A very dark restaurant with loads of nooks and crannies, Saggio’s is a famous Christchurch restaurant renowned for its amazing service, cheese trolley and romantic atmosphere. The proprietor Lisa is also famous in her own right running Saggio with ease and professionalism.

For a chilled out date and a little al fresco dining then Baretta is the best place to take your other half. With loads of great beers and cocktails to choose from and live music most nights of the week, there’s loads to keep you two lovebirds entertained.

An epic restaurant out in Akaroa, if you’re wanting to impress your date then this is the place to take them. A French-style restaurant with class and style, keep an eye out for the Christchurch equivalent when the owners open a restaurant on New Regent Street in 2015!

A very fine establishment and a great place to take a love, The Last Word is small, compact and cosy. Enjoy a vast array of whisk(e)y’s from 4pm most days of the week. A must try are their hot toddies!

A live music venue and a very dark and cosy space, the Darkroom is best enjoyed on a date when it’s either straight after work and you have the place to yourselves or at around midnight any night of the week with live music blaring and the bar going off.

For all your DIY equipment this summer take a trip to Mitre 10 in Westport. Fill your truck with a broad range of hardware and accessories to meet all your DIY and renovation needs and building materials which will turn your house in to a palace!

For all your home and garden supplies and advice on all the latest DIY trends then a visit to Carters is a MUST. For super helpful advice and second-to-none customer service you wouldn’t want to go anywhere else!

Head down to Martin & Co this weekend if you’re feeling the DYI vibe. For all tools and equipment to help you create your masterpiece then Martin & Co is the place for you. Good old West Coast customer service and reasonably priced tools all rolled into one makes for a great DIY experience!

If you’re looking for a few tools to help your little building project then Vaile Hardware is just the place. From hammers and nails to drills and larger machinery, it’s hard to find another place on the West Coast with as many tools and pieces of equipment as this one. Enjoy!

A longstanding homewares store, this is the place to go to pick up tools and equipment for making a masterpiece out of your home. All your DIY desires will be met at the Rolleston Hammer Hardware!

For simple DIY jobs around the home to massive house extensions and deck constructions, if you’re in Twizel then you shouldn’t go anywhere else other than Twizel Hardware. This handy little local hardware store is a neat place in the Canterbury deep south.

One of the largest homewares and garden stores in NZ, Placemakers Antigua Street. Stock up on everything from building materials and hardware to bits and pieces to make your home look amazing!

Your local hardware store, Hammer Hardware Waimate, if you’re a little overwhelmed to walk into the big boys of construction then this little place is perfect for you. Designed for the amateur DIYer, Hammer Hardware is definitely a friendly and non-judgmental place for all your DIY needs!

Quite possibly the busiest place to be in Christchurch on a Saturday morning, Bunnings is an amazing store if you’re looking to beautify your home and garden. Every time you step foot in Bunnings you’ll be greeted by a cheery ‘hello’ from the staff who are so unbelievably friendly and helpful. Quite possibly the best homewares store in the entire country!

For thousands of DIY products for your home or garden a visit to Bunnings in Dunedin. Be inspired by their amazing selection and get expert advice to make your house a home.

The place on everyone’s lips in Oamaru when it comes to DIY is Placemakers! The handyman store which you used to take weekend trips to with your dad is still in operation and is the best place to pick up anything for the home.

Planning to renovate a kitchen or bedroom over the summer break? Then take a trip to Mitre 10 in Wanaka to get everything you need for your bach, holiday home or house. The friendly staff are super helpful and the prices are really reasonable too - got to love that.

As a nation of do-it-yourselfers we love a good homewares store. Fulfil your DIY New Years Resolution at John M Fraser & Co, a handy store which will have you stocking up loads of things to make your house a home.

If you’re thinking brunch and are in Dunedin then you can’t get past Modaks. The vegetarian brunches are unreal and the coffee is some of the best in town. The quirky and kitschy decor makes the cafe a chilled out space to hang out in.

If you find yourself in Queenstown this summer then take a trip to Joe’s Garage. They’re famous up and down the country for cool decor, chirpy staff, excellent coffee and, of course, amazing brunches.

A nice little cafe serving up tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you’re something a little lighter than the classic bacon and eggs then there’s loads of cabinet food to choose from including epic muffins!

A superb George-street cafe, this place is slick in all sense of the word. The decor is incredibly stylish, the staff attractive, the coffee amazing and the brunches of course, divine. An all round excellent establishment.

Hello Sunday is renowned for its amazing brunches so it would be crazy to leave them off this list. The eggs benny is certainly a popular option - look out for changes on the menu which happen regularly over the year. Keep an eye out from when they open evenings too!

Well worth the drive out to Fernside, Soda Cafe has massive brunches and great Supreme coffee. The slices are definitely the best in North Canterbury. Relax inside or outdoors by the horses in the paddock. With friendly staff and lovely cafe owner, Soda is the bees knees.

Two words: Avocado Smash. This vegetarian meal (or non-vegetarian if you add bacon!) is unreal. Quite possibly the best selling dish on the Caffeine Lab brunch menu, there’s little reason to ever want to leave this central city cafe.

Not just a regional wine centre and gallery, Pukeko Junction is a must visit for anyone heading North from Christchurch. With a massive menu and array of cabinet food you’ll be hard pressed to find a cafe better than this one this far north of the Waimakariri River. The brunches include the classics including a number of ways to eggs, bacon and salmon. Nice!

Matt and Vanessa are two excellent cafe owners. Having moved over from Australia a couple of years ago, they certainly know how to make a great brunch. Everything in the cafe that passes your lips is made on site and with local ingredients. And their coffee is the best in Amberley!