When the sun is shining and the temperatures are soaring, there's nothing better than cooling off and going for a swim.
Auckland is blessed with a long and beautiful coastline, but you don't have to hit the beach to go for a splash this summer.
Take a look at our list below of just some of the pool and splashpad highlights from across the region:
Parnell Baths, Judges Bay
An Auckland institution, these baths are open only in the warmer months. If you want a taste of the sea (without any of the sand or strange creatures), the 60m salt-water pool is the largest in the country. And if you want a taste of the past, there’s retro charm everywhere.
Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Pool and Leisure Centre, Māngere
With five irregularly shaped outdoor pools, including a 2.6m “bombing” pool, splashpads and hydroslides, there’s something for all ages and abilities. Make a day of it and take a picnic to enjoy on the grass.
Other great splash pads across the region include Potters Park in Balmoral, Myers Park in the city centre, a large outdoor splash pad at Tōia Ōtāhuhu Pool and Leisure Centre, and the Waterview Reserve playground while water play facilities are dotted across the region.
Pt Erin Pools
This outdoor facility above Westhaven has welcomed millions of people through its gates over more than 50 years. It features a 33m unheated competition pool, a dive pool, hydroslides, basketball courts, a family spa and grassy areas to spread out.
Parakai Springs
Parakai Springs near Helensville offers a large outdoor pool heated to 32° and an open-air hot pool heated to 40°. But its best feature may be its two huge hydroslides. Go there if you like to switch between swimming and plunging through a tube into the water below.
Splash pads
Splash pads provide a safe place for kids of all ages and abilities to play in water and cool off over summer. Stanmore Bay’s pad was set up at Brightside Road as part of a joint venture between ANZ and Auckland Council, as was the splash pad at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga. Located alongside traditional playgrounds and landscaped picnic areas, they feature tipping water buckets, mist sprayers, elevated structures, water cannons and fountains.