Auckland Council's Music in the Parks programme is on for the summer, so pack a picnic, roll out the blanket and chill for a while.
Auckland Council's Music in the Parks programme is on for the summer, so pack a picnic, roll out the blanket and chill for a while.
1. Better Half - We had to look it up, but the Ironman 70.3 championship is the half ironman (World Triathlon counts the swim, bike, run in miles, not metric). Superb bodies swim the Viaduct, ride the harbour bridge, run two laps of the waterfront. Check target="_blank">Auckland Transport for the road closures in the area before you head out.
• Waterfront wide • Sunday, 6.15am-3.30pm
2. Tyrannosaurus Heck - It's been a long time since dinosaurs roamed our turf, but this weekend, the folks at Butterfly Creek have reintroduced 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.
• Open 7 days • 9am to 5.30pm • Adults $27, kids $16, under 3s free
3. Shark attack - We know, we know, it's been a summer of sharks here at the Herald. But it's time to sort the facts from the fallacies at Kelly Tarlton's new state-of-the-art interactive shark mission zone. Track these creatures in the wild, follow a quest trail and view the sharks in Australasia's largest display colony.
4. Summer sounds good - After a poundingly huge day at Big Day Out, you'll be ready for the cool sweet sound of Aaradhna and her retro/metro doo-wop style. Auckland Council's Music in the Parks programme is on for the summer, so pack a picnic, roll out the blanket and chill for a while.
• Today, 2-6pm • Hayman Park, cnr of Davies Ave & Wiri Station Rd, Manukau • Free.
5. Beach retreats - You don't want to be fighting the crowds when today's promised scorcher fills the beaches. Here is our pick of the prettiest, emptiest spots around Auckland:
Head north to Sullivan's Bay at Mahurangi Regional Park or the ecology trail at Tawharanui Regional Park. Down south, the sand, surf and barbecues are calling at Tapapakanga Regional Park and Wahararau Regional Park.
Out west, try Bethells, Cornwallis, Kaitarakihi and Little Huia.
