So, the sun is shining all of your working week, only to make a turn for the worse over the weekend, right? But what about the hours after work left to bask in the sunshine? It’s time to start making the most of them and try some of these non-lame activities.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding A.K.A SUP
Sup boarding is perfect for the temps we’ve got going on at the moment—a bit too cold for a swim, but warm enough to want to be out on the water. If you’ve got a SUP board, make it your mission to head out on the water a few times a week. If you don’t have one, you can always hire one at Mission Bay, Takapuna, St Heliers, or Bayswater, to name a few.
Havana Club Rum Race Series
It’s time to befriend someone with a yacht, a racing yacht that is, and get involved with the Rum Race series. Never heard of it? The Havana Club Rum Races are short-course boat races every Friday. What more fun could there be than setting sail on the ocean while trying not to fall overboard and washing back some rum? Find out the deets here.
Play Tennis
If you enjoy a bit of a run around, have a hit of tennis on a weeknight. If you’re a bit of a newbie, book yourself into a weekly group lesson. That way, you’ll make some new tennis mates and be able to add it to your list of hobbies.
Attend A Pasta Workshop
Pasta & Cuore in Mt Eden Village host regular pasta-making workshops. There’s a basic class, where you learn how to mix, knead, roll and cut the pasta. And, once you’ve nailed this class you can go on and try your hand at the filled pasta workshop. Create tortellini, ravioli and mezzelune. Delicious!
Learn A Language
When people ask if you can speak other languages, do you always wonder why you never continued the French lessons you learned at school? Well, we did. Take it upon yourself to relive the high school years and learn a language. It’ll also make it more appealing and give more reason to attend the country of said language. Check out a few language classes here!
Join A Run Club
We know it can be less than appealing at the best of times to want to get out for a run after work—sometimes you just need a wine instead! If you join a run club, you’ll have a commitment to keep, so you may want to turn down that glass of vino, or at least until post run. If you need a head start on what run club to join, there’s the Adidas Run Club every Tuesday starting from Platinum Sports Co, or Nike Run Club every Wednesday from the Britomart Nike store, and Sole Squad with the Lululemon Britomart team every Thursday.
Learn The Art Of Ceramic Making
If you need to wind down from the working week and are trying to cut back on the daily wines, ceramic making is another form of de-stressing. It is very therapeutic to get your hands dirty and make a mess, while trying to craft the perfect bowl. There’s Ceramic College and Auckland Studio Potters to start your arts career.
Practice Outdoor Yoga
Sometimes you need to stretch it out after a long day’s work hunched over a computer screen. What better way to do this than with an outdoor yoga class? Bikes & Bends brings yoga to Wynyard Quarter, so you can get your Zen on while looking out at the ocean. There are two after-work sunset sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5.45pm-6.45pm.
Rock Climbing
If you want something a bit more challenging, test your climbing skills with a rock climbing session. Get your practice on at one of Auckland’s rock climbing spots and then show off to your mates when you go outdoors and try one of these hikes.
Ponsonby Bowling Club
Lawn Bowls have become cool again. While you may be hanging with a few old guys, it can’t hurt to get a bit of worldly advice while mastering the skill of bowls. Bring out your all-white gear and get your bowl on. Find out the best spots to play bowls in Auckland here.
Beach Series
It’s time to get in the ocean, even if it requires a full body wetsuit! Every Tuesday at Takapuna, and Thursday at Orewa Beach, is the Beach Series, where you can get fit for fun. Choose from a run, ocean swim, or stand-up paddleboard race. We think it’s much more appealing than slogging away at the gym!
Uptown Bounce Fitness Classes
Get your bounce on at Uptown Bounce fitness classes. Trust us when we say it’s harder than expected. When we heard we could bounce up and down on a trampoline, and get a summer bod’ while doing so, we were pretty stoked. Although it is all fun, there’s a few sweat and tears that will be shed. Get all the deets here.
Want more?
- 50 Things To Do In Auckland This Summer
- Auckland’s Getting Pop-Up Champagne Summer Sessions!
- Epic Activities For Groups In Auckland
Image credit: Mission Bay Watersports