Yes, this place has the best handmade soaps in New Zealand, but more importantly they are also an amateur bird rescue centre. This means you’re likely to have peacocks, geese, ducks and parrots hopping about your legs as you chat with the incredibly nice folk who run this joint, and as you pick from their stock, like neem soap, goats milk, lemongrass and almond … pine tar

Camp among pine trees, right behind a wide white sandy beach. The fees are relatively cheap, and there’s no allotted campsites, so if you’re small you can find amazing spots that no one else can get to. They have a good working kitchen with gas cookers, and a pretty fun looking kids adventure playground.

A tiny church built in 1878. You’ll find it unlocked, perched on a hill overlooking the water in Ōnuku village, about 5 minutes drive south of Akaroa. It was the site where the first signatures from iwi in the South Island were collected for the Treaty of Waitangi, and the first non-denominational church in New Zealand. It’s gorgeous and quaint, and the people who look after it are really nice.

Perilous to swim in (don’t even try) but amazing for its disc-like rocks that make up the beach. There’s some good fishing to be had, but otherwise just enjoy the crunchy sliding noises under your feet as you pad about.

Handmade cakes that are made like soft sculptures, with abundant, seasonal ingredients, and often beautifully decorated with flowers. We always check out her cakes at the Riccarton Market.

Some seriously healthy and delicious foods here! Salads that are hearty, and homemade, with lots of thought and consideration to flavour. At the Riccarton Market their stall has all sorts of interesting things, like activated nuts, and truffles.

Delicious tapas from the old Volcano café people from Lyttelton. Their premises was demolished after the February earthquakes, so they’ve set themselves up selling some of the most delicious market finger food imaginable. Blue cheese stuffed olives, lemon artichoke hearts, pepperdews and dolmades. Lois from Volcano can hook you up with tapas for any event.

Easily the most amazing souvlaki in New Zealand. Dimitri’s set himself up permanently in the re:START mall in Cashel St, pay him a visit next time you’re in town and get a sloppy hot lamb souvlaki.

Preserved and looking beautiful on a two acre garden, this is a lovely place to pick some fruit and sip some wine.

Alison has a beautiful historic two-storey house, with plenty of bedrooms and modern amenities. The house is rented out as a whole, so it suits occasions where a big group of people want to spend some time together. The grounds and garden look lovely. It’s a short 5 minute walk to the center of town.

This is a special farm stay, in an historic house. You can also choose to stay in the Shepherd’s Hut, a small cabin with an outdoor bath! Very relaxing.

This place has a covered star gazer in its ramshackle cute grounds dotted with cabins. The final part of the drive there is on a windy and unsealed road, so make sure you arrive before dark. Backpacking like a hippy.

A great big comfy old villa converted into a backpackers, right in the center of Akaroa township. You share a kitchen and lounge, there’s an indoor bathroom and then an outdoor one in a small wooden shed right next to a creek that runs down the side of the property. Walking distance to everything.

Well edited collection of vintage threads, $10 buys you nearly anything. Your next loud jersey, or favourite cardy, awaits you.

Auckland Central’s premiere contemporary art space, ever changing exhibitions and curators keep it interesting.

An army surplus store, for the survivalist. Vintage soviet army gloves, full netted camo outfits, insane fluro, solid camping goods, boots, and nun chucks.

You're always in for a sonic treat at the Audio Foundation Hub. With regular gigs, a gallery, record shop, and listening lounge, the AF Hub is always worth a drop in when you're on K Rd. The people who work here are incredibly welcoming.

Cute and tiny, Honeytrap does good homely food, modelled on Berlin cafes, and serves bottomless filter coffee.

Once a year the bleakness of Winter is dispelled and everyone catches up over coffees between films to discuss this year's discoveries and disasters. Make the most of this yearly treat of films!

Down below the Auckland Central Library is a tiny independent cinema with bright silky curtains draped on the walls where at any given point in time you can catch about three art house films that they will be screening. Home of the Auckland Film Society for many a year.

Monthly shows of the Wurlitzer organ is one of Avondale's best kept secrets.

Built in the depression and decorated like a Rajasthani castle, but with neon-backlit Buddhas, elephant light fittings, and a replica of the southern night sky on the theatre ceiling, The Civic is unique in the world and a place where the price of admittance has already paid itself before the show even starts.

Squeeze onto the grass strip in front of an old petro-chemical silo and enjoy a film under the stars.

Looking amazing with its new redesign, the Auckland Art Gallery is an impressive jewel in Auckland's cultural crown.

Check out the twice yearly seed swap meetups, run through Auckland Seedsavers.

One of the best dog off-leash exercise spots in Auckland.

A collection of Polynesian artefacts so famous in the world that even Gauguin stopped to visited on his way to Tahiti, the Auckland War Museum is one of the best places to spend an spare afternoon in Auckland.

Sizzle in a hot spring, just don't go on the last Saturday of every month!