Butterfly Creek Dinosaur Park Opening
It's been a long time since dinosaurs roamed our turf. This weekend the folks at Butterfly Creek have upped the scaly things with teeth from their crocodiles and alligators to some 40 dinosaurs - roaring animatronics that are scarily real, including a massive tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops and diplodocus. Check out the fossil skeleton replicas, take part in dinosaur activities, win prizes and more. Scaaaary.
Details: Open 7 days, 9am to 5.30pm. Adults $27, kids $16, under 3s free. Visit here for more info.
Shark attack at Kelly Tarlton's
If all those shark warnings on the Coromandel have you staying out of the water, it's time to check out Kelly Tarlton's new state-of-the-art interactive shark mission zone. Play interactive games, experience spectacular 360 degree visuals and learn fascinating facts about this misunderstood species. With New Zealand's leading shark research programme to track these creatures in the wild, follow a quest trail and view the sharks in Australasia's largest display colony.
Details: Visit the website here.
Beasts on screen
Take a big screen adventure in the 3D Walking with Dinosaurs movie. Seriously set in the Late Cretaceous period (look it up: 70 million years ago) computer animated dinosaurs are seamlessly blended into real landscapes shot in Alaska and New Zealand. Nothing scary here (or plenty of warning so you can hide, if there is) this is one for the kids. An air conditioned theatre and an icecream is one way to beat the summer heat.
Details: Check out our review here and visit your local cinema website for session times.
Edible beasties
We'll have to wait til Monday to head to the newly renovated Cazador, one of Auckland's only game restaurants. Chef Dariush Lolaiy and his wife Rebecca Smidt have spent the summer renovating the family restaurant they took over last year, adding a bar. The 80s have gone from the décor then. Vegos don't bother turning up for the super-interesting bar snacks (chicken hearts, venison livers). Dariush has the grill fired up for roast Denver legs of venison, and chargrilled fillets of wild razorback boar. Beasts you can eat. We like.
Details: To book a table email reservations@cazador.co.nz or call 09 6208730.
This weekend's weather:
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