Fun ways to expand your mind in New Zealand

"I love the French Art Shop. Helpful staff members and amazing stock for the artist (amateur or otherwise) who wants to play with the best materials. Get your fill of 100% cotton paper and European watercolours. "

"See a mummy, explore a Pa, check out our pioneering past and best of all see how you compare in height to an emperor penguin (I'm shorter). So much to see at Auckland Museum, you'll need to set aside a whole day."

"My boyfriend and I went to Butterfly Creek over the weekend and it was awesome - age be damned. HUGE crocodiles, monkeys, tropical butterflies and creepy crawlies combined to create the perfect date spot for a Saturday afternoon. The petting zoo is out of this world. I loved cuddling the bunnies and patting the pigs and feeding the grumpy donkey! I don't even care that my boyfriend and I were the only people there with no children. "

"So, who wants to see some penguins? Kelly's have penguins, but that's only the beginning. Learn about our national arctic heroes, walk beneath the sharks and if you book in for an overnight holiday programme you can even sleep with the fishes - literally!"