Barry Curtis Park

Barry Curtis Park, in Flat Bush, was opened in 2009 after previously being farmland (and some of the farm’s old stone walls remain).

At 94 hectares, it is one of New Zealand’s largest parks. As it is a new park the facilities are still being developed, and the young trees are maturing nicely.

The walking route is suitable for children to ride bikes and scooters, and for prams/buggies. There is a children’s playground and skateboard park. There are a lot of structures and more are being added over time.

The park is made up of undulating farmland with a number of ponds and an extensive system of restored stream corridors. The design was inspired by local volcanic geology, historical defensive sites and the farming vernacular of the site. Features include a wetland neighbourhood playspace; cultural lawn and amphitheatre suitable for large-scale events; multi-sports complex, fields and facilities; ecological enhancements through extensive wetlands and stream restoration; an iconic pedestrian bridge; signature arts areas including sculptures; an education centre; and picnic area with covered facilities.

On the south side of the unmistakable Ormiston Bridge is Barry Curtis Skate Park

Built with the help of the local skate community and industry professionals – the Barry Curtis Skatepark is perhaps one of New Zealand’s best. The park is located in Auckland’s biggest new-build suburb Flatbush and boasts a huge stair set, two bowls, a quarter pipe and rails out the wazoo.

The park’s population can tend to be dominated by scooters but theirs always room for hardcore skaters, bmxers and whoever else wants to give it a whirl. There’s plenty of free parking and a positive vibe which keeps this South Auckland skate hub humming all year round.

Fo Guang Shen Buddhist Temple

Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple and complex occupies over 4 hectares, and was built over seven years. It was designed in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. The temple also includes a large Buddha statue and a two-tonne bell.

The Temple is open to everyone from all religious backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. The mission of the Temple is to promote Humanistic Buddhism “through education and teaching people how to lead good lives.”

The temple provides community courses such as Chinese calligraphy, Chinese language, yoga and martial arts. The carefully designed and manicured courtyard, lined with Zen gardens, elevated cherry blossom pathways, hexagonal-shaped stone lanterns, a wishing bell and statues of novice monks provokes spiritual thought.

At the Waterdrop Vegan Café, a traditional tea house, you can enjoy fragrant tea and vegetarian food. The Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery provides an opportunity for locals to appreciate and interact with art, showcasing both local and international artworks all year round through a combination of beautiful Buddhism art and crafts, literature and academic studies.

The spiritual shop has a collection of artefacts, jade statues, jewellery, incense sticks, books, diaries and lucky charms. Enjoy the vegetarian cafe on site and the cherry tree blossoms (at the right time of year). Visitors are welcome, but it is a place of spiritual meditation and contemplation so be respectful and dress appropriately.This website is for both the East Auckland and the Christchurch Temples and is in English and 紐西蘭佛光山

Murphys Bush

Some long-standing features of Flat Bush still remain, notably the Murphys Bush reserve. Murphys Bush has the largest remaining stand of mature lowland bush in Auckland and the finest examples of mature Kahikatea (white pine) which are coniferous and endemic to New Zealand. Take a walk along any of the paths and within a couple of minutes you will be completely lost among the native trees and shrubs – the nearby urban development and busy road completely disappear from sight.

Adjacent to the reserve is the historic Flat Bush School hall (now used as a local community centre) and the Baverstock Cottage, combining to make a small heritage precinct.

The Flat Bush area has a history that dates back to before 850AD. At that time it was known as Pukekiwiriki, named after the grandchild Ruaumoko the Maori God of Volcanoes. The current name of Flat Bush came into use in the 1850s, reflecting how the forest landscape looked from the surrounding hills.

The oldest, and only remaining historical building is Flat Bush School, Flat Bush School Road, built 1877.

The Flat Bush area is the last significant “greenfields” area in Manukau and was identified as an area for development in the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy in 1999. However, this potential had been realised much earlier. In the early 1970s, Manukau City Council identified about half of the undeveloped Flat Bush area as suitable for future urban development. The council made sure it was protected, resulting in most of the area remaining as farmland. The other half of the area was identified for future urban development in 1997 when the council first began consulting with the wider community on the area’s development. This area has been largely lifestyle blocks of five to 10 hectares, developed over the past 30 years.