From drinking delicious cucumber and mint cocktails to relaxing in Karekare, busy fashion designer Juliette Hogan shares her favourite weekend escapes.
Drinking ... at Golden Dawn for a gin and soda, anywhere that has Amisfield Rose, and Fukuko for their cucumber and mint cocktail.
• Golden Dawn,34 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, ph (09) 376 9929.
• Fukuko, 43 Tyler St, Britomart, ph (09) 300 5275.
Dining ... at Ortolana for their beautiful presentation. Their food is so fresh and delicious. Vinyl, just down the road from our workroom, for their curly fries, and Fukuko for their quick and easy snacks.
• Ortolana, 31 Tyler St, Britomart, ph (09) 368 9487.
• Vinyl, 218 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden, ph (09) 623 3821.
or beers and Twisties on the beach.
Relaxing ... at home with the sun streaming in while rereading The Quiet Americanby Graham Greene as I'm heading back to Vietnam this year, or staying down at The Spire in Queenstown spending the day walking around Lake Hayes.
• The Spire, 3/5 Church St, Queenstown, ph (03) 441 000.
Loving ... swimming at Minnehaha Beach on a weekday when no one else is around.
Eating ... eggs and roasted tomatoes at Queenies.Their apple juice is amazing, too.
• Queenies, 24 Spring St, Freemans Bay, ph (09) 378 8977.
Discovering ... Zamora sausages in Queenstown. Their pork and blue cheese sausages are like nothing I've ever eaten before. You've got to try their smoked cheese, too. I brought back a huge cooler box on the plane from Queenstown last week as my carry-on. Also, the steak sandwich at the Queenstown Farmers' Market.
• Queenstown Farmers' Market, Anglican Church, cnr Church & Camp Sts.
