Auckland etc.

The next destination on my travels was Auckland and it's surrounds. Being New Zealand's biggest city means there is a lot on offer. In fact, too many to mention! But here is a summary of my recommendations. Firstly, in Auckland city, are well known brands Milly's Kitchen shop and Nosh Food Market. Both offer a large assortment of goodies, and are locally owned and operated.

About an hour plus north of Auckland is the very popular Matakana region. There's the Matakana Farmers' Market on Saturdays, which is larger than most but easily compares to any other Farmers' Market in New Zealand. There are some great shops to explore and you can tell a lot of effort has been put into sprucing up the town- check put the public toilets! We had a coffee break at the Matakana Market Kitchen, and then an ice cream break at Blue. They stock delicious Oob ice cream- the licorice flavour comes highly recommended!

If you are looking for a day trip away from the main city, why don't you follow suit and make a trip out to Waiheke Island to sample the beautiful beaches and wineries. Our trip consisted of a visit to Te Motu vineyard and Stoneyridge vineyard. We sampled some cheese and soaked up the sun at the latter. I also came across a well stocked fruit and vege store, which housed some surprising treats.