This place is jam-packed with gloriously natural and healthy products. They have a huge selection of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements plus bulk and packaged dry foods, gluten free and dairy free foods, vegetarian foods, nuts, seeds and oils.. all that good stuff your body needs!

OK, this is not a "store" but hey we are living in the 21st century. The beauty of Brown Owl is that it is a non-for-profit collective run by organic gardeners, organic advocates and volunteers. They run on a membership model where as a member you benefit from the club’s bulk buying power with weekly orders of fresh fruit and vegetables, dried goods and other groceries at cheaper prices. Brown Owl sources organically certified foods from around NZ with a focus on locally grown produce. Check out their website for more details.

This place is not your ordinary gym… they call themselves a "health and wellness centre" for a reason. As well as having the usual gym and group fitness facilities they also have an awesome onsite shop and cafe called Raw360. They stock the usual healthfoods, organic foods and supplements you’d expect plus they serve freshly made salads, shakes, smoothies, juices and snack… all packed with goodness of course!

The Okere Falls Store is the pride of the Lake Rotoiti area. Born from the old fifties building that once housed the local petrol station, the new owners have really created a unique retail and cafe experience for locals and visitors alike. They serve up great cafe snacks, amazing coffee and the store sells a variety of local and organic grocery products.

This company does one thing really well: tea. It's all 100% organic, made from the best leaves and packed with flavour. Also the packing is super-cute and it's locally-owned of course! Great to treat someone, or just treat yourself.

SaveMarts are bloody brilliant! They are always huge warehouse spaces jam-packed with clothing. The Rotorua is one of the best and well-stocked. I suggest allowing a few hours or more to rifle through the hundreds of racks.

A different (and more exciting) way to shop for secondhand goods. Auction Kings is the Bay of Plenty’s largest auction house. If you haven’t bid at an auction before, well it’s time to pop that auction cherry! How does it work? Well auctions are held weekly, usually late tuesday afternoon. Viewings are on Monday and Tuesday. You download and print a list of products from their website and then wonder around and look at what you like… then bid like crazy when it comes up for auction!

Such an awesome little antique store. Their selection of vintage jewellery is particularly great. Good for a browse or definitely worth a visit by serious collectors.

Rotorua Secondhand Market is the largest secondhand shop in Rotorua. It’s specialises in secondhand goods, but also had a small "antiques and collectibles area". A great place to find that little treasure.

I love popping into Avenue Antiques & Collectables. I love rummaging through all the goodies they have lining the walls and floors. It an eclectic mix of everything from Victorian through to midcentury and retro. Indulge the inner treasure hunter in you and get down to Avenue Antiques now.

Not only is the name a clever pun, but it also rings true; Stratosfare will send your tastebuds soaring! Located up Mt Ngongotaha as part of the Skyline Skyrides complex, this places takes buffet food to the next level. I was blown away by the quality, as with most buffets I was expecting simple, budget food that had been prepared en masse with little or no care, but what I got here was gourmet-quality fare at a reasonable price… and of course with stunning views!

This is a local secret (and not so secret for those stay at the Novotel), you can book the Atlas buffet on Friday and Saturday evenings without being a guest of the hotel. Respected by locals as one of the best quality buffets in town, you will not regret your visit. They have "live cooking" so you know it’s fresh and hasn’t been sitting there all day. Also, they have a special Thai Buffet on Thursday nights. So pick one of the three nights, don’t eat all day and then go stuff yourself til you burst!

Boy Rotorua really is spoilt for choice when it comes to buffets, the bonus I guess of being a major tourist centre. Chapman’s, like most buffet restaurants, is located in a hotel, but is open to the public. Chapman’s is a sure bet, having won "Outstanding Hotel Restaurant" at the Rotorua Hospitality Awards. Need I say more? A classic buffet restaurant with superb food.

Jimmy Cook’s (named after Captain James Cook) is a trendy, unique buffet located in the Copthorne Hotel. The buffet only runs from Thursday to Saturday and serves up an absolute feast of New Zealand and Asia Pacific dishes. Also, if you have a function Jimmy’s can do a killer BBQ buffet for private groups. Yum!!

My secret shame is my immense love for MEAT BUFFETS! The one time your can act like a pig and scoff down as much as meaty goodness as you can without feeling guilty or hurting your wallet. Gengy’s is one of the finest buffets I’ve been to, with a great selection of entrees, BBQ meat, salads and desserts. I recommend skipping breakfast and going in the middle of the day where you’ll pay only $27… then eat until you’re about to burst, and then of course there’s no need for dinner.

Big Bake live up to their name. Their products are big, in size and in taste! Their steak and mushroom is my fav. Sooooo creamy and delicious with huge chunks of real steak. Yum!

One Tree is your classic Kiwi bakery. No-frills and no messing around. Just damn good pies. Everyone goes here for the chicken and vegie pie, it’s a classic and a pie connoisseurs go-to when they are feeling a little classy and want to avoid the usual mince and cheese. Honestly the best chicken pie you’ll find around these parts!

Not only do they do killer pies, but they are also one of the largest and bestest (I know, that’s not a word) bakeries in Tauranga. Their butter chicken pie is devine… that perfect melding of classic Kiwi and classic indian all rolled up into one mouth-watering spicy buttery treat!

These guys are serious about pies. They have a huge selection and they even know that their customers are pie-addicts… they offer a "Pie Buys Card" (haha, great pun) so you can get a stamp when you buy a pie and get a free one down the track. Pie loyalty at its best.

Gourmet Foods in Judea, Tauranga has the most amazing selection of pies. The chefs never fail to think up exciting and tasty combos that tickle the tastebuds. My pie of the moment is the Chicken & Kumura, which is made to perfection with chunks of fresh chicken smothered in a creamy kumara mash and topped with a beautifully tart chutney. I have dreams about this pie regularly.

Love Rosie is the mother of all bakeries. While some bakeries may focus on bread and other on pastries; Love Rosie has it all, and they do it all amazingly! Their range of sweet treats is amazing, I’m a big fan of their tarts; especially the apple ones and the portuguese ones… I can never decide, so I always just get both. Yum!

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was a kid, bread was just bread. These days it’s artisanal this and gourmet that… and organic, organic, organic! Flaveur does not disappoint. They go that extra mile to ensure all the right ingredients go into their breads. They also strive to produce a quality range of "health breads" packed with all the right grains, and they also do a large range of gluten-free breads that actually taste as good as normal bread. Pop in now and give your tastebuds and your body a treat.

OMG I LOVE cheesecake! So it’s no big surprise that I love The Cheesecake Shop. I’m a sucker for a passionfruit cheesecake, and boy their one is the best I’ve tasted. The last time I was in it seems they have diversified and are now offering a full range of cakes including birthday and wedding cakes made-to-order. So yeah, it’s pretty much your one-stop cake shop.

I love, love, love French bakeries. No one does it better than the French. Le Petit Four has an amazing selection of gourmet breads and delicious tarts. Also it’s a full cafe, so if you feel like a full brunch or lunch (prior to your sweet baked treat!) followed up with a coffee, then this is the place to go.

Speidel’s is a German bakery that specialises in pretzels and "brezels", which is a more bready, Bravarian-style pretzel. They also do amazing stone-baked pizza. When I used to live around the corner from Speidels I would sometimes have a pretzel for lunch them grab a pizza for dinner! Yummmmm, gluten overload.

Woohoo! It’s soup season! There’s nothing I love more on a cold day than snuggling up with a warm cup of hearty home-made soup. My fav place to score a delicious, hot, liquidy treat is Pluto Soup Bar… these guys are the soup experts! Yum!

Nourish live up to their name. They are serving up the best winter soups. It’s changing all the time so ask what the special of the day is. I’ve tried the pea and ham soup and oh boy was it amazing… just like Grandma’s!

I know I always mention Tay Street Beach Cafe, but it’s just so damn good! If you’re a soup-lover and a seafood-lover then you HAVE to try their seafood chowder, complete with a toasted piece of buttery ciabatta bread. Yum.

You don’t always think of soup when you think of Italian… but I was taken by surprise when my Mum ordered the onion soup as an entree at Leonardo’s. Damn was it every so tasty! Packed with flavour and served with a stick of crispy garlic bread, this dih is an absolute winnner.

Mokoia is one of my favourite lunch spots. Perched upon Mt Ngongotaha, the view is killer, which is why I love going during the day. Lately I’ve been loving a nice, warm winter soup. It changes daily, so just ask the chef what the special is. Also the seafood chowder (or as they call it "Kaimoana Chowder") is to die for.