New Zealand celebrities tell us what their kiwi summer favourites are. Vote for your classic Kiwi favourites in our nationwide campaign. Video / Annaleise Shortland
New Zealand is great any time of year but there’s something special about summer.
So, at the beginning of the year, we asked readers to nominate their favourite spots to spend a summer day. Categories included the best campgrounds, fish’n’chip shops, playgrounds, beach walks and ice cream or gelato shops. Then, we took all these votes and turned them into the Best of Summer 2022 list.
As we clock off for the Christmas holidays, here’s a recap of the most popular spots worth a visit this summer break.
Hawke's Bay: A top spot to spend summer, as voted by you. Photo / Warren Buckland
World-famous a lot further afield than Hawke's Bay, even the Aussies admit they're pretty good. "We were visiting Napier from Australia and searched online for the best fish and chips. Pirimai Chippy came up and we are so glad that it did. These are some of the best fish and chips we have eaten. The shop is very clean and welcoming, and all the staff were very professional. Lovely touch when they walk you to the door and thank you for coming and wish you a good evening."
Pirimai Fish and Chips is famous well beyond its home in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Supplied
Prue and Ian Hunter have been running the shop for 15 years. Their secret? That customer service and "we like to think our products are very good - we have a lot of homemade products", she told HBToday. That includes the staggering 26 serious burgers, all dreamed up on the premises.
Highly recommended: Mangonui Fish Shop, Northland; JFC Paihia, Bay of Islands
The more things change, the more they don't at New Zealand's oldest ice cream parlour. When Vaughan and Sharon Currie took over the churns and scoops a couple of years ago, they continued two traditions: in 95 years it's passed through five family owners and they still use Charles Rush Munro's 1926 recipes. The Curries have renovated the parlour and expanded the real-fruit ice creams from 25 to 36 flavours. But as he told HBToday, "Rush Munro's will continue to be a family-run business where we are all hands on deck and we keep with tradition to ensure the Rush Munro's experience is a special one." Expect massive queues out the door and down the street – that's been happening for almost a century, too.
Highly recommended: Scrunchy Millers, Milford, Auckland; Duck Island, Hamilton
Duck Island in Hamilton entices many an ice cream devotee. Photo / Supplied; Duck Island Ice Cream
When Napier's horseracing club moved its events to Hastings in the 1960s, the council acquired the old racecourse and created the district's largest green space. Fast-forward to 2018: the $3.6 million all-abilities playground was opened with accessible and imaginative structures for climbing and sliding, flying foxes, swings, water play, artwork with messages in braille and interactive elements. Model boats, bike and walking trails, miniature railway and skatepark are other features. An Auckland dad: "There is so much to do in this free to use, newly revamped park that it's hard to mention all that goes on, so I won't, but I will attempt to say how well it's been done… The great thing is that a number of the "rides" are big enough and strong enough for many adults to use... Bring a picnic and stay for the day."
Highly recommended: Margaret Mahy Playground, Christchurch; Kowhai Park, Whanganui
Anderson Park boasts imaginative structures for climbing and sliding, flying foxes, swings, water play and artwork with messages in braille. Photo / Supplied
TOP CAMPGROUND
ŌHOPE BEACH TOP 10 HOLIDAY PARK367 Harbour Rd, Ōhope ohopebeach.co.nz
You voted Ōhope favourite beach last summer and its Top 10 Holiday Park is the country's favourite campground this time. Good news for the Bay of Plenty resort and even better news for Aimee and Cormac O'Keeffe. With her parents Vicki and Ian Smith, well-known owners of the Waihi Beach holiday park for 25 years, they purchased the resort in March. David Ovendale, CEO of the Top 10 Holiday Parks Group, is chuffed. "It is fantastic to hear that Ōhope Beach Top 10 has been voted by Herald readers as the best holiday park in New Zealand. After a couple of very challenging years for all of us, but particularly for the tourism/accommodation sector, this comes as welcome news where there is a limited amount of it about. It is fantastic to see that the hard work and effort of the Ōhope team and the new additions to the park over the winter months have been recognised."
Highly recommended: Taupo Top 10 Holiday Park, Hahei Beach Resort, Coromandel
You voted Ohope your favourite beach last summer and its Top 10 Holiday Park is the country's favourite campground this year. Photo / Supplied; Tourism Bay of Plenty
"Don't leave home till you've seen the country" used to be the come-on line to convince Kiwis to spend their time and money on local attractions. This hour-or-so trail along the east coast to a pristine beach can match anything the rest of the world has to offer. Some of your fellow New Zealanders say: "We managed it with a baby in her buggy. We parked the buggy at the top of the steps to see Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay, then took it all the way down to the beach at Cathedral Cove. It was early in the morning so not too busy, and we had help with the buggy on the climb back up the stairs from a lovely DoC ranger who works in the area." A later-life convert: "Although the path is up and down a bit, it is well sealed and around an easy 1-hour each way – and I'm in my 70s!" Proving we weren't going over the top about world-class: "Having been to the French Riviera, the coastal views on the Cathedral Cove walk are more stunning."
Highly recommended: Abel Tasman Coast Track, Nelson Tasman; New Plymouth Coastal Walkway, Taranaki
The coastal views on the Cathedral Cove walk are stunning. Photo / 123rf
This story originally appeared in New Zealand Herald Travel here.
