Huge area to take kids for a play, Has alot of land and most…read moreof it has a path. Can get abit muddy in places but still avoidable. Has a duck pond for tots and a playground for primary kids and forts for older kids.

Sir Barry Curtis Park in Flatbush was opened in 2009. Today was our first visit. The walkways are…read moreextensive but many of them come to a sudden dead-end. Random hills with no paths. And extremely muddy after rain (today we got mud splashed to above our knees!). As it is a new park, there is a lack of mature trees. It appears that a great deal of ratepayers money has been spent on this park, and apart from the children's playground and skateboard park, there is nothing to attract walkers. We would have liked to have seen gardens and a cafe for starters. And an off leash dog exercise area. However it looks as though is a fun place for children to ride bikes and scooters.

Probably the most aptly named road you'll find, Pigeon Mountain Rd leads to indeed, Pigeon Mountain…read moreWetlands. Named after the Pigeons that used to live here, this dormant volcano is now home to cute pukekos, stilts and swampland. There's plenty of board walks, gravel roads and shrubbery to guide yourself through. I took my dog along (they have to stay on the leash) and she found the wire netting on the board walk extremely weird. She kept dancing on it like it was hot coals! Incredibly funny. Then the pukeko's arrived to size her up, and she was ready to flee. They were far more afraid of her than she was of them though, as they quickly leapt off the board walk and into the flax! Anyway, it's a pleasant, short walk for those inclined to take adventures around East Auckland.

I always thought Pigeon Mountain was a euphamism for a really big pile of pigeon poo. So you can…read moreimagine what I thought Pigeon Mountain Wetland was. These misunderstandings aside, I love walking here these days I bring my dog and she has a great time being alternately brave and fearful of the pukekos. I adore getting so close up to pukeko, they're such little weirdos, but really cute. This is a nice place to bring out-of-towners who are into photography - they'll be able to get some amazing shots. The walkway is in good condition and the walk isn't too long, so it's nice for the whole family too.

Excellent walkway from panmure lagoon all the way up to Farm cove. Scenic views and minimal foot…read moretraffic. Highly recommend on a good day.

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.

This area was extremely hard to find info on! It seems…read morelargely forgotten about and I'm sure there's a story behind the random piles of scoria rock . The council signs are suggesting archeology site , but with no information it's hard to get the gist of what's here . Although I did see a pretty big pheasant here and tried to sneak up on him to get a selfie but was too slow and he jumped the fence .

In the area that used to be a quarry is now the Stonefields housing development …read more This is a really nice park to come to , when it's not blowing a gale as the wind really rips through here . There is plenty of bird life about ducks , pukekos . And on the day I was there a lovely display by some swallows dipping in above the lake area . I also got screamed at by a pukeko or purple swamp hen if your Australian . There is a sign about saying please don't feed the ducks bread as it rots in the water and makes them ill , so bring seed instead . Lots of native trees have been planted too Parking is avaliable on the street . And after you've seen and done the park area there is Charlie and George cafe in the Stonefields shopping area .

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.

After having worked near this beast of a mountain for over a year , And after a talk with Alex D…read moreabout what things u you should do in this super city of ours , I was prompted to check out Mt Wellington . Maungarei / Mount Wellington was used as a pā, and its flanks, particularly on the eastern side, are covered in food storage pits and terraced house sites. That wee fact above pasted from Wiki was just as amazing to me , I had no idea it was a pā site . I'm guessing you need to be a athlete of sorts to run up it as I've seen many do , however that was a non option for me today , I will try to tackle that in the future though . With views for as far as you can see !! And a great place for a picnic . If you have visitors from overseas bring them here ! Way less crowds than Mt Eden and One Tree Hill .

Mount Wellington is the most sinister of the "mountains" around Auckland (cynical South Islanders,…read morechuckle now). If it wasn't the model for Maurice Gee's terrifying Under the Mountain, it should have been. I shudder just to look at it. If you like, you can drive up it. Or, if you're a sadist, run up it. At the top is a rest stop with room for approximately 1.5 cars, overlooking Panmure (not the most visually spectacular of the Auckland suburbs), and on the other side, the old quarry, which now has a pretentious name because they are infilling it with ticky-tacky houses that all look the same as the others (which I've heard is a real challenge when you come home slightly tipsy - lots of knocking on the neighbours' doors and apologies ensue).