In the splendid town of Middlemarch, Peter Feeney and his family stay on a sheep station and enjoy Southern hospitality that comes complete with locally brewed beer.

Few will have visited this quaint little Auckland suburb.

Kiwi holidaymakers are being offered a free ticket to ride this summer.

Susan Buckland gets in some bird-watching at Miranda's sanctuary.

Shandelle Battersby enjoys a mini-break at a luxury city hotel.

Otago's gateway is a hip town of vintage shops and nice beaches, says Elisabeth Easther.

Elisabeth Easther went to Great Barrier Island in search of some reel fun.

Treat yourself to the best of the best this summer.

Holly Jean Brooker cools down with the kids at Balmoral's new Splashpad.

Eveline Harvey and her family check into a well-appointed apartment in Central Otago.

This town has big money, great pubs and cottage industries, discovers Elisabeth Easther.

Over five days, Greg Dixon does one of the ultimate New Zealand road trips: taking a car from Auckland to Bluff.

Here are five of our favourite places in Auckland to farewell the day.

Danielle Wright takes her grandmother Dolina for a walk down memory lane at Yatton Park.

Four of the best parks and outdoor spaces to take your kids.

For rural friendliness and city fun, this gem has it all, finds Elisabeth Easther.

Pack an overnight bag and leave the big smoke behind for a sea break on the Hauraki Gulf, writes Elisabeth Easther.

Josie Dale contemplates the dark green silence of the Matukituki Valley.

Roger Hall steps back in time on Great Barrier Island - a place where strangers still stop and offer you a lift.

Tauranga combines art and nature's ingenuity in a festival that enthrals Donna McIntyre.

Deep within the Hokianga is a quiet settlement adrift from the rat race, writes Hannah Sperber.

Be sure to check out these terrific spots next time you're up north.

Shandelle Battersby enjoys a luxurious stay at the Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown.

With 15,000km of coastline, Kiwis are spoilt for choice when it comes to great beaches.

Natural beauty, action-packed adventure and heritage are here, says Elisabeth Easther.

A 10-year-old may have dashed in to the road to return to a lakeside holiday home when she was fatally hit by a motorcycle in the third road fatality this long weekend.

A 10-year-old girl was hit by a motorcycle and killed last night, bringing the holiday weekend road toll to three.

The holiday weekend road toll was at two today as the New Zealand Transport Agency urged motorists to be patient on the roads.

Megan Singleton gets behind the wheel for some Kiwi classics.