Sweet Dreams and Inspirations offer all the British sweets and snacks you could ever hope for: Walkers crisps, Quavers, Hula Hoops, Midget Gems, Sherbet Dips, Drumsticks, Love Hearts, Parma Violets, Black Jacks, Fruit Pastilles and many more weird and wonderful sweeties from the motherland. Well worth checking out.

A charming English style BnB, Ardwyn house is fit for a royal. Maybe not The Queen but definitely a lesser cousin or Danish prince. Anyway, it's great. Lovely breakfasts and charming surrounds. Host Mary is an absolutely lovely woman. Stop in for a spell and enjoy some very English treats (tea and biscuits) in her cozy living room in front of a roaring fireplace.

The Pioneer Hotel is seriously old, only 26 years younger than the Treaty of Waitangi! It has a homey, colonial British feel and is a great place to visit when you're wanting a classic pint and a good meal and a real sense of history.

When you're enjoying yourself royally in the West Coast you must head to Hokitika for a classic high tea at the Theatre Royal Hotel. Bookings are essential for this well priced and authentic excursion - it will only set you back $29.90 per person for a two hour luxury high tea experience. Bite sized savouries, sandwiches and cakes and sweets will be served to you on beautiful linen tableclothes and napkins and fine bone china. Perfect for a hen's party with class.

Plunge into the bowels of the earth in this once in a lifetime experience. Delve into over 200 year old mines, with your tour guide who will educate and entertain (you get little roles to act out in the mine which is fun!). If you're feeling practical, this is extremely good value for money, informative and not weather dependent. Set aside two hours and prepare for a trip into New Zealand's sooty past.

The Pancake Rocks are a must see for all of us who think "geology rocks"! A fascinating spot just 50 or so kms from Westport, these oddly shaped rocks have been formed over 30 million years ago by the bodies of billions of tiny creatures (creepy!). I love watching the blow holes ('see who can predict where the next one will blow' is a game you can play with your friends) and just generally having a really good ramble around.

Another great option in Westport for a fabulous meal. Fresh, local, seasonal cuisine with international influences and a charming sense of community. Come here for fish and chips Fridays, where you get a generous serving of fresh fish and golden chips and salad and a drink for $18 (adults) or $10 (children). Say hi to head chef Emily, she's wonderful.

The Bay House is, without a doubt, one of the absolute prettiest places I have ever dined. Situated charmingly among native bush and with stunning views of the coast, you will want to stay forever. The food matches this perfect vista, with everything you would expect at a great cafe-come-restaurant but with surprises in store, too. I highly recommend the lunchtime arancini - crumbed risotto balls stuffed with mushroom and gruyere cheese served with aioli and a sundried tomato and feta salad - divine.

This must be number one in a list for where to enjoy oysters. A delightful eatery for many a reason, not least their fantastic Bluff oyster special which is currently in play. Come to JSH at lunch on a Thursday or Friday and enjoy a $19 dozen oyster special - but be quick! This special is very popular!

Here at the Pier your oyster of choice should be the Stuart Island variety, served either fresh with shallot vinegar and lemon or cooked in tempura batter with tartare sauce and lemon. Here you can also enjoy some delightful whitebait flash fried and accompanied with scallops! DELISH.

Fishbone’s mantra is that we are lucky. And we really are, here in the South Island, for we are so close to such a bounty of beautiful seafood. They are absolutely stoked that it is Bluff oyster season and so too should you be! Check out their website for today’s stunning menu. I had a peek today and they are offering King Bluff battered with pickled onion mayonnaise. Devine.

If you’re not in the mood to drop serious stacks on fresh, delicious seafood Aggy’s shack is your answer. An unpretentious shack with a million dollar view, order a few fried or fresh oysters and amble away to sit and bask in the glorious views. Be warned, this is a seriously popular fish and chips spot - but for good reason!

Wow - just wow. This is one of *the* most incredible spots you will ever have the pleasure of visiting. Let's start with the basics: fantastic and constantly maintained changing rooms, welcoming and earthy staff (special mention to superstar manager Dorrell) and the most incredible pools you will ever have the pleasure of soaking in. The outdoor pools nestle in a rain forest - just stunning. Ranging in temperature from nice and warm to hot, and covered by giant sails offering protection from the elements. This is a good, wonderful place, and makes me treasure our country.

A welcome new-ish addition to the West Coast, is the charming wildlife park which is all about our cute and flightless national bird - the kiwi. It is the official home to the incubation and captive rearing programme for New Zealand’s rarest kiwis – the Rowi and Haast Tokoeka. Meet some of New Zealand's most iconic creatures and learn all about their state of the art rearing programme. A great day out for the kids and for all nature lovers.

If you have a spirit of adventure (don't we all?) ACQB is an *essential* destination when heading to Franz Josef. Set aside 2 hours and prepare to explore lush rainforest, cross rivers, rumble across grassland all on some seriously grunty quad bikes. I'm a scardy cat when it comes to bikes and motorised vehicles, so I was pleased to note that their is a passenger seat suitable for adults or children (over eights only!). My boyfriend rode solo and he loved it so much I'm going to have to do it myself soon.

After a hard day quad biking and spaing and exploring, you'll need to get a delicious meal into you! Kingtiger offers the most delicious cuisine from South and East Asia: spring rolls, edamame, dumplings, chicken and cashews, samosas, tandoori mushrooms and onion bhaji - oh my! The decor is fun and they offer free WiFi, perfect for a tired traveler wanting to upload all the photos of the day's adventures online.

This is my number one spot for a reason; this restaurant absolutely rules the roost when it comes to taking care of your little ones when they are hungry (and so are you). With a brand new adventure area with playground and trampoline and a fabulous indoor area for those rainier days, your kids are going to go crazy for TCT. While you peruse a fabulous menu (and yes there is an extra menu for the kids) they can check out Cabbage Tree’s PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and a range of movies and toys for the younger ones.

A Kiwi classic, C&C has been serving classic food (which is big on flavour and sure to please) for over 35 years. The Invercargill restaurant strongly resembles the interior of a ship, which kids just love. They have a menu for every age and stage, including tots (under fours) and kids (4-12). Special mention goes to the teen menu, which is a fun idea, and the seniors menu, which is incredible value for money.

Queen’s Park really is fit for a queen, with 17 lush, verdant hectares and a stunning array of areas to explore with you and the little ones. We love to check out the aviary and the animal park - not to mention the lovely Winter Gardens. Set aside a few hours and be sure to pack a lovely picnic! As a fun challenge, be sure to engage the kids in a game of "find the statues" - there are birds, seals, cupids and my personal favourite - a Peter Pan!

Splash Palace is a fabulous place to take the sprogs when they have energy to burn. SP is a modern, clean and welcoming facility, with an excellent wave pool and array of fantastic pool toys that your kids will love. The giant blow up hamster wheel is a must play!

If you're heading along Leigh Road, for goodness sake, stop at this amazing little oyster shack. I *love* eating fresh oysters - they're unlike anything else I've ever eaten. Unfortunately I don't get to eat oysters much, they are often much too expensive in Auckland. These oysters are fairly priced and just so beautiful, far nicer than any other I have tried.

I love this place. Popped in on a Saturday with an empty tummy and some cash in hand and had a wonderful time. Lovely people, lovely food (I highly recommend six oysters for $8 - they are amazingly delicious and well priced). My boyfriend stared longingly at the buffalo burgers (buffalo meat and cheese) but they had sold out. Come early and be sure to check out the other excellent attractions nearby like Fossick and the op shop (only open for a very short window!).

Goat Island has some of the best sealife to see in New Zealand - and you don’t need to be a licensed scuba diver. Snorkel or scuba with some seriously big snapper, crayfish, blue cod, goatfish, piper, eagle rays, parore, red moki and much! All this marine life is protected - including the Kina (sea urchins) so don’t you pick anything up! Sad to think that this is what the world’s oceans was once like.

Excellent service, an awesome location and really very delicious food. I got the fish of the day on a salad niçoise and it was the most perfectly cooked salmon I have ever had in a restaurant (why, oh why, do chefs so often overcook salmon???). The man thing got a big breakfast and it was wonderful - a real feast of flavour.