The Hour Glass is famous in Taranaki for their extended range of craft beers. They’re actually the leading craft beer bar in New Plymouth. They feature over 27 different craft beers that are each unique tasting and special. On top of having a great selection of craft beer and tapas, the Hour Glass has an amazing interior décor that puts you in a relaxed and chilled out mood.

Frederic’s is a great bar and is only quite new to the whole craft beer scene, but better late than never! They feature a beer of the month and usually it’s a craft beer, this month it’s Monteith’s Golden Lager that’s taken the number one spot. It has a smooth malty character with a cashew nut flavour that is crisp and refreshing at any time of the day. It’s definitely worth coming in at least once a month to sample the favourite beer.

Rig 66 has an abundance of Mike’s craft beer, one of the most popular and well-loved craft beer in the whole country. This place has a great feel good vibe and has a genuinely good menu to go along with the craft beer. They’re open from Wednesday through to Sunday so go on down and try some of the Mike’s beer and perhaps grab a house made beef burger with caramelized onions to complement it?

The Mill is a staple liquor store in Taranaki that has large stocks of craft beer. Boundary Road Brewery and Monteith’s are two major craft beer brands sold here, there’s even a special on at the moment where you can get a six pack of Boundary Road Brewery NZ Pale Ale for only $12.99. Specials like these are always happening in store so head on down and stock up for the rugby season coming up soon!

The White Cliffs Organic Brewery is a well-known place that serves Mike’s beer; it is after all one of their breweries! This is the place famous for the ‘Oktoberfest’ that sells out every year. Mike’s have over 15 different types of their beer available on site, and you can even buy some to take home in their Brewery Shop. The tasting Room is open on the weekend from 10am till 5pm; bring some friends along and have a great afternoon!

Petal & Prickle is my absolute favourite florist shop; the place just radiates cuteness and delicate floral design. Sofie is the owner and main florist of the business, and she can help you out with any needs, especially with Valentine’s Day coming up! If you want to really impress your partner, this is the place to come; you could even pick up a home-made soy candle in a teacup or a vintage teddy bear to add to the flowers!

Sentiments is nestled in a great little spot in Moturoa, and inside is an impressive amount of flowers, chocolates and little gifts that will definitely make someone’s day. Advice is always given as to how to take care of your flowers once they’re taken home, and usually they throw in some flower food to make them last even longer. This is a shop that’s been awarded for having superior service and products every time.

Nicci Goodin is a contemporary florist shop that oozes style and elegance. If you want something that looks disgustingly pretty on your coffee table, this is the place to visit. The first time I received a posy from here, the vase was wrapped in a leaf with a ribbon to secure it; it’s creativity like that that shows they think outside of the box. Everything is presented beautifully and professionally

Simply Blooming is such a great name for this florist, and it reflects the store quality so well. Simply arranged flowers can look amazing when done right, and this is what they do best here. This shop actually doubles as a gift shop as there are so many little bits and bobs you can purchase for the one you love, who can say no to a teddy bear and some chocolate?

Jasmine Florists is a great all-rounder florist, they can even put gift baskets together for you; that would be perfect to share for a lovely Valentine’s day picnic! For only $35, the can create a seasonal mix of flowers and foliage inside its very own little jar with water, I love this as you could re-use the jar for others things other than flowers!

Ozone coffee roasters do authentic coffee, with a great atmosphere and the décor looks amazing. The beans are roasted on site, giving the café a delicious aroma that leaves you wanting to come back for more. They do great hot chocolates, but the coffees are to die for. They are in a great location that’s perfect to pick up a cup on the way to work.

This café has such personality in my books, they have cute little saucers in linear arrangements up on the wall. I love this place in summer; you have the option of eating outdoors in the courtyard which is surprisingly nice with a hot coffee or even an iced one! One of their baked goods would definitely be the perfect complement to their coffee, they’re all freshly made in the morning!

I love places that roast the coffee beans themselves, it gives a more personal touch rather than just simply buying a bag. They specially select where they import their beans from, with the likes of Guatemala, Columbia, and Kenya. This place is a bit of a hidden gem as only the locals know about it and how good the coffee is here.

Chaos café has had great reviews, for not only the luxurious coffee, but for the friendliest staff! There’s still such a need for barista skills in cafes all around and I think it’s because Chaos have stolen all the talented ones! It’s always bustling with people but they’re never too busy to help you out in the case of an urgent caffeine fix! The tables outside are so lovely in the summer, definitely worth a try.

Secret shops that only the locals know about always seem to have something special about them, and Baked on Carrington is no exception. This is the perfect place to come into on your way to work, where the coffee comes out fast and the cabinet food is delicious! They use freshly roasted ozone coffee beans which taste amazing, and you can take your pick of any extras you’d like; it’s a caramel latte for me!

Zsa Zsa is where I got my nails done for my first ever school ball, that was years ago and they are still going strong! They’ve built up a really strong client base and always seem busy when I walk past; but not too busy that they can’t book an appointment! They’re professional and they get the job done to the highest quality, the owner is always so lovely and friendly to talk to.

This place really has something special. It’s not every day you come across a salon that has staff with experience in places like Australia and even Ireland! Royale Beauty offer gel nails, as well as their own ‘Royale Manicure’ consisting of shaping, buffing, cuticle care, exfoliation, a hand massage and a polish of your choice. I love that they care for your nails and have a write up about aftercare for the nails and how to get the longest life out of your manicure.

The staff at Ella nails are probably the most friendly I have ever come across. Not only do you get great looking nails but you get a good laugh out of it too! They use really cool techniques to do different patterns and designs of your nails, but it doesn’t just stop there. You bring in a picture or explain what you’d like and they will try their best to do what you want, great customer service!

Michelle Ann Nail Studio is a nail salon that specialises in doing gel treatments that nurture rather than harm the nail bed, something that is quite rare to find these days. They don’t’ skimp on quality or appearance, they have over 150 different colours and finishes that don’t chip off or damage your nails at all. They also sell their own products there such as hand cream and special hand wash to protect the nails even further.

Regal nails are a highly recognised salon and spa all over the country. Not only do they do manicures and pedicures, they also do waxing, eyelash extensions, spray tans, and facials; it’s somewhere to go if you don’t want to run all over town to get everything done, you can do it all right here. The staff are very professional and are highly trained to do acrylic nails, nail art, in fills, and gel nails.

The Contented Pig is almost a 5 star cafe and restaurant but without the pressure of dressing up in your best clothes; it has it it’s own unique style and you can even takeaway from the place! They specialise in humble salads that need little preparation but are cooked with copious amounts of love. I also love that their salads are dependent on the season, this says they have top quality produce for a good price!

If you’re a hard out athlete, a mum trying to stay healthy, or someone just trying to lose weight, Tank is the place to be as in their salads they have nothing but fresh and nutrition filled ingredients to keep you on the right track. There are two sizes of salads to choose, regular or large if you’re really hungry. Because Tank also lets you put aside the dressing, it really is healthy eating to its fullest.

Westbar is a great restaurant to go to for salads, they have so many different varieties to choose from. Are you a fan of the classic roast? Try the roast pumpkin and spinach salad finished with a bit of hummus for under $18. More of a seafood kind of person? They have something for you too, a salmon fillet that has been ‘tea smoked’ with roasted potatoes and a poached egg for $26, rather good value for a salmon meal!

If you like a bit of variety in your choices, The Mayfair has four different salads to choose; Thai beef, the classic Caesar, Scallop and Bacon, and Roast Beetroot. I myself have never have a roasted beetroot salad and that sounds very enticing as it’s served with feta and couscous! You can also add chicken for $5.50. All four I’ve mentioned are priced under $20, which is great for a restaurant quality meal. Also check out their Clean Eating Menu, you won’t be dissapointed!

This is my favourite place to pick up my salads; it’s fast, cheap, and of course really good for you! They have a few salads on the menu to order, or you can select up to nine ingredients and make your own, this is what I like to do. My favourite usually includes chicken, avocado, and sun dried tomatoes, and I always include pine nuts! Did I forget to mention that I get all of this for under ten dollars?

Oakura beach is great for boogie boarding and family days out. As always, they have the camp grounds available for overnighters or for spending an extended weekend there. It has a good family vibe and stretches out quite far with an amazing ship wreck at one end; the kids will feel like a real pirate! There’s also a dairy close by to fulfil your hankering for ice cream on a hot day.

Back Beach is not as tame as other beaches in the area, but it’s still great for all members of the family with supervision of the little ones. One thing this beach is famous for in Taranaki is the great surf potential; this is where all the surfer guys and girls come to get the best waves. There are a few hidden spots that are great if you want some privacy when soaking up the sun and right next door is Paratutu Rock which is great to work up a sweat when going for a swim.

Kaupokonui Beach is located just 3 kilometres west of Manaia in South Taranaki. Something that’s handy is that this beach also has a campground nearby to park up for the night. There’s always been something special about packing up the car and traveling to a location where you can pitch a tent and spend a night away from it all; Kaupokonui offers exactly that, and for only a small fee.

If you want to learn to swim, sail, kayak, or windsurf, Ngamotu beach is your best bet to kick start your leaning of a new sport. The beach is surrounded by ships, having the port on the left and the harbour with the nice boats and yachts on the right, so there’s always something to look at! It’s also the number one spot for school beach days and sand sports such as beach volleyball.

Opunake beach is right beside the holiday park, it offers a variety of accommodation such as standard cabins, self contained units or just a humble patch of grass for your caravan or tent, each with power or no power for the real camping experience. The black sand beach is surrounded by beautiful pohutakawa trees and contains unique pieces of driftwood and some pretty decent waves for the sporty people out there, don’t forget the sunscreen!