The hidden gem - Harcourt Park may be a wee drive from central Upper Hutt, but on a sunny day it’s well worth it. A recently reinforced wooden fence now surrounds the renovated outdoor pool, that includes a mini-slide and water features. Plus a separated toddles play park area, and a separate older play park - that includes a flying fox! If that’s not enough for ya, walk down the sloping gravel track by the flying fox, and you’ll find a bicycle road - complete with paved road signals and signs! If the kids have ditched you, why not take a scenic mini-bush walk and enjoy that peace and quiet -while it lasts.

Regardless of the weather - wave machine, river-ride, spa, sauna, steam room, hydro-slides, toddler pool, swimming lanes, inflatables, and a café = I’m in!

A day outing - check the weather forecast and get amongst mother nature/papatuanuku. A tad expensive on the admission side; pack a picnic (or use one of their free BBQ’s), wear comfy shoes, and don’t forget the camera!

Fun for all - whether you love slides, swings, climbing, flying on a flying fox, skateboarding, or just relaxing in the sun = Maidstone Max Park is perfect. There is ample seating, and free BBQ’s to use. It can get a bit overcrowded, but there is enough parking available by Briscoes.

Keep rollin - indoor action for any child, and inner-child! Just a warning, you do need to check their opening hours before heading down to keep it rollin!

The premier place for nature-interac- y perambulation in this city. Work out your legs with a walk that also expands your heart with the beauty of nature.

Dude, do you have any idea the amount of things that seem perfectly evolved to kill us? There’s loads of them at the Zoo.

Flowers, trees, hills! Oscar Wilde said that Americans were angry because their buildings are so ugly. We make the world ugly by implanting our harsh geometries in the unbeatable, innate beauty of nature. We should treasure it! Not destroy it!

There is a flying fox, your argument is invalid.

Winter means windy and rainy season, so why not we explore somewhere 'inside'? Te Papa is always a perfect destination for any ages.

When it colds, your tummy would crave for something warm and...maybe cheesy? I always excited on their special pizza of the day!

Grab the hand of your loved ones and go greet the animals! It's just near our home and perfect on sunny days out.

Milkshake? You got it! This place have the best milkshake in town! It's big and sweet and cold, what could you ask more?

Go explore Wellington, go explore Mt Vic! Try come in the middle of the night for a romantic (windy) night just for both of you!

So much equipment for you to use. Heaps of space and only 19.99 a week. Come see me for more info

If you’re up for a challenge this place is it

Feel like a jog with some scenery, I’d recommend here!

The beautiful and tranquil Zealandia in Karori is a must-visit for locals and tourists alike, with abundant bird-life in a walled island sanctuary keeping the pesky rodents at bay and protecting our native flora and fauna. Spend a few hours or the whole day and check out the birdies flocking from all sides. There's a lake with boat rides, lots of picnic tables, bushwalks, weta hotels, a huge exhibition at the visitor's centre which introduces you to NZ natural history and the history of the park and on-site Rata Café with delish brunches. Very kiddie-friendly too and you'll probably see tuataras if you keep an eye out, which is a real buzz - majestic, ancient ancestors of NZ, and very slow-moving in the wintertime so they don't stray far on a daily basis. My favourite are the cheeky kaka - brown with bright orange under the wings and they like to come down and check you out and feed at the many bird tables. Not to be missed.

Another fantastic Wellington bookstore. It’s a beautifully laid-out shop, with the books lining the walls and just waiting for you to pick them up and take them home. Particularly good is the CD collection here, including Goons shows and classical music. I’ve ordered books here before and they always arrive promptly. Just a great store!

This café is a Wellington institution, best known for its capacity to attract LOTR actors on their off days - and for the fact that it has a road running through the middle of it (the Scorch O Rama guys and gals wear high-vis vests while they ferry your food to you!). Take your guests for a classic Wellington experience and make sure it's a sunny day. Views across the harbour entrance and brunches to spoil you.

So Freyberg has a spa, a sauna and a steamroom for $4.80ea but there are deals if you want a swim too, check out the prices board above the counter as you go in. Excellent spa facilities, always clean and they play some chill out pop music so you can relax to some sounds when you're having a soak! My favourite hotpools in town.

Pop in for a game of tennis at this friendly, well-organised club. Their well-maintained website is available at http://www.kilbirnietennis.wellington.net.nz/ for all updates and to get involved. Get fit in Kilbirnie and give it your best game.

Beautiful place to stop and eat, watch the boats, shop at market store, variety of delish foods

It’s free, it’s indoors, it’s warm, can wander around for hours, kids love it, lots of interactive displays and special exhibitions

Interactive , petting zoo has lots of animals , rabbits, goats, sheep, holds parties. Lovely for family. You can even use their canoes and dingy to ride in the creek

The view from the top, the park, the gardens and nice wander through the flowers and bush.

Top secret , full of mystery, wow these guys do amazing work the sets are brilliant, who knew there was such a thing as a stunt double coconut tree. Looking forward to the movie.

Mt Kaukau is the highest point around Wellington and on a good day you can easily see the south island and sometimes as far north as Mt Taranaki. It is a reasonable climb up through Khandallah Park (40 minutes or so) but the views are well worth the walk.

Long but flat walk along the edge of the harbor with great views. Make sure you take your sun screen.

You will need to take the return ferry and you are free to walk around the island and most of the buildings. The walking tracks and lookouts are stunning and you get a great view of Wellington, Petone and Eastbourne. There are no shops on the island so make sure you bring supplies.

Wellington Zoo is awesome because there’s always something new to enjoy and you can tell they really look after their animals. Some of my favourites are the baboons and the red pandas. Don’t forget to check out the painfully adorable pygmy marmoset in the cafe! You can also take part in their close encounters where you get to pat and feed some of their animals. I was lucky enough to do the red panda visit and the furry cuties were so friendly! Worth every cent!

This has to be one of my favourite places to come during summer. Right across the road from Days Bay Beach is Days Bay Pavillion where you’re spoilt for choice, there is a cafe, pizzeria and ice cream parlour! Order an ice cream or pizza to go and have it outside on the grass. You might be lucky and spot a bit of talent playing touch while you chill out in the shade too!

What’s not to love about the botanical gardens on a sunny day? Fresh air, beautiful flowers and a lovely walk. You can pack a picnic and eat it in the garden, or if you’ve got out of towners, take them up on the cable car. You can also hire out some of their facilities for functions and events which is pretty cool too.

This place is prime property on a sunny Wellington day so you might not be able to get the seat of your choice every time, but it’s still a great place to head for an afterwork drink in the summer. They have bean bags on the grass to lounge on and their sun smart staff have bottles of sunscreen to make sure you don’t leave looking like a fool. If you do get peckish, they do delicious food too so you know you’re in safe hands.

The best place to buy your fresh produce! And with the money you’ve saved on groceries you can treat yourself to something from one of the many food stalls that pop up every Sunday on the water front. Great food and great vibes. A good cure for a hangover too!

I grew up in Island Bay so this beach is loaded with special memories for me. It was my local and I still love it.

I live in Melbourne now but whenever I come home to Wellington, which is more often now that we’ve recently released a new full length album as Shihad, I go to this Newtown institution and order their wrapped chicken dish. It’s awesome!

Another favourite Wellington meal that I love is the mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and parsley that you get from Nicolini’s.

Whether you are a local or just visiting Wellington, you can’t beat taking a walk from one end of the waterfront to another on a nice day. It doesn’t take too long and it’s a great way to experience the city.

Shihad loves this place because it’s such an awesome venue to rock. We are classically Kiwi in that whenever we are recording a new album we drink flat whites to get the vibe happening. And once all the music is made, there’s nothing better than rocking out the tunes at the Wellington Town Hall.

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.

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 you are in Feilding on a Friday morning the best place for a healthy takeaway is the farmers market! Fresh fruits, vegetables, jams, pickles and fresh meat and fish direct from the growers and makers which all make for a fantastic takeaway lunch! Try before you buy and you will be back next week to get some more!

Every Saturday the Wanganui locals and lots of people passing through town head to the river bank to get their dose of weekly produce and handmade crafts. Over 100 traders set up their stalls and sell to the public. This is a great way to get fresh produce fresh from the farmers themselves and support local businesses!

I remember going to the Cloverlea Market when I was a kid, we used to get our veggies and fruit for the week and some frybread for lunch! I've been back recently and I love supporting the small vendors!

The most popular Christmas market in the region. Spanning over 2 days and 2 nights of shopping from over 150 of the best stall holders in the lower North Island. Bigger and better every year, there are craft stalls, entertainment, music and yummy food!

This is an iconic market made up of over 160 stalls and set in the most beautiful gardens. Entry to this market gives you the opportunity to browse around the beautiful grounds as you shop and enjoy the country air! Ideal for groups of friends or a family day out!