Sanders Reserve

Paremoremo’s Sanders Reserve is a mountain biking park that has a dedicated track for kids within view of the carpark (specifically for kids under 10), as well as 20km of more advanced trails.

A great spot for a day trip and a picnic, it’s recently been recognised as being amongst the best parks in the world, receiving a Green Flag Award for 2016/17. A Green Flag represents the very highest levels of park management standards in terms of community involvement, public safety, maintenance and sustainability.

If your kids are keen to go on the more advanced trails, remember that they’re gravel, so long pants might be a good idea first time round.

There is a lovely seating area under the big roof, which provides good shade in summer, and shelter from the rain in winter. There are also picnic tables and a big tree right next to the kids’ track, so plenty of options for places to sit and/or picnic. A big toilet block there also has showers (great for winter when it’s muddy).

The playground has lots of equipment to keep the kids entertained for ages. It’s not fully enclosed though, and it’s close to the car park, so you will need to keep an eye on your kids.

It’s around 30 minutes drive from downtown Auckland. To get there, head north on SH1, exit at Greville Rd, drive through Albany Village, take the turn towards Paremoremo, go left onto Merewhiwa Road, and follow the signs from there.