You're in maze. It's dark, but the edges are lit in fluro. Music is blaring loud. You and your team are wearing light up body armor and welding lazer guns. You're out to end the other team. They're out to end you. Adrenaline is pumping. You're having fun. Lazerforce. Well well recommended.

Go-Kat racing. Close to deadly (in your mind), high-speed (again in your mind) go-kart racing. It's wild, it's fun, it's action packed, petrol fumes and all. In the other rooms, mini golf and lazer tag. For a two-one, or three-one party combo, this place is a devilishly good time.

If a game of paintball doesn't bring you together as a group of friends, office or community unit, nothing will. Literally some of the wildest fun you can have with pants on. It's scary and immerse, but amazing as well. Pass through Paintball Adventure Challenge, you won't regret it. You will regret the bruises though, damn!

You like climbing up rock walls right? With all the equipment on hand? And versions for all manner/level of participant? Imagine you're in James Bond movie, or just enjoy it for what it is, amazing exercise! Hangdog Climbing Adventures got it going on.

Flying Foxes that fly through the trees, with you attached. Within minutes you’ll feel like you’re in a bush scene in Star Wars or something equally as ridiculous. Rope Bridges and Tarzan Swings as well. I’m using A Lot Of Capitals because it’s all a CAPITAL GOOD TIME. Options for all ages as well.

Nothing quite like shooting your mates … great fun running around the bush.

Some unique climbing walls - and the automatic belayers are awesome.

Nothing like embracing your inner Tarzan :)

No day out would be complete without racing around in circles

If you have dreams of cruising the streets of Amsterdam on a fixie, then this is where that dream starts. Beautiful bikes, custom designs and paint jobs. And while you’re perusing the pedals you can also order yourself a delicious flight coffee.

I may be closer to 30 than to 60 but I’m already on the look out for my mid life crisis wheels. I love seeing all the motorcycles lined up outside and also checking out the latest Harley’s inside.

I used to get a lot of stuff for my bike online, but calling into Capital Cycles by chance and the wonderful customer service I received I’ll never go online again. What a bunch of dudes.

Whether your bike needs a fine tune or you need a tour guide for Wellington’s excellent mountain biking tracks, James and his crew will steer you in the right direction.

Another day is done, you've relinquished yet another 8 hours under the glow of office orbs and tubes. What better way to revive the soul than to suit up, grab your stick and hit the waves. Whatever your level, the good buggers at Real Surf will sort you out with any equipment or lessons you need to capture those post work moments of Zen. It’s hard to remember the stress in life deep in a tube, with the orb setting on the Wellington hills. Get out there.

Wellington is a Mountain bike mecca . Hundreds of trail tentacles weave their way over the humps and hills of the capital. None are more accessible than those that crisscross over Makara, and there’s no better place to start your pilgrimage than at the church of mountain biking, Mud Cycles. If you need gear, a bike, a guided tour or just all the local trail info, these guys will hook you up.

I used to think yoga was for spiritual hippies. The only thing that drew me to the inside of a yoga studio was the realisation that life must be better if I could at least bend over and touch my knees. That and a girl. 3 years later, a bunch of yoga studios behind me, I can honestly say that Iyengar Yoga Centre is my fav. Light on spiritual mumbo jumbo, but heavy on solid technique, the small dojo like atmosphere and master teachers suit me to a tee.

f the idea of running around in a box with another sweaty person sounds like fun to you, then the team at Club Kelburn, have particularly nice and cheap boxes in which to do so. You can even hire racquets and balls to accompany you.

Sex. Enough said.

An amazing group of super friendly Wellington staff out to teach our youngsters about tv, music, animation, computer game production, as well as theatre performances and more. It’s such a relevant organisation (not for profit too!) with all the latest technology. There really is something fun and educational for every type and age of child!

A mixture of indoor and outdoor activities wise(!) but still one of the coolest places to visit with the little ones…everyone loves the zoo! They have awesome animal encounters like, cheetah, big cat, giraffe and red panda, and educational talks every half hour or so. If you’re super keen you can even do a zoo sleepover!

So much fun to be had here! The slides are as good as their names suggest…Xtreme Speed Slide, The MasterBlaster and Darkness Falls…all for a mere $4. There’s also a wave pool, giant inflatable obstacle courses and plenty of opportunity for swimming lessons and fitness courses. Highly recommended!

Take your kids here and just watch their jaws hit the floor as the interactive Planetarium show starts…guaranteed ‘ooohs and ahhhs’ as well as plenty of brain food! Be sure to ring ahead as they have to close reasonably regularly for maintenance and big group bookings. A brilliant way to explore the Wellington skies and beyond.

Just mentioning to the kids that you’re visiting this place at they’ll be hit the ceiling! That’s because it RULES. Tenpin bowling, laser strike, arcade games, pool tables and a restaurant with a super scrumptious menu. They do regular daily specials like unlimited bowling on Wednesday evenings, as well as Junior League bowling with coaching and competition. A sweet place for birthday parties too!

If you're wanting to entertain your kid and his hundreds of friends, without having to lift too much of a finger - send them to Indoor Grand Prix. Go Karting is the best way to keep kids entertained and laughing while you sit back and watch them smash into eachother. Or to make their days a little bit more exciting, jump into one too and try win the race!!

If rock climbing and being physically active, is what your kid's into, then Hangdog is the place for you. They have birthday activities and many different course options for whichever age group.

Junglerama is perfect for the little ones. With birthday arrangements, including catering, drinks and of course the giant playground - it tires out your little ones without having that normal 'birthday mess' to clean up afterwards!!

If your little girl is having a birthday, what better way to spend it then sending a group of girls on a cupcake class OR getting one of the lovely cupcake team to come to your home and teach them there. It's lots of fun and all the girls leave with a few cupcakes each meaning you have a whole lot of happy campers.

If your wee girls are into fairies, and you have a little group of loco's coming over - then get Fairy Nina around to keep them quiet for a little while. There's also Zappo the Magician if you have a crowd of boisterous boys involved too.

If your kids are talented dancers or singers (or just think they are) then they should get involved in the Kidz Stuff Theatre productions. Every school holidays they produce spectacular shows to entertain you. And don't worry, if you aren't the best actor or actress then you are welcome to just show up to watch the production anyway!

For something a little different these school holidays why not introduce your kids to the underwater world? Kids as young as 10 can learn to dive in a safe environment (and heated pool) with the PADI dive experts at NZ Sea Adventures. They will learn all the necessary skills including first aid and learning to swim properly. It only takes 3 days to become qualified and best of all, you only need to bring togs and a towel and they provide the rest.

We are surrounded by water every day of our lives in NZ but there are still so many that cannot swim. This school holidays help your kids be safe in the water by giving them swimming lessons in Wellington. The intensive learn to swim holiday program at Little Makos will give them, and you, the confidence to be around water over the summer months.

If you're sick of the kids pulling the pots and pans out of the cupboards at 7am on a Sunday morning while you're trying to have a sleep in then it might be time to invest in some school holiday music lessons. Jonny and the talented team at Goodtime Music Academy will teach you kids to attack the axe, pound the piano and crash the cymbals, all in the peace of their studios and not your house.

If your little Princess was inspired by Kate last week then it's time to send her to the Twinklepink school holiday programme. For these April school holidays in Wellington the team are putting on their fun "Fantasy Food" classes. The girls will get to spend time with their friends learning how to make edible jewellery, fantastic cupcake decorations and other fanciful food fit for a Queen.

THE place to go if you want sport specific shoes. They know their stuff!

When you need something at short notice, this place is your best bet. They’ve got a huge range and quite often have great sales.

The adidas store on Lambton Quay is great if you're looking for sports gear or the more retro originals range. If the All Blacks are in town you’ve got a great chance of seeing them there too!

Like the name suggests, the team here specialise in surf and snow gear. They’ve got a sweet range of snowboards and wetsuits.

This is our nerd church, the staff are our nerd pastors, the comics and DnD rulebooks are our nerd gospels. We must prostrate ourselves before them. We will and we will do it willingly. WILLINGLY.

There is nothing like a few wasted hours in a borderline dilapidated arcade attached to laser force to really feel the mix of unalloyed excitement and profound shame that marks out nerd-dom. This is also a common meeting place for internet groups to meet IRL. So hang around to meet more of our kind. Or look weird. Actually, we usually can’t really help the second one most of the time.

Small things are cool. Like real cool. Like there is nothing cooler than totally accurate small scale replications of real world things like trains and stuff. And not just cool in a pretending to be Godzilla kind of way but in a wow people worked really hard on these kind of way.

Rumour has it that a girl worked here once. I don’t believe it. But let me tell you if I had the money I would be all over those awesome little fighting dudes and the staff are real good at getting people started and up-to-date.

Funky guys’ casualwear. If I’m shopping for a guy, I always go to Hallensteins Cuba for great guys’ staples like T-shirts and jeans. Treat your boyfriend to some new threads. Great colours, accessories, and the stuff lasts. Highly recommended.

Can’t be beaten for top quality surf and skate clothing. The latest styles and designs - including a huge range of cool casual shoes - and they’ve often got deals and sales so keep an eye out.

Upmarket fashion for guys and girls. Here you’ll find denim, street wear and the best international brands. My favourite is the huge selection of top local brand Huffer. Treat your beau to a piece from Area 51 as an I love you he won’t forget.

Top quality suits and expert advice when you’re trying it on. They make you feel like a valued customer and they have the goods to match.

One of my fav stores for outdoorsy casualwear in Wellington. I’ve got some great deals here and I’m a member of their club for news and discounts. Sign up to the e-newsletter for all the latest info on products and sales. Great service, friendly staff - and top quality clothing and tramping gear in funky colours.

One of the city’s truest museums, City & Sea celebrates Wellington’s maritime history from the historic Bond Store on the waterfront. Check out Plimmer’s Ark or watch a documentary of the Wahine Disaster. Voted one of the world’s top fifty museums this year by Britain’s The Times.

Te Papa may be one of the most trafficked tourist attractions in Wellington, but it's certainly for locals, too. Whether you come in for a special exhibit like Game Masters or Warhol: Immortal (on now!) or to test your earthquake preparedness skills with a walk through the Earthquake House, you'll be sure to learn something new-- and have fun doing it. Te Papa is also especially helpful for those new to New Zealand like myself. See a bird on the waterfront and want to know what to call it? You'll find its taxidermy counterpart on the first floor. Come in on an afternoon, or stay all evening on Thursdays when the museum is open until 9 pm.

One of the best theatres in Wellington, a city known for its abundance of premium and art house cinemas, The Embassy is truly a classic. Built in 1924 and recently refurbished, The Embassy's art deco elegance puts you in the right mood for a truly great movie-watching experience. Make your way into the expansive main auditorium for an opening or a screening during the NZIFF; the sheer size of the main screen will astonish even more than the architecture that surrounds you. But don't discount the two new deLuxe auditoriums accessible through The Black Sparrow; while obviously smaller than the main screen, they provide intimate viewing in plush leather seats, and are worth experiencing in their own right.

The Michael Fowler Centre in Civic Square is not only one of Wellington’s most unique-looking buildings, for all that bright metal, but it’s a pretty swanky concert hall. With wide staircases, plush carpeting, and orchestra seating, you’ll feel inclined to wear a ball gown even when you’re going to see Garbage.

One of the most iconic symbols of New Zealand’s capital, come for a picnic on the lawn or a tour inside. Don’t wimp out when a friendly tour guide offers to take your photo.

Located in the charmingly named Happy Valley, situated just past Island Bay, is Carlucci Land. I know what you're thinking but tired, cliched mini golf this certainly aint. Crafted in a scrap yard theme, the course is fun, well-designed and inexpensive. 18 courses are included for a reasonable $12 entrance fee. Perhaps in keeping with the suburb's name, an honesty box collects your pennies. Great fun. 

Surely the most fun way to enjoy Wellington’s waterfront.

Whilst Wellington's CBD is compact, diverse and culturally rich (ignore whatever John Key would have you believe), the most rewarding experience the capital can offer is, for me, not to be found in the bars or theatres of Cuba St, Lambton Quay or Courtenay Place. The lesser known Scorching Bay, Owhiro Bay and Seatoun are all worthy of exploration and thankfully all within 10 kms of the CBD, making Wellington ideal for day trips. The lovely fellows over at On Yer Bike can help you get out of that dull gym and onto the reasonably flat, bendy roads of the Miramar peninsula for just $20 per day. No guarantees about the Wellington weather can be made, but gazing out into the Cook Strait on a warm day from Owhiro Bay is truly memorable.

Indoor paintballing right in the heart of the city. Great way to spend a day with friends or colleagues. Reasonably priced, heaps of fun and, providing you can take the pain, game after game.

Encouraged by a friend and in spite of my skepticism about the concept and the price, I went along to Social Cooking late last year. However, the novelty of the idea in practice, as well as the enthusiasm and genuine passion of the staff, contributed to winning me over. Working in pairs, you are firstly given a demonstration of how to cook the dish (one of the dishes was Beef Wellington) and then set loose on your own. A novel, unusual but ultimately fun way to spend an evening with friends or colleagues. Keep an eye out for bargain deals.