We are fortunate in Tauranga to have so many parks and reserves, some well-known and utilised and others not much. I encourage you to visit one of the many reserves in our city.

Gordon Carmichael Reserve is a 60-hectare reserve home to native plants, wetlands and a variety of birds.

The reserve is located between the Mayfield subdivision in Bethlehem, and Brookfield.

Features include a playground and an outdoor classroom area, which is used for Learning Through Discovery programmes. More than two kilometres of walkways wind through this reserve, including 230 metres of boardwalk lined with native plants.

These walkways provide excellent walking and cycling links between Bethlehem, Brookfield and Bellevue.

Mclaren Falls Park

Ten minutes drive from Greerton is McLaren Falls Park, which is 190 hectares of pastoral and horticultural parkland set alongside Lake McLaren.

The park is popular for camping, fishing, kayaking, wedding photos, picnics, bush walks and summertime concerts.

It's also home to one of the best botanical collections of trees in the North Island.

Thanks to the Tree Society and volunteers who have done an amazing job over many years.

One of the highlights of the park is the Waterfall Track where you can see glow worms after dusk.

Enjoy a short, easy stroll to the picturesque waterfall and spot the glow worms on either side of the track. Part of the Waterfall Track is also wheelchair and mobility scooter-friendly.

Opening hours: winter 7.30am-5.30pm. Slow vehicle access is available throughout the park for easy access to picnic areas.

Gates open for outgoing vehicles after closing time, so you don't need to be in a hurry to leave: stay and enjoy the glow worms.

Yatton Park

Yatton Park is in Tauranga South, south of the Merivale shops. The park is open 8am-5pm during winter. Known by tangata whenua as Te Tutarawananga a Tamatea-arikinui, Yatton Park was once the location of a pa site to which Nga Te Ahi, Ngati Ruahine and Ngai Tamarawaho have connections. Yatton Park's unique collection of exotic and native tree species is both a city and nationally significant arboretum.

Since many of the Yatton Park trees were planted around the same time in the same area, they have competed against each other for height rather than growing outwards.

So many of the trees are among the tallest of their species in the country – they were planted around 1866.

Thanks to Tauranga City Council website for Parks and Reserves information.