If you like coffee, you have to come here and sample the traditionally brewed Ethiopian coffee. I'm…read morepretty sure it's the best coffee in the world. The process of making the coffee is interesting to watch in itself, but the taste is heavenly. A tiny cup of incredibly thick, strong, aromatic coffee with teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar stirred in. I don't even like sugar in my coffee usually, but Ethiopian coffee is a revelation. There's other stuff at the festival too! I've been a number of times and always had a great time. With it's focus on the art and food traditions of refugee communities, it's an opportunity to share in some culture that you might not be so familiar with. Ever-popular are the drumming demonstrations and the dancing on the main stage, but there are also heaps of stalls to browse, food to taste, and the Annual Cultural Football Tournament. If you've been before, note the change of venue; the festival won't be held at Potter's Park this year (2013), but at the War Memorial Park instead, on Sunday the 7th of April.

Since when did craft fairs become sooo cool? I'm pretty sure that back in the day craft fairs were…read morejust full of knitted jumpers and painted eggshells. Well, that is certainly not the case these days. At Crafternoon Tea specifically, you'll find cool terrariums and succulents, beautiful prints of pencil drawn animals (look at the photos), modern jewellery and these adorable woolen hot waterbotttle covers (ok, so that's sounds a little nanna-ish but trust me, they're cool). The fair runs one Saturday a month from 10am - 2pm in the old church at the top of Bond St. Head along first thing and then stop in at one of the many cafes nearby to refuel. Perfect Saturday morning activity!

Crafternoon Tea is such a good market to visit. It's held in Kingsland in the Trinity Methodist…read moreChurch Hall in Kingsland, a great hub for lots of creative and crafty people. It's usually packed with loads of stalls and people milling about them. There's everything from soap, to clothes, cupcakes, jewelry and more. And the best thing about it is that anyone can have a stall for around $30. However, they stress that it needs to be handmade or retro and nothing imported can be sold. I think this is such a good idea to keep the market, well, a market. It's so great to see local people using local resources to create awesome Kiwi products. They also have lots of tutorials on their website that show you how to make some of your very own handmade delights.

Right beside Morningside train station is some of the best graffiti art in the area. More than just…read moretagging, these images link and overlap in interesting and creative ways, livening up otherwise boring and ugly cement walls. One wall is a mixture of images, including an evil octopus, house on the run and demonic kitty-person, while around the corner is a portrait style masterpiece of a woman with traditional pacific designs weaved around her. This graffiti artwork reflects the multiculturalism of Auckland and also the talent of our young graffiti artists. It may not be worthy of the Art Gallery, but I love seeing local talent and creativity displayed on the streets and in some ways by being right by a train station, these walls are the best gallery of all. Hundreds of people see this artwork every day. Don't be the one to miss out, next time you're in Morningside check them out.

I have to say, as free events go, this has to be one of the best I've been to, be that here in…read moreAuckland or back in Blighty (to be honest, the council would have charged for this kind of event back in the UK). The imagination behind the installations at this years Art in the Dark was amazing, with so many of the pieces having my wife and I going "wow". I had no idea that Western Park was so big, as I've only ever passed the park from Ponsonby Road. The event organisers made great use of the space and really showed off the natural beauty of this park. Although, better lighting on some of the footpaths may be something to think about for next year, especially the paths being lifted up by stretching tree roots. From the very cool QR Code mobile to the giant fish riding around on cycles, we very much enjoyed our first time at Art in the Dark and look forward to next years.

I feel like I'm a couple of years late to the Art In The Dark party…read more.. Awesome idea - wander through Western Park in the dark, check out light installations for FREE. The only problem was it was waaaay too busy. Painfully so. The line moved at a snail's pace and with people packed in like sardines it was rather claustrophobic. This was my first time to Art In The Dark so I don't have a point of comparison but I think it was particularly bad this year because of the weather. It had been raining, hard, for a couple of days beforehand so you couldn't leave the paths without the risk of falling over, which we saw several people do. Hilarious, when it's not you... Also, the bad weather meant that come Sunday (the last day and also the first break in the miserable weather), every man and his dog were there. Plus we went just after it got dark. Rookies. My recommendation is to go a little later, after all the kids have gone to bed. I think it's awesome that Auckland plays host to annual free events like this and it's unfortunate that the weather didn't play ball but I can't help that think that perhaps it's time they moved to a bigger (and flatter) park.

A lovely place to visit and walk around the gorgeous lush tropical like native NZ gardens and walk…read moreto the top of the hill and look at the amazing views over Auckland and out to Devenport and further. There is even a resident hen, and gold fish in the pond, which gives the place a lovely homely feel. The entry store has some great gifts too.

I came here for the first time with a couple of my girlfriends late last year. I didn't even know…read moreit existed to be honest but it does, this beautiful garden in the middle of the city. We came around the end of tulip season but still got to see the tulips and so many other beautiful flowers as we wandered through the gardens for over an hour. There are also native birds which you can hear singing amongst the trees, it is really idyllic. There is also a waterfall and if you want to take your walk to the next level a path that requires 'appropriate footwear', worth it though for the view. Eden Garden is a nice place to visit, even if just the once so you can experience the beauty of nature that lay hidden within Auckland city.

Winstone Park, home of Mt Roskill AKA Puketepapa AKA Mt Rascal AKA Mt Kennedy. The mountain of many…read morenames and many laughs. This used to be the place we would all go after school instead of doing homework, doing whatever it is 15 year olds do. Now it is a highlight of the cycle track that runs parallel to SH20, and the cultural centrepoint of Mount Roskill. On the peak of the summit there is a cross which gets lit up over Easter and Christmas, and although I'm not religious there is a certain good feeling you get when it comes into view at night - although I'm sure it could be seen as offensive to some. Apparently Roskill used to have a crater, but that was filled in with a water tank, so this Mountain sadly isnt what it was at its (pardon the pun) peak. Still, it's a nice place to go up if you are in the area, or cycling past.

Awww how I wish we had something like this in Hawaii. ALL the foods looked great. The smoked salmon…read morewas by FAR the best I've had. So delicious, wish we had bought more! But it was our last night in Auckland. Some of the extras actually made the journey with us to Queenstown. Enough vendors to get your fill on the spot as well as to go. A nice assortment of foods that you still need to prepare, sides, breads, smoothies, etc. Worth a visit as a local or a tourist!

Voted Auckland's best food market by a local newspaper, La Cigale French Market is held every…read moreSaturday from 8 AM to 1:30 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to 1:30 PM. This market is inspired by the wonderful food markets found in France. This market didn't exist when I lived in New Zealand in 2003, but I figured it would be an eye-opening experience to compare and contrast the Otara Polynesian Market. This market is just a 20-minute drive from the Otara Market, but will feel worlds away with its much pricier food options, perfectly primped dogs, live jazz performances and wine bars. If you're into high-end experiences, this will be your jam.

Khartoum Place is a square situated between Kitchener and Lorne St in the heart of Auckland city…read more It is right beside the Auckland Art Gallery and is just as worth a visit as the gallery is. The Place is characterized by a multi-level waterfall and paintings of the Women's Suffrage Movement - a part of history very important within New Zealand, as we were the first country to give women the right to vote. This pedestrianed square therefore acts as a memorial to women's suffrage. Not only is a Place the quickest way to cut through from the university to Queen St, it is also a lovely place to meet friends for lunch or coffee. A downside however is that it doesn't get much sun so it can be quite nippy there in the late afternoon. I recommend taking a jumper and grabbing a hot drink from the Esquires cafe located directly opposite the Place.

Nestled between Lorne Street and Kitchener Street beneath the Art Gallery and Albert Park beyond,…read moreKhartoum Place is perhaps my favourite public square in Auckland. The surrounding buildings give the square a feeling of being a semi-enclosed outdoor room, while the two large plane trees set in the middle of the square always keep it feeling cool and secluded. It's somehow serene in a way that belies its central city location, and ever so slightly grungy with the arty types (and homeless) that often occupy the space. The stairs that take you up to the Art Gallery are a tiled artwork/water feature commemorating the Womens' suffrage movement, so there's even a bit of history built in. In short, this little square has character in spades - great place to just sit and people watch.

Alberton was definitely in the running when I was choosing a wedding venue as it is just so…read morebeautiful. It's one of those places that is constantly used for fashion, film and even music video shoots because its historic character is so well preserved. It is grand, old and beautiful but there are some rules and regulations that apply to keeping it that way so keep that in mind if you are thinking of using it for an event. The great thing is that it's open to the public so all you have to do is wander on in and explore all its nooks and crannies at your leisure. You will have to pay for the pleasure but that's as it should be in order to keep preserve places like this for future generations. The grounds are stunning as well and a visit here can take you back in time for some romantic day-dreaming. Great for kids too - history is so much more interesting when it's tangible.

Auckland's got a bad track record of hanging on to our historic buildings. Noteworthy architecture?…read moreImportant cultural heritage? Nah, let's tear it down and put up a featureless grey box full of leaky apartments. Sigh. At least we've got it right here though. Alberton House is from the mid 1800s, and it's a pretty neat place. It's a good venue for events (I was here for a wedding), but even without that it's cool just to have a wander around looking at the building itself, with its rabbit-warren servants' quarters and wooden everything. Also if you go upstairs (I say stairs, it's more like a ladder built for elves), they've got a few rooms set up with period furniture, and some of the creepiest dolls I've seen in a long time. This place is worth a visit, especially if the weather is good.