Takeaways need to be made efficiently - and there’s nothing more efficient than liquefied meals! Pop into Pluto for a deliciously refreshing smoothie, a hearty soup, or choose from their fresh and fast salad range - with a lot of the produce being sourced locally (and organically). Only REAL food is served here!

OK, so pizza is not the healthiest , especially if you go for the major chains… but if you opt for a more gourmet company such as The Pizza Library you know you’re getting fresh (and healthier) ingredients. For example why not try the "Summer Season" pizza: tomato, sweetcorn, spiced chickpeas, caramelised onions, artichoke, mozzarella, mango sauce, fresh herbs & rocket. Now that is one healthy pizza! Enjoy.

These guys have the most amazing cabinet food, including kickass salads that are full of flavour, colour and crisp vegies. They also use a lot of organic, locally produced ingredients too.

Kiwi's absolutely love their Sushi. In fact I think we’ve become so obsessed with it that when I recently went to Japan I was a bit underwhelmed with the selection… sushi shops in NZ just seem to have amazing, fresh ingredients and a huge selection of flavours. Sushi Heaven, as the name suggests is exactly one of those kinds of places. This place is bursting at the seams with amazing sushi rolls. Check it out for a healthy lunch alternative.

Thank God for gourmet burgers. It used to be that burger where the kind of secret shame that you grabbed from a greasy fish n chip shop after a night out drinking… but these days hipsters have revolutionised the humble old burger. Pronto has a great array of burgers to suit everyone, from the indulgent meat-eater (Pulled BBQ Pork Burger) through to the health-conscious hippy (Peanut, Chickpea & Vegie Burger). Get in there now and find one that suits your taste-buds and calorie count.

Soli­taire Lodge is located on a pri­vate, secluded penin­su­lar over­look­ing the his­toric and beau­ti­ful Lake Tarawera. Every thing about this place is "wow factor". The views are killer, and the surrounds are pristine. You can do almost anything here… hire kayaks, fly fish off the private jetty, charter a boat, have a massage in the day spa and eat at the award-winning restaurant. I could go on, but I won’t… this place is just amazing.

Yeah, the name is hilarious, but this place is seriously good. My two favourite things about this motel is the retro decor, and also the option of an in-room spa (one of the main reasons many of us go to Rotorua!). Also the staff are super-friendly and unpretentious, plus there’s a huge supermarket across the road. This place is great if you want something quirky and affordable.

This place is the perfect balance of luxury and character. It's an mid-century hotel that has been tastefully renovated for the 21st century. The rooms are stylishly decorated in black and white with clean, modern facilities. They have a heated outdoor pool, a gym and a kickass cocktail bar and restaurant.

Staying at Treetops Lodge is like entering another world. Situated in thick forest and thermal activity you couldn’t get a better location. You can choose to stay in the main lodge, architecturally-designed to reflect a historical settlers lodge, or stay at one of the secluded retreat villas. You won’t be disappointed with your stay here, such a great place.

The Blue Lake is one of Rotorua’s most beautiful. Set on the shore of the lake Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park is the perfect place to stay if you don’t want to splurge thousands on a luxury estate, or if you’re looking for something more kid-friendly. They have everything you need, from a spa pool onsite to a little store, TV and games room, plus anything you’d expect from a great holiday park.

A good dessert menu is the key to my heart, and Delissi have it. I suggest the Sticky ginger pear pudding, vanilla bean icecream and cardamon anglaise and the Banana Pecan pudding, salty caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream here… so delicious!

Sometimes you just want classic old ice cream for dessert. Copenhagen Cones are the masters of it. They have a huge array of flavours in normal ice cream, soft serve, frozen yoghurt and snowghurt with great topping all served in waffle cones.

Don’t let the quaint name fool you, this place is seriously classy. Their desserts are to die for and the presentation is top-notch. I suggest the sticky toffee pudding with homemade vanilla ice cream… so yum!

There’s nothing better than sampling new season produce as the seasons change, and what better place to do it than at the Tauranga Farmers Market? Feel good about buying local and supporting local growers. It’s on every Saturday from 8 to 12 at Tauranga Primary School between Arundel St, Cameron Rd and 5th Avenue.

After a cold miserable winter why not brighten up your home, or make someone’s day with some flowers? And with some new bursts of sunflowers beginning to bloom, the Blanc Designer Florist is jam-packed with an exciting array of flowers. They specialise in innovative and artisan arrangements that stand-out from the generic offerings at regular florists.

This place has amazing decor and and great relaxed atmosphere with equally amazing fresh food to match. Hands-down one of the best cafes in Tauranga. Pop in now and experience all the fresh seasonal ingredients on their menu.

OK it’s time to get out from under the duvet, take off the trackpants and Ugg boots and put on the walking shoes. Spring is the time to get out of the house and get some fresh air and relish the change of seasons. So what better way to get the blood flowing again than with the best walk in the bay; the Mount Maunganui Summit Track. I won’t go on about because everyone know this famous walk, and, well, you know where to find… up Mount Maunganui of course.

Berries and spring go hand-in-hand, and Julian’s Berry Farm is like the Disneyland of berries. The cafe is set on a beautiful orchard along with a small hobby farm with a playground for the kids and a wonderful cafe with awesome coffee for the adults. A great place to spend a beautiful spring day.

Wallis stocks designers like Nom*D, Arielle Mermin and Ketz-Ke, and also their own line. Wallis offers classic styling with a twist. They have a great shiopment of dresses in which are great for spring.

High St Boutique is one of the most innovative clothing stores in Tauranga. They stock classic, but interesting pieces from respected brands such as Zambesi and NOMD, and specialise in Kiwi designers, which is a passion of the owners.

Exciting and stylish designer clothing. Hula stocks streetwear, casualwear and surfwear, with respected labels such as Wish, Sissey, Diesel, Gucci and Seduce, plus a great range of jewellery and accessories.

One of Tauranga’s most respected fashion stores with an unparalleled reputation. Founded by Wendy Simister in the early eighties they have aimed at making shopping an exciting experience. The cherished local store stocks top Kiwi labels such as Verge, Mild Red, Jane Daniels and Trelise Cooper.

One of NZ’s leading women’s fashion labels, Moochi’s ‘Light Capsule’ is the flagship store of this respected Kiwi brand. Happily filling a gap between mass-produced clothing and expensive, high-end fashion, Moochi says ‘it’s all about style not an age’. Distinctive designs, ranging from weekend casual to evening wear. And it’s 100% New Zealand-made.

This place is one of those great locally owned one-stop-shops that’s a little bit grocery store, a little bit cafe and a little bit pharmacy. They also specialise in gluten free products. You’ll find all the healthfoods and organics you need here… you can even grab an organic coffee!

Well of course we can’t pass up a mention of a spa when we talk about things to do in Rotorua. This place has it all, from massages, facials and of course a natural spa… but also the owner Annette Charles has a Bachelor of Health Science and a Naturopathic Diploma so this place has the added bonus of an onsite naturopath to get you into tip top shape.

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!

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!

After spending a year in Asia teaching English I swear by acupuncture. I was hesitant at first (I mean, who wouldn’t be? having needles stuck in them.) but I was quick to succumb to the obvious results that the ancient Chinese technique yielded. I had been having writs pain from a snowboading accident for years and finally this gave me some relief! Pop in and talk to them about your ailments and see if accupucture could work for you.