nzgirl Picks: I Love You New Zealand

New Zealand is truly an amazing country, and there are so many stunning areas all around us. We love I Love You New Zealand – 101 Must-Do’s For Kiwis (Random House), it’s a complete guide to our magnificent country.

Released by kiwi travel icons the AA, I love you New Zealand has all the top must-do’s voted for by New Zealanders themselves! It’s a must own book for all New Zealanders, because there is truly nothing like exploring our very own gorgeous country. Click here to find out more.

 

Read on to discover each member of the nzgirl team's personal favourite must-do from the book...

My first visit to the Mount was in 1996. A friend and I drove down in my little blue Mazda 323 (well she drove, I was only on my restricted) to celebrate New Year’s with 10,000 other strangers on the sand. It was one of the best summer holidays of my life. We slept in the car, however, I would suggest you stay at the Mount Maunganui Domain Camp Site which is right at the base of the Mount on the Peninsula. It has awesome salt water hot pools where you can relax after a day in the sun. 

Or if you fancy something more upmarket then there are heaps of apartments for rent, even just for a long weekend. At the time, we only had $70 to our name so food consisted of what we had raided from our parents' pantry. I’ve been back many times since and still love eating out on Marine Parade. They really understand summer foods down there with every menu boasting salads and seafood galore.  I’ve climbed the ‘Mount’… but only half way for a little bit of alfresco hanky panky after dark.  I’ve also watched the surfers enjoy the waves on Papamoa beach... However, my idea of heaven is strolling the beach front in flip flops, ice cream in hand… heading for the pub. Summer bliss.  A summer holiday at the Mount is a right of passage for anyone.

 

Mercury Bay and I go way back. Like waaaaaaaaay back. If there’s a holiday weekend on or a summer break extended in front of me, chances are I’ll spend a bit of time laxing out on the Coromandel. While I probably spend more time in neighbouring beaches Hahei, Cathedral Cove or Cook’s Beach; Hot Water still gets a fair share of my affection. The ability to dig a spa bath in the sand under hot springs is great to take overseas friends to - although not in the peak of summer when it’s crammed with flesh!

The other end of the beach makes for a great morning walk with the pounding surf rolling in. The local Hot Waves café serves up yummo food and Allpress, my favourite brew. And, I can’t go a visit to the area without calling into Moko Artspace to check out their funky jewellery, art and the like.   

 

I am pretty sad and only ventured down to the South Island a couple of years ago (I know, I know it’s crazy!). It was freezing and in the middle of winter and they were expecting snow! I fell in love the moment we drove into the city through the brick town houses and past all the historic buildings. My Grandad and Grandma were in tow and we tottled around the city doing a bit of an ‘old crusty building tour’ and I loved every moment of it – although I hadn’t intended to be quite so interested.

From Otago University, to the Boys College, to the First Church; these beautiful historic buildings made awesome black and white photos through my 30-year-old Minolta Film Camera. It was a photographer’s heaven! The tour lead us to the Art Gallery, Town Hall and the Railway Station, and photograph after photograph was taken. The windy roads and that ridiculously steep one, mixed with the townspeople driving at least 20k under the speed limit, made this city really feel like a true piece of New Zealand. It made me feel so proud to live in the same country. And they even served me at the gas station – I mean come on! No one does that in Auckland! Go Otago!

 

I thought I would start off my morning pleasantly looking through and choosing my favourite place in New Zealand. Little did I know it would be a hard, strenuous task! There are so many great places in this book it was nearly impossible to choose. I was nearly sold on the ‘Winter Mountain Fun’ in Queenstown as I went their last year and literally had the time of my life. But…. then I felt guilty! So, I had to bring it back home to my local hood, Franklin, and chose the beautiful untouched Port Waikato.

The Port is only twenty minutes away from my family home and though I don’t go out there a lot, it is the perfect place to escape, soak in the rays and breathe in fresh air. As put so perfectly in the book ‘people in the know go there to escape the rat race’ . Although I can imagine it becoming slightly more popular given that it is now published in a book and now on nzgirl… whoops! I’m sure there is plenty of room for all of us! Furthermore, just like any small New Zealand town there are a couple of crucial dairys that make great milkshakes (last time I was there however, they were out of milk, classic!).

 

Kaikoura is one of those places that generally you just drive through on your way to somewhere else. It’s good for a stretch of the legs and spotting seals – always plenty of big boys hanging out on the beach stretching and looking as cute as puppy dogs (don’t be fooled, they’re actually quite vicious!). This seaside South Island town has always drawn a good income from the tourist dollar, offering whale watching and other attractions guaranteed to please the camera happy – so it’s never really seemed like a place that ‘over nighting’ in would bear much relevance or interest.

 I now take it all back! Kaikoura has a hidden destination that absolutely deserves exploring on your next tiki-tour. Some years ago, my boyfriend at the time and I checked into this wonderful lodge Donegal House, “the little Irish in the country”. It was quaint, affordable and so friendly. The staff were amazing, regaling stories of their homeland (and turns out they actually knew some of my relatives) and put on a lavish feast including crayfish, pavlova, Guinness and beautiful New Zealand chardonnay. We had an absolute blast – sung along to Irish tunes, hung out with the locals and relaxed like we owned the place. Highly recommended!

 

If one trip is worth making, it’s the drive up to the Bay of Islands. Paihia and Kerikeri are two of my favourite places, along with Tauranga Bay. It’s absolute bliss. Paihia is very tourist orientated with lots to see and do – you’ll be hard to please if nothing takes your fancy here. From taking a boat trip out to the hole in the rock, to jet skiing, dolphin spotting and fantastic diving spots, Paihia is amazing in its offerings. It’s great for a fun filled weekend with friends or family.

Further up, you’ll find sunny sunny Kerikeri. From camp sites to motels, there are plenty of places to stay. Kerikeri is very central to all the Bay of Island escapes – Tauranga Bay and Paihia are all within driving distance, which makes for great day trips - planned or unplanned. As most already know, Kerikeri is known for its fruit (oranges in particular) but more importantly, Kerikeri is also home to the famous Makana Chocolate factory! One word – indulgence! Definitely a must see and try, it’s worth it over and over.  

 

Coming from the ‘winterless north’, I absolutely adore gorgeous, golden sandy beaches. But the thing is – I’m kind of used to them, and I totally take them for granted. They don’t captivate me as much as the sights that I rarely ever get to see, such as the towering, snowy ice capped mountains of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The drive around the three dramatic mountains is breathtaking, no matter what time of the year.
 
And it’s even better when you drive up them – playing in the snow at Mount Ruapehu is wicked! I also love the story behind the three mountains - according to Maori mythology they had a huge war against each other over the love of the only female mountain, the beautiful Pihaka. In the end Ngaruhoe came out the victor, with the other Mountains left sulking away in the distance… Cute!