Lisa B.'s
How to be healthy
- 12Health 2000 New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralHealth 2000 has all your health, beauty and sport needs. It’s where I go if I ever need to pick up any calcium pills or get some advice on what I can do to stay healthier and happier in the winter time. Your skin really feeling the winter blues? Health 2000 specialise in the Trilogy range filled with all natural oils and ingredients. The staff are always happy to help and can recommend any new products they’ve just got in store. It reminds me I must go in this week to pick up some more Multivitamins!
- 22Stardust Creations New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralIf you’re into the spiritual side of life, you should take a trip to Stardust Creations. They have almost a whole wall filled with crystals and stones that will enhance your wellbeing. I’ve grown up with a mother who has believed in this stuff and I’m not saying I’m a full believer but I think that they really do help with certain things. The Amethyst stone is a popular one; purple in colour it has purifying properties that helps with addiction, stress and tension.
- 32Down To EarthNew Plymouth CentralThe supermarket just doesn’t cut it when it comes to finding organic free range foods to enhance your health. From fresh bread using Spelt and organic wheat, to free range meat and organic household cleaners. Down to Earth products are delivered twice a week so you can be assured that they’re nice and fresh. If you’re unsure of where it is, it’s on the corner of Devon Street West and Morley Street in the big building with the mountain painting on the side. It always makes you feel better about yourself when eating organic as you’re not taking in any of those pesticides, make sure to stop in sometime soon, you’ll be better off.
- 42Crazy Pumpkin New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralIf you want to have endless amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables at your fingertips without going all the way out to an actual farm or orchard, the Crazy Pumpkin is where you need to be shopping from now on. "From the farmer to the basket, sell more for less, fresh and fair" is their motto, and it couldn’t be more accurate. They have the best prices around and always have specials and “2 for 1” deals. This week they’ve got a deal on the super food Spinach; two bags for only $5, which gives you a huge discount!
- 56The Loving HutNew Plymouth CentralLoving Hut is a vegan restaurant on the upper side of town. They specialise in healthy vegan and vegetarian meals in a buffet style setting; you pay by plate and then fill up on what you want. I have seen so many great reviews on this place so I thought I would just jump on the band wagon and give them a glowing review too! They make a delicious vegan Hummingbird cake that is just amazing, you wouldn’t even think that it had no dairy in it! This place is great for any health nut.
Lisa B.'s
Rainy Day Activities
- 15Puke ArikiNew Plymouth CentralI love the New Plymouth Library because it’s a great place to rug up on a rainy day and enjoy a great book. Home to many heritage collections, it’s also a great chance to get a sense of history of the Taranaki area. Love it!
- 22Event Cinemas New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralThis is generally a favourite for everyone everywhere on days where the weather is a bit yuck, if you’re an avid movie goer, Event Cinemas is the right place for you! If it was a really wintery day outside you could even turn it into a whole day activity and go to two or three movies, why not!? I would definitely be up for that. In the breaks in-between each movie you could even visit one of the surrounding shops for a quick lunch then grab some snacks if it’s an extra-long movie you’re going to see. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good drama so I might go see ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ next time it rains!
- 39BowlaramaNew Plymouth CentralMini golf is a great sport for people like me who are not good at any sport. It’s like real golf but less competitive and more humorous when you’re five centimetres away from the hole and you still can’t get it in. What’s more fun is that this mini golf is glow in the dark so it’s even more of a challenge! I’m no Lydia Ko, but mini golf is the one ‘sporting’ activity that I can say I’m not bad at. For a change of scene there’s the famous sixteen lane bowling alley next door that’s also a lot of fun.
- 41Centre CityNew Plymouth CentralTo any tourists out there reading this, Centre City is New Plymouth’s official shopping centre, and its three stories high. Not bad for a small city like New Plymouth. It has a range of food stores available in the food court as well as the café ‘Lush’ which is great for brunch or afternoon tea! There are a lot of clothes stores to satisfy your retail therapy needs, for woman, men and kids! It’s also really convenient to have a ‘Farmers’ store in there that spreads across two floors. If you took your time, you could lose a good couple hours in this shopping centre, although your wallet may hate you for it!
- 53Kina NZ Art and Design SpaceNew Plymouth CentralKina is like the little art gallery that’s very underrated. It hosts new and upcoming artist’s pieces every month and likes to celebrate and support all things kiwi and art & design. It’s also a place that sells affordable gifts (great if you’re on a student budget) such as ceramics, jewellery, weaving and sculptures. Kina offers convenience as their online shop is open 24 hours and can deliver anywhere in the world, definitely check this out at some point if you haven’t already!
Lisa B.'s
Best Pies
- 14Anderson's Pie ShopHaweraAnderson Pies are somewhat of a specialty of Taranaki. It started way back in the 1930’s, so it has been going for over 80 years, that is a long time of delivering quality pies every time! They supply their pies all over Taranaki in dairies and also do wholesale AND catering! With only 30 members of staff that is a lot of work! It’s good to see it hasn’t stopped them from putting love and care into each and every pie they make, that’s what I think when I’m eating one anyway.
- 21Nelsons BakeryInglewoodNelsons Bakery is located in the heart of the lovely Inglewood. The very first time I had one of these pies I would have been a bit younger than 10, but it definitely set a new high standard for pies in my book. Every time we would take a trip to Inglewood I would get excited and beg mum to take me there as we got closer to the shop, I wasn’t lucky enough to get one every time, but occasionally she would give in and take me and it was like heaven!
- 35Blagdon Hot Bread BakeryBlagdonBlagdon Bakery is my local, and all-time favourite bakery to go to for pastries, hot chips, sandwiches, but most importantly; pies. I tried a Steak and Kumara pie from there the first time the other day and I think it’s now my new favourite. They have at least twelve different pies, and some others I haven’t even tried yet, but am planning to! The flavours are real and they don’t skimp on the ingredients. The staff are always so friendly and it makes it an easy choice when deciding where to have lunch.
- 43Andre's Pies & PatisserieNew Plymouth CentralAndres Pies is a great place to go for a quick and easy lunch if you work in town. It’s been around since 1972. They sell giant pies filled with flavourful ingredients to make even a health nut’s mouth water. They are just seriously nice pies, I can’t put my finger on what it is that makes them different but I’m definitely not complaining that they are! They also sell delectable cakes with enough calories in them to knock you back for a week, they’re amazingly wicked!
- 51Izzy's Foodbar and TakeawayNew Plymouth CentralIzzy’s Food bar and Takeaway is a less known shop as it’s probably the most recent one on my list, but it’s certainly not the least! Along with really delicious pies, Izzy’s also sell cakes, fresh sandwiches and wraps and daily specials. One unique pie I can say I’ve never seen anywhere else is their Sweet Chilli Beef pie! If you come in and say “It’s always busy at Izzy’s” you can get a free scoop of chips with every purchase until the end of July, so you better get in quick!
Lisa B.'s
Best of NZ Beef and Lamb
- 15Salt RestaurantNew Plymouth CentralThe winter menu at Salt is very impressive. I’ve been lucky enough to be wined and dined there twice this winter and was not disappointed. They claim to be a four star restaurant, but if you’ve been there, clearly they are a five. Try going in for dinner one night and you’ll see on the menu there’s a beautiful Herb crusted Lamb Fillet with a white onion Ratatouille, how nice does that sound? And if that doesn’t take your fancy, have an EIGHT ounce beef fillet with hand cut chips and a herb chilli butter; yum.
- 24PaNKaWaLLa RestaurantNew Plymouth CentralPankawalla is one of my favourite Indian restaurants in New Plymouth, and their beef is to die for. I don’t eat a lot of beef anymore but a couple months back I did and this was the place to be for it! When the food comes out the meat just falls apart when you pick it up, it’s amazing! It’s like the quality of slow cooked food. A classic is the Beef Korma, every loves having one of those, and my favourite is the Beef Vindaloo, its extra spicy for those daring to try it!
- 33Frederic's No 34 on EgmontNew Plymouth CentralFredericks have a steak menu like no other in New Plymouth. There four different steak options weighing from 200g to 300g, like the Green Meadows Sirloin, doesn’t that sound amazing! If that’s not impressive, they also have the choice of five different sauces as well as SIX different choices of sides like green salad or chips! It makes me want to get my car and drive down there right now for a meal! For only $5 they can add on whole Garlic Prawns, bargain!
- 44Eden Cafe & RestaurantBell BlockLamb Salad. Those two things go together so well it’s almost a crime. Eden Café & Restaurant make one of these to perfection. It includes all my favourite ingredients such as feta, olives, tomatoes and red onion with a special olive oil dressing. It’s definitely worth the trip to head out to Bell Block for dinner for this salad! Or you could stop in and have a lunch date and try the grilled Steak with mushroom sauce and seasonal vegetables.
- 52Table Restaurant at Nice HotelNew Plymouth CentralTable is the ultimate restaurant when it comes to fine dining. It’s located at the nice hotel just up the hill from town. They have this dish called ‘Duo of Lamb’ which has a roasted rack of lamb and seared tenderloin with a pea risotto and baby carrots! I don’t eat lamb but I’ve got to admit, it does sound delicious and very five star! They also do a really nice grilled eye fillet steak with a kumara puree, and both meals I’ve mentioned are gluten free!
Lisa B.'s
Where to go for dinner and a movie
- 13FlameNew Plymouth CentralFlame is the only place where you can get a $10 curry meal from Monday to Thursday for dinner that is actually decent. At the movies there is a ‘Cheaper Tuesday’ where it’s only $9.50 for a ticket, and if you get a $10 curry beforehand, you could have a really nice night out for under $20! Or another option is to takeaway a curry and have a movie night in; either way Flame is a great place to eat with an upbeat vibe and amazing food. Try their cocktails too, the have the old favourites like Mojito and Cosmopolitan, but they also do their own creations!
- 22Cinema Express Cafe & BarNew Plymouth CentralCinema express is located in the Top Town complex where the cinema is so it’s a very short walk to get to your movie. The dining style here is buffet so in other words, you can stuff yourself till you explode for a single price, which is always a great thing; especially for people like me who is a foodie! I’ve been here a few times and it’s definitely one of those places you can go to and know you’ll feel satisfied coming out of it. It’s really convenient if you’re late to your movie as you don’t have to wait for a meal, you can just help yourself!
- 33Sun WorldNew Plymouth CentralSun World has had its good reviews and its bad reviews; I however think this place is a really nice place to eat. It’s another buffet style of dining that has a mix of Chinese and European food. The staff are really friendly and the place has an overall nice atmosphere. It’s great value for money if you’re on a tight budget but want a large variety of food. They also offer a few desserts to choose from which include my favourite: Lolly cake!
- 42The Rice Bowl Chinese RestaurantNew Plymouth CentralRice bowl is another restaurant that is located in the Top Town complex, and it’s also a new addition. They specialise in authentic Chinese cuisine as well as extending to Schezuan and Cantonese cuisine. One thing that’s really special about the Rice Bowl is that they have a live crayfish in a tank and you can select a fresh one to eat, exciting as that is I don’t know if I could personally select which one to be cooked, it’s not for everybody! It’s BYO friendly so you can bring along that bottle of red to enjoy before your movie.
- 56Joe's Garage New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralJoe’s garage is a rustic restaurant with delicious food - simple as that! You walk in and there’s a fireplace to your left, and you already feel at home. Go through another door and you can really feel the “garage” environment. The meals are amazing and if you’re a pizza lover, Joe’s offer a nice selection of thin based pizzas cooked in an authentic pizza oven. You can choose from the menu or design your own. You could even return after the movie and enjoy a coffee by the fire, perfect for winter time!
Lisa B.'s
Family Outings
- 11Taranaki ToursNew Plymouth CentralHave you ever wanted to go up the mountain, not just where the snow meets the ground but actually up to the Fanthams Summit? Or how about walking from Dawson Falls up to Goblins Forest to take in breath taking views? If your answer is yes to either of these then Taranaki Tours is right for you! The tours are professional, safe, fun and memorable of course, no matter if you’re fit or an inactive person, there is a tour for everybody. If you’re really feeling adventurous, try their 3 day luxury traverse, which covers the Pouakai Crossing, Dawson Falls and Goblins Forest.
- 25New Plymouth Coastal WalkwayNew Plymouth CentralBike riding, walking the dog, roller blading and jogging, these are all great things to do on the Foreshore Coastal Walkway. The walkway starts at Port Taranaki and goes all the way to Bell Block. It's a productive and healthy activity for you and your family to be doing for a day out of the holidays. Plus, it's good for toddlers too as there are lots of rest points along way to stop and take in the beautiful ocean views - not to mention a playground or two! There are also a couple of places to get a drink - my pick is the coffee caravan by the wind wand.
- 33Tawhiti MuseumHaweraTawhiti Museum is located in Hawera, good if you live in the area but it's well worth travelling from New Plymouth - or anywhere in New Zealand - to see what this museum has to offer. They display life-sized wax models, depicting New Zealand’s history and heritage. You could show your kids what life used to be like hundreds of years ago and they’ll quickly realise how lucky they are these days. Traders and Whalers shows an exciting live presentation - get in the boat and be taken through a river revealing different scenes throughout our history. It’s so engrossing for kids, this will take up the whole day out for the family for the school holidays!
- 42Canoe & Kayak TaranakiWaiwhakaihoBeing in Taranaki, we are surrounded by water so what better way to spend a day out with family than getting on it with Canoe and Kayak Taranaki. Running for 20 years, the well-known local business will provide you an abundance of different boating needs and have lots of handy advice as the staff are very passionate about kayaking. They also offer a variety of courses for both young and old to prepare for that family outing or as a fun way to get fit. Plus, it's a great bonding experience to get out on the water alone or with your family.
- 52Stoney Oaks Wildlife ParkInglewoodStoney Oaks Wildlife Park provides a real farm experience. You can hand-feed possums, hold baby rabbits, and have a cuddle with some deer and sheep. I’ve gone here so many times since I was a child and have always left with such happy memories. In fact, I enjoy it so much, I always want to go back again because for an animal lover, like me, it’s the most fantastic place to be! Just eight kilometre out of Inglewood, it's a short drive but if the kids are too knackered to head back into town afterwards there's also accommodation available on site - it's just best to book ahead.