Onehunga Bay Reserve

This park seems to be a dogs idea of heaven. Water to swim in, birds to chase and other dogs to play with. I can see the other reviewers misgivings and for sure this place is far from perfect .
But there is a large car park and a new playground so in time when its finished it will/​might be a bit better .
The public toilets are always clean and have toilet paper which believe me is hard to come by in some public facilities .
You can walk a circuit around the Bay Area and if I had a dog I would bring them here .
Side note: some people are far from pro active in picking up their dog waste so watch where you step.

Zuzu & I went here on Boxing Day, it was the first time Zuzu touched sand or gotten his feet wet other than a puddle. So it was a day of firsts for him. This place lacks a warm & inviting vibe that we have experienced in other dog friendly parks. In saying that… Zuzu looked happy enough, I just don’t know if we’ll be back.

I am confused about Onehunga. There’s long been a campaign to «restore the foreshore», particularly since the State Highway 20 extension going through the bottom of the suburb was completed. It’s an admirable idea but let’s face it, it’s a bit late — there’s giant cement tanks at the wharf, power pylons galore and yes, a motorway.
My confusion arises from the fact that a lot of time and resources have been poured into the campaign for restoration of the beach but economically the suburb has been slowly falling in to a wasteland with more and more businesses going under or up and leaving. Surely supporting these businesses to create a thriving local economy would be of more benefit and bring more life to this special piece of Auckland?
Anyway, the Onehunga Bay Reserve is located right next to the motorway and used to look fairly attractive and green with a lagoon, a playground and a fitness trail. Currently it is undergoing a massive renovation and looks crappy but in two years time there will apparently be a reclaimed beach here. It’s hard to believe but I hope it’s true. Like I said, I’m just not that sure that this is where the money needed to be spent.