On a wet and horrible day i find there is nothing better than escaping the reality of the outdoors by catching a movie at Hoyts in Wairau, with the cinemas always being warm and clean and giving myself an excuse to consume large amounts of movie food, it always helps the rain down the drain!

Laserforce is an awesome way to spend a rainy day! Swapping the grim conditions outside for a high-paced indoor galactic themed warzone.. Need i say more?

Forget completely about the weather outside and escape into your own Timezone! My head spins with the amount of arcade games on offer and they top it off by giving away prizes for playing.. win win win!

I’m a Sunday drive kind of guy but that’s out the window for me if the weather is wet and raining, usually in this situation i get myself to Action Raceway and get straight into the Go Karts. Fast pace, loud and exciting this place usually leaves me hoping for rain again next Sunday!

Nothing beats winding down a rainy afternoon by catching a flick at Berkeley Cinema in Takapuna, walking up the stairs to the foyer and smelling that fresh popcorn the closer you get really makes me forget about the weather and enjoy the atmosphere in the cinema.

Great team, great environment, great diving!

Some of the best diving to be had within an easy drive of Auckland's CBD - just less than an hour north of the skytower. and dive into another world!

Owned by the same couple that run Dive HQ, Albany - closer to the city for your convenience!

An engaging scuba school, based in South Auckland, catering for the large community of scuba divers that live there!

Central City based dive school with some of the best instructors in town!

Great horse treks and horseback riding place.

Country horse treks.

Just 45 minutes from Auckland

Horse riding with farm stay.

For me one of the best days out has to be to hire a bike and enjoy the new cycle paths Auckland has to offer…From taking them just for fish and chips to Mission Bay/ St Heliers to a full day out to Waiheke Island so I can tour the winery!

I Love bikes….and i love going to Woodhill to try out the trails…all well sign posted and a great set up if you like an adventure for all levels of bikers!

I love a walk around the Zoo…Its great value for money as i could spend all day there!

Get a Fullers ferry to this island… You can walk it by yourself or get the $5 guided tour which will teach you all about the birds and wildlife being re introduced to the island… Have a hike around…learn something….And take a picnic as theres no shop….Which i really like….sometimes….

Some much to love about Takapuna beach. Me? I like to cycle there from the CBD via the Devonport Ferry, then relax on the beautiful long beach with an ice cream. But there is lots of paddle boarding and watersports activities there to keep you entertained

Love the classes.. from Body Jam to Body Balance!

Best Yoga place I have been to! Barbara is such an amazing teacher in tune with each persons abilties

SUP classes- best work out EVER!!!!!! Great thing to do with friends especially in the summer!

New experience- and once you get used to the heat, a really good workout!

Fun for all ages, and a great way to keep fit too!

One of my favourite things to do in central Auckland is to jump on a bike and cycle along the Mission Bay waterfront. The views are stunning, there's a designated cycle lane (no need to worry about contending with cars on the road!), and in no time at all you arrive at a number of great beaches. All while getting exercise! Adventure Capital is great because their rental prices are much lower than others, they're so conveniently located and you always get friendly service.

These school holidays, switch off the TV and computer games and take the kids to The Mind Lab for fun, interactive programmes in topics like Movie Creation, Animation and Artistic Invention. Kids as young as 7 years old can participate in learning, experiencing and creating with the latest technology available. If only regular school was this fun!

It's all about Tasmanian devils and Australia these holidays at the Auckland Zoo. Take the kids to say g'day to the recent Tasmanian devil arrivals and explore their new home. There are daily encounters, lots of games, puzzles and activities, and kids even get a free mask with an activity book to become an official Auckland Zoo TasManiac!

It's never too early (or too late) to get your kids stuck into reading! The theme for these school holidays is 'Horrible Histories and Heroes', and all the branches of the Auckland Libraries will be hosting tons of great activities, for free! Go online to find out more about what's on at which locations. Make sure to swing by the Central City branch to check out their fantastic new fit-out of the children's area too.

There's something for everyone at Mt Albert Aquatic Centre. Kids will love the Caribbean-themed wave pool, where waves are generated at set intervals, and the hydro slide too. Adults can choose to relax in the hot spa or sauna rooms, or teach the little ones to swim in the wading pool. There's also a 25m lane pool where swimming lessons can be had.

$15 for over an hour of rock climbing! with all the equipment and training you need provided! Great family weekend activity - perfect for birthday parties.

Good wholesome fun! They also have a bar for the 18 plus members of the family and a great restaurant for everyone. You can take over the separate mezzanine bowling area for all your rowdy victory dances!

I loved loved loved being taken to the observatory when I was a wee lass. I’m sure kids these days are still fascinated in the great big universe out there. A family pass is $30 for two adults and three children - what a bargain!

A full day family pass (2 adults and 2 children) at $180 is pretty reasonable given the convenience of being located in Auckland. Great way to get the kids active for a day.

Entry is $6, skate hire is $3 and spectating is free - this is an amazing afforadable family activity and a good way to wear the kids out!

Learn to ski or just go for a muck around in the snow.

Lots of fun for the whole family!

Bowling, arcade games, air hockey and more. Lots of fun.

Perfect place to go on a rainy day. Traditional cinema like no other. Also has a bar inside so you can a glass of wine to take into the movie.

See sharks (or even dive with them!) and penguins. Something different for the whole family,

a wonderland of nature

Fun for kids feed and hold the farm animals and horsey rides. good spot for lunch

Amazing selection of crystals and fun stuff for kids. Nice cafe!!

beautiful butterflies and a big crocodile, good food kids love it

Fabulous location for a fun family picnic.

We were looking to for something to do with our toddler on a quiet Saturday. Found the Whangaparaoa Railway online and decided to give it a try. We were pleasantly surprised. For just $8 per person (free for under 2s) you get a trip on their miniature train, along with entry to the park. There are a number of farm animals including donkeys, chickens and rabbits, along with two fabulous playgrounds. Kids can climb into a small plane and fire engine, or check out one of three playhouses which have a number of toys inside. There is also a bush walk to enjoy, but watch out for the mosquitos!

Great place for kids, a room full of magnificent butterflies, a miniature train, dinosaur park and friendly farm animals to feed!

We went here on a Saturday morning and were pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. Kids get the opportunity to hold some of the smaller animals before heading out to the farm where they can get up close to and feed a variety of friendly farm animals including goats, pigs, cows, chickens and lamas. Included in the prices are unlimited pony rides and the chance to view the farm and breathe in some fresh country air on the back of a tractor. There is also a small cafe and quirky gift shop located onsite. A must-do for families with young children!

Manukau Live Steamers run miniature trains in Centre Park Mangere. Although there was only one train running when we went due to lack of staff, it was great fun and my little girl really enjoyed it. For just $2 a ride and discounts available if you buy multiple tickets, you get a thrilling trip around the park which includes a tunnel section. This is one that can be enjoyed by both children and their parents!

Another great one for the kids, with a miniature train, pony rides, farm animals to feed, a small roller coaster and more!

Challenging for everyone and levels for everyone. One way to get over your fear of heights! Can’t show the kids you’re scared stiff. Totally recommend it

Perfect when you can't get to the real thing to keep your hand in. Great day for the kids

If you love to bike and love the outdoors then you’ll love this. Great fun outing for everyone. Simple setting, if you don’t want to ride somewhere nice to sit to read a book and relax while the family is out there. Great for birthday parties

great choice of two different courses in a stunning setting. The newer side is awesome to play

One of the coolest children's activities for little ones who love animals in Auckland by far. Butterfly Creek is home to one of the largest tropical butterfly houses in New Zealand and, whether you are young or old, it's a total must-see. There's also lots of other animals at Butterfly Creek, including life-sized dinosaurs.

I love the idea of paintball but to be honest, I'm a bit of a sissy, which is why I was super-stoked to discover that Lock N Load Paintball at Auckland Airport has a low-impact paintball option, perfect for kids (and big kids like me!). With a whole lot of different themed fields (my wishlist includes tackling the UFO landing and Wild West), this is a very cool spot to play paintball put together by industry professionals.

Want to take the kids to an outdoor activity that builds their confidence and gets them working together as a team? Go no further than Rocket Ropes at Auckland Airport. This outdoor high ropes course is a gem of a family activity to try on a beautiful summer day.

I love Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens in Kumeu because it's one of the only places in Auckland where you can pick your own strawberries. A truly Kiwi summer tradition, you can head out into their abundant strawberry patches from Boxing Day onwards. Because nothing tastes better than a sun-ripened, juicy strawberry straight off the vine.

I've lived in Auckland all my life and until today I never knew how cool this art installation at North Wharf truly is. It's all about showing Auckland's history, as well as being a spot where you can create art and sound by speaking into the installation. Look for the big, silver sculptures sticking out of the ground and then have a play. I hid in one and scared a friend as she walked past. Awesome fun!