is someone who is not in their immediate family teaching them. This isn't just for children who struggle, all children can come here to help them excel in general school subjects. When learning, you can never have enough encouragement!

At first glance, I was a bit perplexed by The Mind Lab. Is it...a school? A café? A computer lab?…read more ...and then one day I got a whiff of some fine beans and was drawn in - what I found: ML is kiiiind of all three. Per their site: "The Mind Lab by Unitec is an inter-disciplinary lab designed to contexualise education in a 21st century setting." So basically, the idea is to provide a unique educational environment wherein children can discover his/her true passions. They also offer postgraduate programmes (mainly focused for teachers) to enhance these disciplines and practices. Cool, eh? And now, back to the café bit ;) Naturally, the parents /caregivers of said promising youth require a space to relax and enjoy some fine beverages...enter: ML's bright little café (which I recently found out is a branch of Coffee General). WIN for a nearby office worker such as myself who can now, too enjoy the positive vibes of the space. They have a variety of beans to choose from including Kokako, Rocket, Merito, Three Beans, etc - and they make them strong, the way I like it. The coffee is accompanied by a small piece of dark chocolate, just the perfecttt combination. If you'd like to stay a while, they also offer free wifi. Nice.

Drove by this place many time and finally got a chance to go in…read more There is a cafe at the entrance. Serves Underground coffee. The flat white I got was ok... not as smooth as some other places. Maybe its the beans they use that day, was on the sour side. Has an interesting decor. Lots of refurbished furniture up the front. A good place for a quick drink and brief meet up. Down the back they hold science/design classes for kids 4+. Looks really cool. For sure will bring my son here once he is old enough.

I did a two week bar course with this school in order to learn about bartending and coffee making…read more The barista part of the course is very limited and really quite poor, just a basic run through of how to use the machine, which took no more than 15 minutes. However, the bartending and cocktail making side of the course was excellent. You are taught all about the main base ingredients used in cocktails and what these are essentially made from. Then you get into more hands on learning as you go through a large number of popular cocktails that all bartenders should know how to make. At the end of the course, after you have learnt a number of essential skills and cocktail recipes, you are tested on both your knowledge of the theory and practical skills under pressure as you are required to make a few drinks for the teacher to inspect and taste. The course is the perfect balance of theory and practice, and I think having this experience and training behind me helped me to get a job overseas.