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.

This reserve /beach is a lovely beach to come to, its located in between Campbells Bay and Milford…read moreBeach. Its a lovely beach for kids as the water is quite shallow and very small waves so they can run around it in without you being too anxious. Some people might not like the fact that its lined with rocks, however for smaller children its actually quite nice as it gives them something to explore and learn about. My toddler had great fun running around in the water today and picking up and throwing the rocks and it was lovely and warm due to it being shallow. There is also a walk you can do along the coast via JF Kennedy Memorial walkway, you can then continue walking onto Campbells Bay via Beach road if you wish, you will get some beautiful views from here. This reserve has a small but nice playground for the kids, and a great big tree for the older ones to climb. The reserve also has some shaded areas if you don't want to be right under the sun.

Castor Bay Beach is aiiight. It's not huge but it's quite sheltered, more so than neighbouring…read morebeaches, Milford & Campbell. There's a small children's playground at one end and basic shower/toilet facilities. Parking is limited. Easily my favourite time to go to Castor Bay is low tide. Then you can climb around the rocks at the north end to this small secluded beach below Kennedy Park. I'm pretty sure that dogs are allowed off leash here too, even in the peak of Summer. If you're feeling energetic, climb the steep stairs and check out the WWII gun emplacements and tunnels. They're not as good as the ones at North Head but still, pretty impressive!

I'm always surprised by how busy the Milford Cruising Club is. It seems every time I take the pups…read moredown for a wander at the park, there is some sort of event on there. They host everything from business meetings to 21st to drinks after the fun run that is on every Wednesday. Suffice to say the venue is available for hire and probably has a capacity of around 200pax (don't quote me on that). It definitely isn't as flash as the RNZYS but it has more of a community vibe to it and there's plenty of free parking (provided it isn't the weekend on a hot Summer's day). They also have a pool table and a bar so if you're looking for a casual drink and a game, this could be your spot.

Situated in the beautiful and peaceful Milford area, the Milford Cruising Club is a great venue and…read moreRSA type club. I went here for a very good friend's 21st and it was an awesome night. It's a completely different vibe when you get out of the city for events. It's just more relaxed, people seem to care more about having a good time and spending time with friends. This place compliments these feelings perfectly. Sitting on the grass looking over Milford Park, The Marina and the beach, it's great for both day and night celebrations. Inside the place is pretty large with the quintessential plaques and photos adorning the walls. the bar is simple but well equipped and the people are lovely. Sit out on the deck in the sun, or pull up a chair inside with your mates. Check out the website for upcoming events and find out how to become a member.

Rangitoto was definitely a highlight of our visit to Auckland. We had a free day and wanted to get…read moresome exploring in, so we took the 10:30 ferry ride on over which was quick and beautiful. The range in microclimate hiking to the summit was fascinating. There were times where it was unbearably hot and then others when it was cool and wet. So interesting! The views, unsurprisingly, were magnificent.

We booked this tour through Fullers/360 Discovery Tours. They made it very simple to find the…read morecorrect dock, pick up our ferry tickets, and hop on board to the island. It was a fun little cruise to Rangitoto and then a very well organized tour and hike once there. We boarded an open-sided cart pulled by a truck/tractor, and it drove us all over the island - with our guide pointing out neat sights along the way, including volcanic fields, old dwellings where the WWII soldiers used to bunk, and some flora and fauna that we passed: birds and pōhutukawa trees (of which Rangitoto is the largest forest in the world). We stopped at the foot of the summit, and those who wanted to venture to the top hopped onto the boardwalk that runs alongside the mountain. It was an easy climb along the flat winding boardwalk, but the views do get a little daunting for those afraid of heights. There is a stop along the way called the crater summit track. Here you can walk around the edge/ring of this very large and very deep volcanic crater. There were lots of beautiful trees and scenic views to stop and see/snap photos of along the way. You can see Motutapu Island from the summit, where it connects to Rangitoto. Our guide said that some people hike from Rangitoto to Motutapu along the causeway connection, but we did not have time for that on this tour. Once we snagged our photos at the top of the summit, we headed back down and then boarded the vehicle again to meander back around the island to the dock and start our journey home. Overall, I would say this island (as part of a tour or a self guided hike with your own ferry pass) is a great way to spend a day. Hiking, beautiful views, and the sights of New Zealand that you don't get from just staying in Auckland!

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.

I have been shopping there for over 7 years as a local and I found the couple who run this dairy…read moreshop extremely helpful, honest, friendly and great service, reasonable pricing on their product. I Highly recommend locals to experience what I have experience the last 7years.

Five big fat stars. This has been my dairy for 24 years and I love it. Like actually love…read more It kind of weirds me out to think that if it had a camera on the door it would show me from being pushed in in a pram to now. I should ask them if they do have a video actually... From Fridays after school when mum gave us $2.50, to picking up some mixers, this has alwasy been my go-to. Now you may be thinking, 'yeh but every dairy has that,' and you'd be right. But not every dairy has Sajel. Sajel is the lovely lady that greest me and all my family by name as we walk in. (this can be a little embarrassing as others on the shop must think I go there everyday) but it;s lovely. She asks how we're going and alwasy remembers which sister is which - my mum and dad can't do this sometimes. There is a massive range of lollies and chips, and one of the best drick selections this side of the bridge. There's also a great magazine rack, random toiletries and baking products and different specials each day. I love place, I love people who love their jobs. If you go here, say Hannah says hi.

One of my random interests is geology - looking at rocks in many cases is literally like looking…read moreback in time. The North Shore coast is littered with geological time capsules, and the Takapuna Reef is one of the most incredible. For this reason, I consider it worth a listing of its own, despite Takapuna Beach and Thorne Bay already being listed. The reef sort of sits in between the two beaches, and is a bit of an overlooked gem I feel - we're too intent on fun in the sun to stop for some rocks haha... Takapuna Reef is about as clear as geological time capsules get. The black rocks are lava from the eruption of the nearby Lake Pupuke. What's remarkable about the rocks are the holes and moulds you can see in the rocks - these were formed when the lava surged through a forest during the eruption. Basically, the lava washed the trees away and as the lava cooled it solidified around the tree trunks. As the trunks decomposed over time, they left holes which you can still see today. For this reason, geologists call the reef a 'fossil forest'. When you go down there you can see right where the trees would have been all those thousands of years ago. Really amazing we have such a well preserved bit of geological history so well preserved in Auckland.

This is an open letter to the good gentlemen who operate the Lotto. Dear Sirs, please can you pick…read morethe correct numbers, as I am doing my share by filling in the little form. The reason I would like you to pick the correct numbers, is so that I can buy a small bach near Mairangi Bay beach. The small beach on Auckland's East Coast Bays, is just the place where I can see myself living. The water is good for swimming, the beach is not too big, and not too small, and the eye candy is plentiful. There is just enough parking to keep away the masses, and it is just a short walk away from Mairangi Bay village. A village filled with excellent dining options, and all the facilities a Lotto winner will need. Thank you, I await your selection.

This golden sand beach is wonderful as it's just behind the strip of many great little cafes and…read moreshops as well as one of the beaches along East Coast bays with the concrete walkway. It's connected to Murrays one way and Campbell's the other way and makes for a nice treat, especially with a buddy or a 4-legged companion. It's best at low tide but it was also a shrieking-good surprise with the waves coming in at high tide as well. The grass is elevated behind a stone wall from the beach with swings above the sand. The Mairangi Bay Surf Life saving Club sits just to one corner with patrols during the weekends. We came and saw littles running one weekend morning doing their water safety training. There were also heaps of people in the water and as well as boat taken out. Definitely a great one for summer

If you've got the time and the energy it is possible to walk this whole stretch along the north…read moreshore bays. It is best to check the LINZ website for the tide charts before you depart - although there is a high tide alternative through some back streets, as well as a track (so you won't get stranded). You can also of course just do sections of the walk. I did a very small section today - a short stroll from Mairangi Bay to Murrays Bay. I walked along the cliff top walkway, with water views and bush, not to mention some nice houses to look at along the way! When I walked back to Murrays Bay I walked along the rock boardwalk on the beach. It took me about twenty minutes all up and it was really enjoyable. I am keen to go back and do a longer stretch another day. Both these bays had swings for the kids and I noticed Murrays bay had toilets, as well as a wharf which people were fishing off. One day I might even attempt the full walk and get the bus back to my car. The North Shore Coastal Walkway is a great scenic walk.