Daylight saving ends on 6 April and it’s natural to feel a shift this time of year. But shorter days don’t mean shorter experiences. There’s plenty to do to make the most of Auckland, even when there are fewer hours of sunshine. Take the opportunity to embrace this season of change with new ideas to boost your mood, from maximising vitamin D to rediscovering the warmth of a brisk walk.
Out to lunch
For those who work or study indoors, the end of daylight saving time can often mean that, in the height of winter, your days start and end in darkness. Reduced daylight hours can limit your ability to produce vitamin D, which is not only linked to bone health and muscle function, but has been shown to affect the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s key for mood regulation and happiness.
One way to squeeze more vitamin D into your day is by spending your lunch break outdoors. It’s hip to be square when it comes to lunchtime eating options for workers in the central city. Auckland’s well-known public squares include Aotea Square, Te Komititanga at the bottom of Queen Street, and Britomart’s Takutai Square where you can enjoy your lunch while relaxing on beanbags. If you feel the need to be close to the water, Queens Wharf is also an ideal spot to enjoy your lunchtime with some seaside views.
The beanbags get put out at Takutai Square in Britomart on sunny days – a great spot to have a relaxing lunch.
If you prefer the park life, then Myers Park is an urban oasis, packed with park benches poised for sandwich or sushi eating. Alternatively, you can eat your lunch while admiring the fountain and heritage trees at Albert Park. In Freyburg Place, the table and chairs outside the Ellen Melville Centre offer a great spot to chat with a coworker, while the tiered seating opposite is a sunny spot not far from many great High Street eateries (in case you left your lunch at home).
Reclaim your evening
While long summer evenings can get busy, autumn and winter are a chance to reclaim some ‘me time’ by taking a night class. If you’re keen to develop your artistic side, try the Contemporary Painting Class at Te Tuhi in Pakuranga, or get your hands dirty at the Fundamentals of Clay class at Corban Estate Arts Centre or Evening Clay Making at Mairangi Arts Centre.
If you’d like to combine your art with exercise, try the yoga and art immersion class at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Or maybe you’d prefer to spend your evenings learning a language – why not drop in to Kōrero Mai! at Mt Roskill Library and improve your conversational te reo Māori?
Weekend walks
The quieter months in autumn and winter are great times to visit spots that are very popular over summer such as Karekare in Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Karekare Falls is only a five-minute walk from the carpark, and is great if combined with a beach walk along the rugged coastline where The Piano was filmed.
A family-friendly winter walk opinion is Te Ara Tahuna / Ōrewa Estuary Path on the Hibiscus Coast. This 80-minute scenic loop path is scooter, bike, pram and skateboard friendly (the track even goes past a skateboard park). If you’re bored over the weekend why not tread the boards – boardwalks that is. There are many to try, including the recently upgraded Shepherds Park in Beach Haven, Bucklands Beach Path where you can enjoy Rangitoto views, Mangawhau / Mt Eden overlooking the city – there’s even a boardwalk at Auckland Zoo if you’d prefer to go ape!
The boardwalk at Shepherds Park is ideal for a weekend walk.
Focus on fitness
When you put your clocks back on 6 April, take the opportunity to have a fitness reset. Even when the weather is wet, there are heaps of ways to stay active at Auckland Council Pool and Leisure centres. Reach your daily step count on the treadmill or improve bone density with weight-bearing exercises in one of the Council’s gym facilities. For extra motivation, try a group fitness class – such as cardio and core – or if you want to dance with somebody, try a dance-based class like Zumba and Barre. For a wheelie good time, try a stationary bike class. If team sports are more your jam, then prove your net worth with sports such as basketball, pickleball or badminton.
The fitness centre at Albany Stadium Pool features cardio equipment such as treadmills and rowing machines, as well as free weights and other exercise machines.
Leaf through a book
After all that exercise, you deserve a rest. The cooler months are the perfect time to make a dent in your reading list. Keen to get your hands on that book everyone is talking about?
Visit your local Auckland Council library and explore the Bestie collection, which features new and bestselling books available with no holds or renewals, meaning you can pick up a copy and read it right away.
Set up a cosy reading cocoon at home with a thrifted mug and warm blanket from your local Community Recycling Centre (CRC), or bring a mat and a warm coat to a park and read outdoors – perhaps enjoying the autumn leaves as you leaf through a book? Great parks to enjoy autumn colour include the Pukekawa / Auckland Domain, Albert Park and Victoria Park.
