Yay, the Greymouth Christmas Parade and Carnival is on for another year! I love this full day event which includes arts and craft stalls, a bouncy castle and other fun activities. It’s always an amazing day out and a great way to celebrate the festive season!

The Greymouth Christmas Show is amazing! I love the fact that it’s free and open to the public. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than with the whole community singing carols?

The Kiwi Christmas Market is the standard Hokitika Market but with a twist .. there’s a Christmas theme and everything you see is related to Christmas is perfect for gifts. A great way to get into the Christmas spirit!

The Christmas lights at 30 Brook Street, Riverton are truly superb. Every year something has changed, moved or updated - so don’t expect the same standard theme every year, it’s always different! I love the massive Santa which sits pride of place in the centre of the yard.

A fantastic way to spend your time in the lead up to Christmas, the Gore Monster Market is simply awesome. I love the massive number of stallholders, as well as the opportunity to win raffles and eat some delicious food. A great Christmas tradition!

I love the Riverton Twilight Christmas Market for its amazing Christmas spirit. This is my favourite place to enjoy the spirit of the season, with the Christmas inspired food, gifts and music. A lovely place for the family or a romantic night out for two.

Christmas isn’t just for humans, but should be a celebration to shared with our four-legged friends. And what better way to celebrate than with the Christmas in the Dog Park event in Elles Road Dog Park. Bring your furry friend and spend a few hours with likeminded individuals.

The party of the year is happening at Ascot Park Raceway. The fabulous event is always one of my favourite on Southland’s social calendar. Dress up to the nines, place a bid and have a few drinks to celebrate the end of the year!

The Shotover Jet Christmas Variety Show is so good! Taking Queenstown by storm every Christmas, I love this show because not only is the location amazing but it also features amazing musicians and performers. A great family night out to get into the spirit of Christmas.

The Otago Symphonic Band is simply superb, and things really hit a high note over Christmas when they get together to present a suite of Christmas music. What better way to kick off the merry season than with your favourite Christmas tunes?

The Faulty Towers Christmas Crack-up Dinner Theatre Show at Scenic Hotel Southern Cross is simply superb. Now in its fifth year, this show is great for a group of friends or a work event.

An event always quick to sell out, get in quick for the Christmas Dine & Dance at Larnach Castle. I always love a dinner out at this event because not only do you get an amazing buffet, but the ticket price also includes live entertainment and transport!

Every Christmas, you’ll find some stunning Christmas lights at Olivers Central Otago - if you don’t believe me check out the video on Facebook, or go one step further and head down to see them for yourself.

Every year Westlake Drive is lit up with the most spectacular Christmas light display, and it’s been happening since the late 90s. The family will love the different displays, colours and lightshows, just make sure to bundle up warm in case it gets cold.

A brilliant Christmas lightshow, it may be $5 to enter but it’s well worth it for the lights on display. Every year, Maureen from 650 Shands Road puts up 300,000 lights and co-ordinates a full-blown synchronised sound and light display. This place every Christmas is the best!

Back for another year, the Christchurch Children’s Christmas Parade Trust is once again hosting their amazing Santa parade. They’ve been doing it now for almost 70 years, so the family should expect a slick display. I love this parade for it’s diverse floats and local celebrities!

A fantastic family fun day out, I love the New Brighton Christmas Parade. Their is also a concert, stalls and delicious food to enjoy whilst you’re looking out for Santa. This parade is well worth making a trip to New Brighton for.

Sit on Santa’s lap at Christchurch’s oldest department store. The Ballantynes Santa’s Grotto is the best place to get your photo taken with the man himself - the decorations are simply superb (a lot of time and effort have gone into them!)

Everything you need for your picnic can be found at Four Square. I love it because I can get anything I need from wine and beer to cheese and bread - perfect for a romantic day out in Akaroa!

For a fantastic array of everyday groceries, I find it hard to beat Four Square! There’s plenty of choice of beer, wine and ciders and freshly baked bread. I love their selection of magazines and stationery too.

I love the Rakaia Four Square. They have a fantastic array of fruit and vegetables as well as fresh meats and dairy products. The sushi, sandwiches and filled rolls are delicious and I love their hot roast chickens!

Expect a fantastic offering at Super Seven. I love their amazing ice creams, crisps and lollies, as well as their classically Kiwi service - it’s fast and always with a smile. Addington Super Seven is a favourit of mine if I’m feeling the thirst and need to get a drink asap!

Night N Day is an absolute dream. Whenever I’m craving something sweet or savoury any time of the day, or night, I head to this fantastic NZ store. I love their chicken and chips and burgers.

There is little this Four Square in Karamea doesn’t have! I love their amazing selection of local and international food and drinks, including wine, beer, sandwiches, fresh bread, pies and lollies. The service here is classically West Coast - you’ll love it as much as I do!

Four Square Franz Josef has everything you need for your big adventure. They have all your grocery essentials and more to make sure you are well fed during your trip. I love their friendly nature and convenience - plus their sushi is ridiculously good!

This Four Square is simply superb. They have everything you need for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. They have a great variety of everyday groceries, and the best bit? Their selection of wine, beer and cider from these fine shores and abroad is the best around!

I love Arkwrights! They have delicious freshly baked bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, and their fish and chips are some of the best in town! There’s plenty on offer here. You’ bound to love it.

This Challenge store is a great find. Here you’ll be able to pick up sushi, sandwiches and filled rolls (made fresh each day!) for lunch. Grab something to read during your lunchbreak - take your pick from magazines and books. This place is just great!