Tea Culture is sort of hidden away, up a set of stairs and off the busy street. Inside, it’s quiet and peaceful – you’d never know you’re on K Rd. There are so many flavours of tea to try, both herbal and black, and I love how once you’ve finally made your choice your tea is served on a stand over a candle, to keep it warm.

What do you get when you combine tea and books? Paradise, obviously. The staff are very patient and are happy for you to smell samples of each of their many, many teas before choosing, and don’t seem to mind if you sit sipping tea and chatting for aaages. There are delicious treats sitting in the cabinet just waiting to be an afternoon snack and you can browse their selection of novels as you sip your tea. It's the best!

Urban Cafe is a an awesome little place for weekend brunch, with a bustling atmosphere and good food. They offer a range of delicious Harney & Sons teas, which come in decent-sized pots, and you can can choose to sit inside or under cover outside. A great cafe to sit and read the paper or chat with friends.

Harney has an amazing range of teas - pretty much every kind of tea in every flavour you could possibly imagine. Their website means that at any time you’re just a click or two away from having delicious teas delivered to your door, and the beautiful tins they come in make them the perfect gift for the tea-lover in your life.

So much tea! So many cats! Don’t let the plain exterior fool you, Hulu Cat is amazing on the inside, with its giant comfy couches and lounge chairs and its extensive collection of cat figurines and pictures. They have so many different teas to choose from you’ll have to keep going back to try more. I really like the fruit teas, lychee in particular, but the milk teas are also very popular.

You will not regret a visit to Geoff’s Emporium. It’s your one-stop-shop for all things crafty at super cheap prices. They have pretty much everything you need for most projects, whether you’re making a Halloween costume or scrapbooking or coming up with new, creative home decor. The staff are lovely and are happy to help you find what you’re looking for or reach something that’s just a little too high.

Look Sharp is probably best known for its costumes, but it is secretly a crafter’s paradise. They’ve got paints and canvases for the artist, fondant tools, food colouring pastes and cupcake wrappers for the cake decorator and fabrics and threads for the stitcher. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! All in one place and all very reasonably priced - love it!

This place has a great selection of yarn. You’re bound to find what you need in the perfect colour for that hat, scarf, baby blanket, etc. The staff are lovely and helpful and happy to answer questions and make suggestions. Plus they’re open 7 days, so you’re covered for all those last-minute yarn emergencies.

So many wonderfully talented people have stalls in Craft World. Even if you just go in for a look you’re likely to come out with something you just couldn’t walk away from. If you’re a crafty sort of person yourself, you’ll probably come out with all sorts of ideas of projects to to try yourself. Well worth a trip.

It can be a bit expensive, but Spotlight often has crafty stuff you just can’t find in other shops. It doesn’t matter what your chosen craft or hobby is, they’ll probably have what you need. As a crochet addict, I love the huge selection of yarn. Make sure you get a VIP card you can take advantage of all the sales.

When dining at Non Solo Pizza, you can tell from the first taste that they use quality ingredients. The food is all beautifully prepared and presented and tastes great. Combine that with the classy décor and you’ve got a fabulous dining experience.

Da Vinvi’s is a really nice little restaurant, with great atmosphere and food. There’s so much on the menu and it all sounds amazing, so it might take a while to come to a decision. It’s the perfect place for a romantic dinner for two. And there’s parking out the back, so no need to stress about finding a space.

Portofino is home to the best garlic bread I’ve ever had. The rest of the menu doesn’t disappoint either, and the cocktail list is too enticing to ignore. Pro tip: ask to sit in the front section of the restaurant for better atmosphere.

The best thing about Gina’s is the great lively atmosphere and fantastic service. The food’s good, and if you get bored of sitting and chatting with your dining companions, you can always give the foosball table a whirl.

Family-friendly and affordable, La Porchetta in the CBD has good pizza, good pasta and good service. I like than you can pick which pasta you want; I’m a big fan of the bolognese with tortellini. The portion sizes are pretty big, so you can eat half and take the rest home for lunch the following day. And you can order to take away as well, which is really convenient when you’re not keen to cook but don’t want to go out.

Wednesdays and Saturdays are always well worth it at the Classic. Grab a jug at the bar and prepare to be entertained. There may be the occasional awkward moment on a Wednesday, when new performers take to the stage, but for the most part they’re pretty good. And at 10 acts for $15 you really can’t complain. Saturdays feature more seasoned comedians, and you’re guaranteed to laugh out loud.

Naming three ingredients and having the bartender whip up a custom cocktail especially for you beats ordering a drink off a menu any day. Atticus has really cool décor, the atmosphere is awesome and the bar staff are highly entertaining. If you’re a cocktail fan it’s a must on a night out.

I love the inside of this place. It’s almost like being in a crazy library, with the bookshelves, and the lamps hanging upside down from the ceiling. If you love Mac’s like I do, this is the perfect place to have a few drinks. Best to eat first though, as the food’s a bit pricy.

The best way to end a night out is with a giant burger. And no one does giant burgers better than Velvet Burger. The Squawk Dawg is a favourite of mine – simple but delicious – and the kumara fries are super tasty. And for people with smaller tummies, they offer mini burgers too.

Tanuki is a great little restaurant with delicious food and fantastic atmosphere. I’m a big fan of the terriyaki chicken and the sushi. If you’re dining with someone who’s not exactly a pro with chopsticks the very friendly staff will happily go find a fork with no discernible judgement. It’s perfect for a quiet dinner for two or for a big group.

Who doesn’t love the zoo? It’s a great way to spend a day, and if you get your timing right you can have so many awesome experiences with the animals, like feeding the birds and the giraffes. Plus there’s going to be a new baby giraffe out and about soon. So cute and soooo awkward.

I can’t lie, I thought I was going to be bored at MOTAT, but I was so wrong - there is so much interesting stuff to see! The collection of old Kiwiana, the old schoolhouse and the history of tea were highlights, and the mirror maze is just as much fun for grown up kids as it is for little ones.

From World War I to dinosaurs to New Zealand’s history, there is so much to see and learn at the museum. It’s staggering to stand in the hall that lists the names of Auckland’s fallen soldiers, and the sheer size of a moa skeleton is amazing. On a nice day, when your legs get tired you can have a picnic lunch in the Domain. It’s a great, free way to spend a few hours.

If you’re in the city and want some time out from all the noise, step into the Art Gallery for a while. It’s quiet and peaceful, and wandering from room to room pondering all the amazing works of art is really relaxing. Leave your bags, coats etc. at the front in a locker, so you can move around and take it all in unhindered.

When the weather’s nice, a picnic at Western Springs is just the thing. Bring a ball, soak up the sun, and bring some extra bread to feed the ducks. Just watch out for the big geese! It’s the perfect place to chill out after a trip to MOTAT or the zoo.

You need to set aside some time to do the SaveMart experience properly. Grab a trolley at the front and make your way around, grabbing anything and everything that catches your eye. Then, take everything to a dressing room and work your way through it. It can take a while, but you can find so many great clothes for super cheap.

Love this place. Everything is organised by colour and illustrations and quotes from The Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess cover the walls. The clothes are always in good condition and the staff are lovely. And the Inner Link bus stops right outside. How convenient!

You can score some great bargains here. The shop is really well organised and if you keep your eyes peeled you might just find some great brands for really cheap. And the Red Cross is a really good cause, so it’s a win-win!

Onopshop combines the convenience of online shopping with the awesomeness of op shopping. They have a wide selection of clothes to choose from and you can browse from the comfort of your couch, in your pyjamas if want. They also have beautiful handmade jewellery for sale. Once you spot something you just have to have, delivery is nice and quick. Definitely worth checking out.

Eastern Bays Hospice Shop has so much great stuff, and it’s constantly changing. They always have lots of great furniture that doesn’t even need a revamp, and there’s a big back room full of books, more furniture and lots of crafty stuff, like knitting needles and fabric scraps. Plenty of parking, too. Well worth a visit.