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.

Pretty cool park with a neat little road track with stop signs and stuff for kids (and some adults)…read moreto learn the road rules, and a funky swing that looks like something out of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. And... A ridiculously steep slide!!! Check out my pics and read the tip on this one, you're gonna need it... I can hear you shiver with antici - - - - pation!

Matakana Country Park is a great place to take the kids; there is SO much for them to do. The…read moreanimal farm is always a winner (and if not an experience at least!). It's free entry and then for $3 you can buy a little bag of nibbles to feed the animals. There are sheep, goats, an emu, a very big pig and even llamas. There are also pony rides (so cute) and train rides. When they tire of the animals there's a large colourful playground complete with a giant Buzzy Bee, Nemo and a pirate ship. It can be pretty hard to pull them away from the playground, but you can always entice them off with a fluffy and piece of cake from the 'Speckled Hen Café' on site also.

Just had a bite at Catalina and need to walk the dog so I meandered over through the park and to…read morethe playground. What a great space with its cool climbing structures that look like pieces of sculpture art and are loads of fun for the kids to play on. This will be an anchor in the new community that is going to include hundreds of new houses and schools. The playground is surrounded by native plantings and wide open spaces with shady trees. This playground and surrounding park will form part of a coastal walk and cycleway.

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.

This a great revitalized area in Auckland. It's a great walk from the CBD. And there are dozens of…read morerestaurants. An urban park and even cooler there's an Asian set of stands on the weekend. Delicious. Besides the theater and the shops there's at lots of condos and great city and bay views.

Restaurants, the civic center, Hyatt and children playing. A nice walkway on route to the fish…read moremarket.

I walk or drive past this park pretty much every single day and have never really paid it much…read moreattention until I was stuck in traffic outside it the other day as the sun was setting and it struck me how beautiful the view is from there. You can literally see all the way out to Hobson Bay. It's always got stuff going on too: games of cricket (as it's home to Parnell Cricket Club), which attract really big crowds, kids sports games and I even see crazy people doing bootcamp there at stupid times of the morning. It has the distinct advantage of being completely flat, which is something of a rarity in parks in Auckland, I've noticed! When there's nothing going on there, it's the perfect place to just go chill out in the sun with a book or take the dog for a walk. It's really clean, well maintained and reasonably quiet around when is isn't rush-hour traffic time.

Also known as Shore Road and Bloodworth Park, Thomas Bloodworth Park is great for all different…read morekinds of activities. We usually utlilise the park for games of touch and the occasional game of kicks, however it is now used by a wide range of groups. The flat ground is ideal for sport and it doesn't get too wet during the winter. Floodlights are also available, if organised with the council. There are fitness classes held here such as boot camps, it is home to the Parnell Cricket Club, with pitches across both areas of the park in summer, with nets at both ends. There is a track which has been built which borders Hobson Bay, providing a scenic route for runners and walkers alike. There is a playground near the cricket club facilities with a regular coffee cart frequenting the carpark. Other vendors include florists, grocers, sushi, and sometimes even whitebait if you're lucky.

Little Oneroa is to the east of the popular, touristy beach, Oneroa. I've driven past it a tonne of…read moretimes en route to Onetangi and Palm Beach and never really thought it had much to offer but as it turns out, I was wrong. We came here for a day at the beach last weekend and I was pretty damn impressed with all this petite, rather secluded beach had to offer. Plenty of shade, picnic tables, a bbq, playground, toilets, somewhat scummy showers, a dairy for refreshments, a fish 'n chip shop and food stand, Dragonfired, which is open 7 days a week during summer, just churning out woodfired pizzas and other such delectables. Although being a steamy AKL day, the beach wasn't at all crowded and we were able to nab a possie on the grass with a bit of a shade and a picnic table. It was absolute bliss! Definitely worth a look as an alternative to the hustle & bustle of the other Waiheke beaches.