People flock to this golden stretch of beach like bees to a honeypot come summer and although the vibe is laidback, the offerings for visitors are getting only better — especially as more Aucklanders migrate south.
Best bar The site The Rising Tide occupies in Mt Maunganui was formerly a destination in its own right as Brewers Bar, one of the main stops on the annual summer rock 'n' roll circuit. These days the expanded space is home to Johney's Dumpling House and Mount Brewing Co, and serves 32 New Zealand made craft beers, ciders and wines on tap. If I were you, I'd aim to spend a lazy afternoon on its huge deck, soaking up some of that Bay of Plenty sunshine. 107 Newton St. Also try: Vaudeville, Astrolabe Brew Bar
Best eats Eighty Eight in the main block of shops is a gem, with cool decor and, best of all, fab food. The homemade counter treats are well worth taking away for later. 88 Maunganui Rd Also try: Tay Street Beach Cafe, Back Porch Cafe
Best shopping There are a couple of well-curated boutiques at the Mount if surf shops aren't doing it for you. Sisters & Co (208 Maunganui Rd, sistersandco.co.nz) stocks a huge range including Bassike, Beau Coops, Camilla & Marc, Meadowlark, Deadly Ponies, Juliette Hogan, Karen Walker, Twenty-Seven Names and Stolen Girlfriends Club, and Thanks (227 Maunganui Rd, thanksstore.com) features the likes of Lonely, Lower and Moreporks.
Day trip Take a half-hour drive east to the tiny beachside settlement of Maketu and have fish 'n' chips at Maketu Beachside Cafe and Restaurant. Eat in or takeaway. 1A Town Point Rd, Maketu
New Plymouth
If you're heading to the 'Naki for a holiday or a long weekend there are some fantastic places to eat and drink.
Best bar Not only is Frederics a great bar, it also has a new top-notch steak restaurant upstairs called Meat and Liquor. Downstairs you'll find an excellent range of craft beers, fine wines and cocktails and upstairs the restaurant's drink menu is martini-focused. Meat and Liquor also offers 14 different whiskies and six bourbons. 34 Egmont St, frederics.co.nz Also try: Snug Lounge, Mrs White
After you've dined at Meat and Liquor, I suggest you make a booking at the Social Kitchen, a stylish, fun bistro. Plates are designed to be shared; think beetroot and sesame falafels, slow-cooked 12-hour spiced Central Otago goat and, my favourite, flaming Zany Zeus halloumi.
Also try: Monica's Eatery, The Public Catering Company.
Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, New Plymouth. Photo / Getty Images
, at 118 Devon St West features labels such as Miss Crabb, Jimmy D, Deadly Ponies and Trelise Cooper, whereas, if you fancy perusing some high-end jewellery, head to Butchers Showcase Jewellers at 44 Devon St East (
) for Karen Walker Jewellery, Meadowlark, Stolen Girlfriends Club and Boh Runga. There's also a New Plymouth branch of Junk 'n' Disorderly in the former art deco New Plymouth Savings Bank building at 87 Devon St West, and Vinyl Countdown at 109 Devon St West stocks reams of new and used records.
Day trip Rent a bike or go for a walk along the Coastal Walkway to East End Reserve and stop at Paris Plage (30 minutes from the CBD) for a refreshing drink or energy boosting coffee and a bite to eat. The container cafe opens up over summer, with bean bags, games, toys and live entertainment. It's worth continuing along the walkway for half an hour to the picturesque Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, a pedestrian and cycleway bridge that crosses the Waiwhakaiho River. Queenstown Ah, Queenstown, how I love thee. The home of apres-ski in New Zealand extends its excellent hospitality year round, and there is something to suit every taste.
Best bar I am a huge fan of the Sherwood, which occupies a former mock Tudor motel on the main road into Queenstown. The owners have repurposed it into a very cool community-focused site that offers workshops on fermentation, gardening and jewellery-making, to name a few, as well as great accommodation, world-class seasonal food, a wellbeing centre and much more. One of its best attributes is its diverse live music lineup — keep an eye on its website to see what's coming up and plan a stay around it. 554 Frankton Rd, sherwoodqueenstown.nz Also try: Reds, Bar Up, Bardeaux, Little Blackwood
Best eats For a unique experience, combine a winery tasting with a lazy afternoon feasting on the excellent menu at Amisfield, Vineyard and Bistro which chef and keen forager Vaughan Mabee operates on a paddock-to-kitchen philosophy. There's no a la carte menu, instead you have to "Trust the Chef" for lunch or dinner; multiple courses of smaller portions, some designed for sharing. Prices start from $75 and you can add wine matches — and you definitely should. Also try: Bazaar, Vudu Larder, Bespoke Kitchen, Rata
Long-running high-end fashion institution Angel Divine (3 Searle Lane, angeldivine.co.nz) is where you'll find the creme de la creme of New Zealand fashion, such as Zambesi, Nom*D, Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester, Juliette Hogan, Meadowlark and more. If you're interested in browsing an excellent bookshop, head for Bound at 1B/3 Church St, which also stocks records. Also worth a browse is Vesta Design Store at 19 Marine Parade, an all-New Zealand design store featuring works from the likes of David Trubridge and Anna Church.
Queenstown. Photo / Destination Queenstown
Day trip
A drive in any direction is worthwhile, but I love Arrowtown, a historic gold mining settlement that has kept its character. Here you'll find great food and shopping, and one of New Zealand's best bars, The Blue Door (18 Buckingham St). Arrowtown is just 20 minutes east of Queenstown and is seriously pretty year round.
● We'll feature more summer hotspots in next week's issue. Have we missed somewhere? Let us know at sundaytravel@heraldonsunday.co.nz
