Watching NZ play Australia in World Cup cricket. Couldn't get tickets to the game so had lunch at…read moreMamak and now am at Vulture's Lane. Seems to be the place to be. Massive selection of beers and nachos are $5.00 today. Had a pint of Garage Project and now thinking about a pint of 8WiredSemiconductor!

A charming little lane off Queen Street with lots of good bars and other shops of interest. It's…read morethe little lanes like this that make the CBD interesting and offer welcoming relief from the blandness of Queen Street. There's a few good bars, namely The Belgian Beer Cafe; O Carrolls Irish bar and the best of all: Queensferry Hotel. The first time I came here in 2007 (on holiday) I recall browsing in a cool record store and buying a Bob Dylan album. That store is gone now but it indelibly marked Vulcan Lane as one of the cooler places in the CBD. The Vulcan cafe is a good spot to watch the people go by and another useful addition to the lane is Wishbone Deli. In case you haven't read my review, it's got a great selection of pastas and risottos which are great if you are on the go. A bit of cult place to Aucklanders, there's a lively vibe here and there is always something going on.

For us, the monthly visit to the night market is really just entertainment for the kids and a very…read morecheap dinner. I love any Asian/Indian/ethno food so can always find something to keep the wolf from the door. There is a wide range of cuisines: Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Philipino, Hungarian, Hong Kong, Pacific Island, and more plus a plethora of post prandial sweets. The food quality at some stalls might be a bit iffy - I suppose at $6 they won't be using the best ingredients, but I have never been sick!!. Sometimes I wonder about the hygiene too but fingers crossed... A lot of the food is in bain maries pre-cooked but the last two meals I've had have been cooked on the spot. It always amazes me that there is a huge queue for churros, which must be the most over-rated snack ever - flavourless dough sticks covered in a sauce of choice. Having said that though I wish I owned that business because the queues reach out the door and they are making a killing!! As at the time of writing this, the Pakuranga market is getting overcrowded. We went last night, arriving at 6pm opening time and it was already extremely busy. We were glad to be in and out within 30 minutes because it was becoming uncomfortably congested. If the crowds continue to grow, the market will need to expand its area. If I was designing the space I would move the "dining" tables to an area away from the throng of hungry punters trying to buy food. And in my perfect world pushchairs would be BANNED from all pedestrian areas!! Why, oh why, do people bring push chairs into crowded pedestrian areas? Dumb. I recommend the night market for a bit of frivolous fun on an evening when you have nothing else on and want to take the kids out for some low key entertainment and dinner. The "shopping" is best avoided unless you want fruit and veges. However, if on the other hand, you have an urge to offload your cash on $2 Shop junk, costume jewellery, flannelette onesies, carvings, mobile phone covers and accessories, a (fully-clothed) back/neck massage, ear candles, cheap and nasty nail polish and nail art, a dubious fortune telling, or second-hand bric-a-brac then this will be your Shangri-la!

Awesome place to have a super unhealthy Friday night dinner. The cuisine there is just so varied u…read morecan have anything u cud think of.. Obviously cheap food.. As for the shopping.. There are a few vege stores and a lot of cheap low quality stuff, items that may entertain children..

Welcome to Paradise…read more I've heard Waiheke Island is the Hawaii of New Zealand. But even though I have not been to Hawaii, I disagree. Why? I don't think anything can compare to this place. There are two entrances to the hiking trails to Fisherman's Rock. We took the entrance off of Littler Oneroa Beach. Tip: Dragonfired Wood Oven Pizza food truck is located on the beach and it's a great way to enjoy pizza on the beach! There are steep wooden steps built into the side of the rocks to help guide you up. Throughout the entire hiking trail, there are random spurts of wooden steps that aid you along the way. The hiking trail is fairly easy, with only the uphill portions potentially making this trail slightly medium difficultly. But regardless of the uphill trail, the views are absolutely phenomenal. If you walk all the way from Little Oneroa Beach to Fisherman's Rock, it should take approximately 35 minutes. But you will take longer because it is impossible to not stop and take in the breathtaking views as you are surrounded by the beauty of the ocean. As you approach Fisherman's Rock (which really is just close to the edge of the cliff), you can go down to the rocks and get on a small makeshift swing! Again, the views down there are incredible. Seriously, if you go anywhere else in New Zealand, make this a priority.

Auckland to me is like a flashy magician or something. It's always pulling something out of its hat…read moreand acting all come hither like, 'Don't you want to get involved Sophie? Why yes Auckland I do thanks. The Auckland arts festival is just one of Auckland's many white rabbits. Being staged from the 6th of March through to the 24th it is an all inclusive tour de force. To kick it off one of the biggest fire shows of the year was put on in the domain, this show entitled 'Breath of the Volcano' was inspired by the Volcanic cones of Auckland, and was an outdoor theatre spectacular like nothing I've ever seen. The fireworks were able to be seen city wide. One of my favourite events of this festival and I've been to a few was 'White Night' , where Auckland's cultural epicentres like its museums and art galleries stayed open after dark, till late. It was a remarkable opportunity to explore my new city from a wholly different perspective. Honestly I couldn't recommend this festival enough.

For me, the best thing about Auckland Arts Festival is that you can be as involved as you want to…read morebe. If you want to go to watch a performance, there are loads of plays to choose from (this year, I'm going to see Hui) as well as Opera, ballet, dance-theatre...the list is endless and there's enough variety to suit everyone. Alternatively, if you don't want to be that involved, you can go sit for free in the Festival Garden on Queen Street (where I spent almost all of Saturday afternoon) watching live music performances on wooden benches with a glass of the Stoneleighs wine that is available on-site. And if you're not even up for the that, just walk down Dominion Road and you'll find loads of free street performances from the Auckland Theatre Company on at various times throughout the festival. An annual event that takes place over three weeks every year, the Arts Festival is such a fantastic event and great way for everyone in the city to appreciate local and international theatre right here in the city. It's something really worthwhile to get involved in.

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.

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.

Who doesn't love a garden? I especially love a flower garden and this is one of Auckland's best and…read moremost beautiful. I don't have green thumbs and all attempts at creating my own gardens have been, if not complete failures, then somewhat challenged. This kind of gorgeousness, while all natural, takes a lot of time, care and effort and it's lovely to have a place to come and literally stop to smell the flowers. The volcanic Maungawhau rock makes it something special and there's a cafe too which is always a bonus. You do have to pay for entry but that's ok, it's well worth it. It's actually a great family activity because while not immediately springing to mind as something kids might be into, they actually really enjoy the space (5.5 hectares of it) and the magical storybook quality of this urban oasis.

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.

Rangitoto was definitely a highlight of our visit to Auckland. We had a free day and wanted to get…read moresome exploring in, so we took the 10:30 ferry ride on over which was quick and beautiful. The range in microclimate hiking to the summit was fascinating. There were times where it was unbearably hot and then others when it was cool and wet. So interesting! The views, unsurprisingly, were magnificent.

We booked this tour through Fullers/360 Discovery Tours. They made it very simple to find the…read morecorrect dock, pick up our ferry tickets, and hop on board to the island. It was a fun little cruise to Rangitoto and then a very well organized tour and hike once there. We boarded an open-sided cart pulled by a truck/tractor, and it drove us all over the island - with our guide pointing out neat sights along the way, including volcanic fields, old dwellings where the WWII soldiers used to bunk, and some flora and fauna that we passed: birds and pōhutukawa trees (of which Rangitoto is the largest forest in the world). We stopped at the foot of the summit, and those who wanted to venture to the top hopped onto the boardwalk that runs alongside the mountain. It was an easy climb along the flat winding boardwalk, but the views do get a little daunting for those afraid of heights. There is a stop along the way called the crater summit track. Here you can walk around the edge/ring of this very large and very deep volcanic crater. There were lots of beautiful trees and scenic views to stop and see/snap photos of along the way. You can see Motutapu Island from the summit, where it connects to Rangitoto. Our guide said that some people hike from Rangitoto to Motutapu along the causeway connection, but we did not have time for that on this tour. Once we snagged our photos at the top of the summit, we headed back down and then boarded the vehicle again to meander back around the island to the dock and start our journey home. Overall, I would say this island (as part of a tour or a self guided hike with your own ferry pass) is a great way to spend a day. Hiking, beautiful views, and the sights of New Zealand that you don't get from just staying in Auckland!

An institution on Waiheke Island, Saturday morning markets at Ostend…read more Love the food stalls, everything from samosas, crepes, Turkish breads and baklava, organic spelt breads, artisan yoghurt and cheese, island olives and fresh fruits and vegetables. But be in quick because believe me, things sell out fast and you'd not want to go away hungry. The stalls spill out from the Ostend hall to the curb and adjoining field. Regular merchants come and sell their wares as well as garage sale type stalls. We picked up a few items of bargain clothing from the latter. Also couldn't resist some ceramic artworks for sale at wholesale prices at the market. We loved the buskers and the addition of sail covers to the central area. A great day out for the family, wouldn't miss a Saturday.

It was a great shame that the rain had rolled in for our visit here. Lots of people were crowded…read moreinto the hall, it was like walking down Oxford Street (London) at Christmas. Saw a few cool looking trade stores, brought a lovely handmade card. The little tea urn was boiling overtime. Outside being wet, it was not idea to sample of the delights on offer. There was some sort of dance presentation trying to put a show on, but the rain beat them. I liked the look of the different food stalls, was tempted to try the Hungarian bread, but it would have ended a soggy mess. Hoping the weather plays ball on our next visit.

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.