Urzila Carlson: The Insider's Guide to Te Atatū

Te Atatu Peninsula walkers. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Although I originally hail from South Africa, Te Atatū Peninsula has become my adopted hometown. Tucked away in West Auckland, we're not too far from the city, but far enough to feel secluded from the bustle of the CBD. I barely even have to leave anymore, it has everything we could possibly need (except an electronics store - Noel Leeming, if you're listening, we're in the market.)

There are so many great spots in the Te Atatū village to grab a coffee, but one of my favourite places is Demolition Deli. The coffee's great and it's just a short walk away, making it easy to pop down, grab a drink and head home to prepare for the day ahead. Make sure you head along to one of the many bakeries in the village for something tasty to pair with your coffee too!

Mr Illingsworth not only has delicious food, but was the very first general store to be established in Te Atatū, owned by Mr Illingsworth himself. The store kicked off the growing community in Te Atatū and has stuck around to tell the tale. It's also got a great quiz night, which a friend of mine hosts. We love to head down with the kids, who help Boomers answer the Disney and Star Wars related questions, often just yelling them out for the entire bar to hear – you're welcome.

I'm a big thrift shopper and the local Hospice Shop on the peninsula is one of my favourites in Auckland. I recently broke my clavicle and was sent so many lovely flowers, but didn't have enough vases to put them in. After a quick trip (thanks to a friend) down to the shop, I'm now basically a vase store. Top tip for parents – it's also a great spot to take your kids' old toys that they don't like anymore, but make sure you give it a few days in between visits so they don't spot their old favourites on the shelf, otherwise it might just end up back in wedged in a corner of their room.

Urzila Carlson is performing at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Photo / Supplied

During lockdown, we were lucky enough to live close enough the walkway going around the perimeter of the peninsula, which kept us sane during a period of being mostly stuck inside. We even made a friend in local celebrity Owha the leopard seal, who often lounged on the pontoons, showing off her spotty belly for us. We spent a lot of time keeping up with Owha over that time, tracking her on social media and heading down to the wharf to see what she was getting up to.

We love being so close to the water and spend a lot of time down there. During summer, we taught the kids how to wharf jump and swim into and against the tide. We also have inflatable kayaks that we take around the peninsula, which we have a lot of fun with.

Urzila Carlson is performing her solo show, All the Rage, at the Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland on 7 May. comedyfestival.co.nz

For more New Zealand travel ideas and inspiration, go to newfinder.co.nz and newzealand.com