Western Park

Just a stone's throw from the heart of Ponsonby is the large green oasis of Western Park, it was opened in 1879 and is one of the oldest parks in Auckland.The location makes the southern parts of the park rather steep, so that it is accessed by boardwalk stairs descending from Hopetoun Street or steep paths from Ponsonby Road, while the main entry is from Beresford Street West or lower Howe Street. It includes a Playground, Fitness Trail and Public Toilets.

Expect to see beautiful established puriri, tanekaha, karaka, rimu, pohutukawa and Morton Bay fig trees in the park.

Stroll through Western Park on the wide, sealed path. Parts of the route are fairly hilly. The colourful playground will appeal to kids of all ages. There are two slides for racing, treehouses, swings, a seesaw, balancing features, small trampolines and a flying fox. The 25m slide is one of the highest and longest in Auckland. The lower level play area features a wheelchair-friendly basket swing and spinning apparatus.

If you're feeling sporty, pack your tennis racquets or a soccer ball for a friendly game in the park after your walk.  There is also a fitness trail.

Dog exercise:

The upper part of the park is an off-leash area for dogs. Observe on-site signage, as dogs are not permitted on the sports field or playground area (west of the sports field).

History

Wikipedia had history on the park which made for an interesting read  -

The park dates back to the late-19th century, and is considered one of the city's most distinguished open spaces. It may be considered Auckland's oldest Municipal park as the Auckland Domain was created by Central Government. The original parcel of land set aside in 1871 consisted of a coffin-shaped wedge going from Ponsonby Road down to Beresford Street, with access to the park being gained from a very narrow frontage on Ponsonby Road. This was land on each side of the stream, which in pre-European times had been called Tuna-Mau by the local Maori, meaning 'the trapping of eels. The stream was one of several which emptied into Freeman Bay, now reclaimed as Victoria Park.

In 1873, the City Council decided to call for a new park design, and declared that the sum of ten guineas/pounds (then quite a sum) would be awarded as prize money to the creator of the winning design. Out of 11 different concepts that were submitted, the 'Lily of the Valley' design of Hammond and Blackmore was chosen for the new "City Park". Western Park, as it was eventually called, was soon finished, at a cost of £200 and in 1874 the City Parks Committee did note that "upwards of 1100 deciduous and coniferous trees of the choicest kind [were] to be planted in the park.

The grounds were laid out in accordance with the lay of the land; with paths winding down the hill from Ponsonby Road to a small flat area at the bottom of the site. The top of the park enjoyed views of the Waitemata Harbour and the city while the lower area could be used for activities. The park's expansive planting scheme of trees made it an arboretum, a popular and fairly new concept at the time. Many of the specimen trees were gifts of prominent citizens, in particular Sir George Grey and Sir Maurice O'Rorke (Speaker of the House). The park was vested with the City Council in 1875 and in 1879 the Auckland Star reported the city following the example of 'the civilised world' with the official opening on November 17.

The eastern edge is almost largely bounded by the grounds of Auckland Girls Grammar School which has occupied that site since 1909 taking the place of earlier educational and government facilities. Visually the two areas of greenery merge into one another. On the western edge of the park are private residences, mostly late 19th century. Their presence goes unnoted for the most part as they are largely obscured by mature trees.