Try fish and chips at the beach - washed down with as much wildlife as you can handle.

You can't head up this way without taking a detour all the way west to Muriwai, or Maori Bay or Shelly Beach off South Head.

Shandelle Battersby slathers herself in thermal gloop and waits for the magic to happen.

Going walkabout is a great way to experience the winterless north, says Donna McIntyre.

Visit the world's top hideaway in tiny Tai Tapu.

Elisabeth Easther goes bush in the Far North but finds all the creature comforts she could wish for at the five-star Waipoua Lodge.

Hanmer Springs offers more than just hot pools, learns Elisabeth Easther.

Shandelle Battersby learns why this region's sauvignon is famous around the world.

The South Island town of Tekapo is bursting with things to do, discovers Megan Singleton.

Nothing says spring like the blooming of the kowhai or the opening of scallop season, says Sarah Ell.

Shandelle Battersby gets a taste for the finer things in life in the Hawkes Bay.

Gold mines built the town now famous for its carnivorous snails, says Elisabeth Easther.

Elisabeth Easther visited Great Barrier Island's Glenfern Sanctuary and found plenty to crow about.

Fine dining is just one fun way to keep busy in Gizzy, writes Megan Singleton.

In Taranaki, Elisabeth Easther finds a town with a playful history.

Isobel Marriner gets a maritime history lesson amid the spectacular scenery of Fiordland.

Consider the pleasure of many rather the wants of an elite few, says Paul Rush.

Family ties to Fernglen enhance the pleasure of a stroll in its dappled light.

Time to start planning her next beach holiday at Te Ngaere, says Sarah Ell.

This small North Island city is home to more than 100 cultures, finds Elisabeth Easther.

Auckland is proud of its heritage, and the city is dotted with specialised museums, finds Sarah Ell.

Donna McIntyre masters the geek chic Segway for a fun spin around Waiheke Island.

Non-stop excitement for children of all ages is the hallmark of a Rotorua holiday.

Wild Kaimanawa horses couldn't drag Elisabeth Easther away from this adventurous town.

Geoff Cumming emerges from a tramp in the Marlborough Sounds to find a superb reward.

Auckland sure knows how to turn on a storm. The wind was whistling so raucously round the house I began to fret that windows would break or trees would be blown over.

Canterbury's cuisine - like the city of Christchurch itself - is also enjoying a post-quake revival, discovers Nathan Paul.