Popular holiday spots are booking up early for Christmas, urging early planning for better accommodation. Photo / Neat Places
The winterless north: sun, sand, and a few places worth pulling over for. Start with a damn good pie at Ringawera Baker in Matakana, where French baking traditions are folded into Kiwi personality. Hub Matakana combines cafe, bookshop and reading room into one leafy sanctuary, while The Farmer’s Daughter in Point Wells is a destination lunch: laid-back charm meets cult-status dishes like peaches with stracciatella. Keep heading north and you’ll find The Local Talent Taverna in Whangārei with its leather booths to sink into, Mediterranean charm, Parrotdog on tap, and pool table out back.
Wake up to sweeping views at The Huts, a sustainable retreat above Shipwreck Bay. Photo / Neat Places
Drop In Surf & Supply is a sustainably minded community hub – grab some gifts, gear and a Kōkako coffee, before heading to Ahipara for a wave. Rest up at The Huts, an eco-friendly B&B with sweeping views of Shipwreck Bay.
Gisborne
Step through the sunshine-yellow doors of The Village Berry in Whataupoko for a few summer essentials: organic produce, artisan goods and real fruit ice cream. Hill Road Orchard & Farm Shop is the home of Gisborne’s famous fresh-squeezed OJ, and “jams for grown-ups” like Strawberry & Chardonnay and Plum & Gin.
New Zealand’s oldest independent brewery, Sunshine Brewery, is a nice place to spend an arvo or two. Crawford Road Kitchen is a relaxing wharfside spot to watch boats bob out on the water, drink in hand. Simple, delicious plates – all super fresh and produce-focused.
At The Stone Studio, Ewan and Guy Parker hand-carve colossal blocks of pounamu into one-of-a-kind pieces. No two designs are the same and commissions are accepted. They also sell fudge. And if a wonderland of Moroccan rugs and colourful homewares sounds like you, head to The WorkShop, but not before some contrast therapy at The Sauna Project Tairāwhiti. 85 degrees, into the ocean, repeat.
Hastings % Havelock North
Raise a glass at Hastings Distillers, home to New Zealand’s first certified-organic spirits. Photo / Neat Places
Put Hastings isite at the top of the itinerary – it’s a reimagined take on the classic information centre, and the perfect place to plan the rest of your break. See Hastings Distillers for New Zealand’s first certified-organic spirits and take a bottle or three for impending celebrations. St Georges Restaurant, run by two-time Chef of the Year Francky Godinho, harvests a seasonal garden that will be a dream come December. Birdwoods Gallery & Cafe offers sculptures, a sweet shop, and a bucolic escape, while Black Barn Bistro exemplifies the region: cellar door dining, outdoor concerts, and 17 luxury retreats if you’re not ready to leave.
Kāpiti Coast
Pull into the quaint and pink Olde Beach Bakery Waikanae for cabinets teeming with pies and donuts. Enjoy your haul in a secluded courtyard out back. Bus Stop Cafe is exactly what the name suggests, with grazing alpacas to boot. The Raumati Social Club is a local institution: cosy communal cafe-restaurant by day, live music by (Friday and Saturday) night.
The Bus Stop Cafe. Photo / Neat Places
It’s hard to narrow down just a couple of good purveyors on the coast, so here’s a quickfire guide to hitting the boutiques: Milk + Ginger for quality fashion from Australasian designers, The Wobbly Pot for handcrafted wares (grab a gorgeous ceramic bowl just in time for onion dip season), NZ Native Oils for the ultimate stocking filler, Seaside Skates for old-school wheels and Penray Gardens to pick your own produce. Falcon Ridge, a sleek black cabin perched in the hills behind Paraparaumu, will be waiting once it’s all said and done.
After a day of exploring, Falcon Ridge is the perfect Sunday retreat. Photo / Neat Places
Akaroa
Rolling hills, sparkling bays, French streets and all the food and drink you could possibly fit into your hamper, backpack and boot. If travelling from Christchurch, pit stop at General Post in Tai Tapu for Embassy coffee, blooms, and artisan bread. Tīni is the only waterfront bar in Akaroa: gin flights, Neapolitan pizza, coastal charm. The Grand Hotel is great for the kids with giant Jenga and fish and chips.
Akaroa Butchery, Deli & Pantry is where you want to stock up for Christmas lunch, but not without the help of Barrys Bay Cheese in nearby Duvauchelle. They’ve been handmaking cheddar since ‘95 … 1895.
Walk it off through Hinewai Reserve’s 1250ha of regenerating bush. For some holiday accom heavy on the quintessence, it’s hard not to look past French Bay House with its wisteria-covered porch and free-range eggs at breakfast.
Central Otago
Schist and gold, orchards and vines. Central Otago is a region that rewards the slow drive, every bend revealing another reason to pull over. Tarras Village is one such reason, with its boutique businesses trading out of historic buildings. Their schist-stone wine cellar offers Bendigo Station and Quartz Reef, plus there’s the legendary Sanga’s Pies, and Heather’s Real Fruit Ice Cream also on-site.
Monte Christo Winery. Photo / Neat Places
Tucked away just outside Clyde is Monte Christo Winery, the birthplace of Central Otago wine, with three guest cottages available. Venture off the main road between Clyde and Alexandra to discover a luxurious but relaxed dining experience at The Packing Shed; seasonal focus with produce grown in a glasshouse out back.
Forfar Road Gallery and Collectibles is doing its best to reveal a secret: that Teviot Valley is home to some of New Zealand’s most talented artists. Stardust Gallery celebrates the Māniatoto’s land and skies through photography. Next door, the old general store is now a movie theatre – free movies for the fam all summer.
If stepping back in time is on your Christmas list, Vulcan Hotel is the place to stay. You half expect a horse and carriage to turn up here. Though, unlike the Vulcan, Danseys Pass Hotel is more country pub than (allegedly) haunted piece of Gold Rush history.
The region’s roadside orchards are also essential summer stops:
Jackson Orchards for five generations of fruit, plus real fruit ice creamWebb’s Fruit marked 100 years with a shiny new store and have won back-to-back trophies for Jazz applesForage & Gold is a self-service station laden with five varieties for Central Otago honeyDunford Grove produces award-winning olive oil, olives, dukkah and soap from their spray-free grove.
Wānaka
Whether you’re here for adventure or a week of doing very little, Wānaka will provide. What’s more, the oh-so-stylish Crumb Bakehouse will be your new morning local. Be sure to wander around The Precinct for prezzies, once thoroughly nourished.
Housed under one roof just outside town centre, b.social and their brewery component, b.effect, is a preferred watering hole. Muttonbird, tucked down an alley off Ardmore St, pairs world-class dining with snow-capped views. Quirky and delicious in equal measure.
In a 100-year-old cottage on Brownston St, you’ll find fabulous homewares, linen, prints and flowers. That’s The Workroom, and they’ll handle the rest of your Christmas list. The Green in Luggate will also lend a hand, a playground out back for the kids.
For something more active, Bike Glendhu offers 35km of trails through 1000 gorgeous hectares with Velo Cafe & Beer Garden on-site. Want to see out the year on top of a mountain? Hit up Aspiring Guides for a bespoke backcountry adventure.
And finally, the perfect place to stay, after all this shopping, eating and adventuring, is The Camp. Bell tents, domes, and The Secret Sauna, all at the edge of Lake Hāwea. Over half a century of holidaymakers can’t be wrong.
Queenstown
Queenstown needs no introduction, but it does reward those who look beyond the obvious – revealing a side of town that can feel like home for the holidays.
Nestled in historic Dudley’s Cottage, Rifters Tasting Room showcases some of Aotearoa’s best small-batch spirits (ideal stocking stuffers). Pop next door to Dishery, a beloved local cafe, before visiting the Historic Chinese Village.
Fancy a Christmas drink? Wharf Bar boasts lake views and wood-fired pizza, while nearby Perky’s Floating Bar is exactly what it sounds like. It’s hard to whittle down 200 wineries, but Mora Wines, Mt Rosa and Kinross (with quaint cottage accommodation) are all worth the detour.
Spend your Sunday sipping Christmas cocktails, soaking up lake views and discovering world-class wineries. Photo / Neat Places
A working farm until 2006, Country Lane in Frankton is a charming village of boutiques, workshops, and home to Sundays, a standout pizzeria in a lovingly restored church. Horses, goats, bunnies and kids roam freely here. Parents savour a well-deserved break.
Frank’s Corner stocks handcrafted treasures from more than 80 New Zealand artists, and they’ve also opened in Glenorchy with a real fruit ice cream cart outside during summer. Speaking of summer, the beloved Remarkables Market will run Saturdays, doubling for Christmas.
And if you thought that Queenstown couldn’t squeeze in another “only here” experience, think again. Literally bobbing on Lake Wakatipu, Watershed Saunas is Aotearoa’s first floating sauna and the perfect holiday reset.
Only in Queenstown: a floating sauna bobbing on Lake Wakatipu for the perfect holiday reset. Photo / Neat Places