Auckland

Nov18

What’s On in Auckland: November

Daniel Vernon Activities, Blog 0 comments

It’s November, that means we are about to dive headfirst into summer, the skies are going to alight with fireworks and all the festivals, concerts and outdoor activities are going to come in droves – and fast.

Sometimes it’s hard to choose what to do or where to go, but luckily for you, we have scowered through some of the local listings and picked some of our favourites for you to check out:

Peter Pan Goes Wrong

If you are wanting something a little different from your theatre experience, then you can’t go past this insane twist on J.M. Barrie classic Peter Pan into a joyous master class of physical comedy and general disaster. Peter Pan goes wrong will be performed for a smalls season at Auckland’s Civic by the Mischief Theatre, which brings its triumphant disaster Peter Pan Goes Wrong from London’s West End to New Zealand. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, the much-loved members of The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society battle against technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes with hilarious and disastrous results. We don’t think you’ll want to miss this one.

Yoko-Zuna Voyager Album Release Show

Praised as one of five acts leading the new wave of New Zealand hip-hop by the Sunday Star-Times, Auckland electronic hip-hop four-piece Yoko-Zuna have announces a special Auckland performance in celebration of their forthcoming album Voyager. Making waves not just for their genre-crossing arrangements, but also for spellbinding live shows that demand endless energy from the audience, you’ll want to see what all the fuss is about and catch a chance to see these local favourites live in action.

Waiuku Blast to The Past Fireworks Display

We obviously can’t have a November events list without promoting a fireworks display! And the place to be is Waiuku, the small town is once again hosting the popular “Blast to the Past” fireworks evening, featuring fresh entertainment, live music and open-air market, followed by a spectacular professional fireworks display that goes on for a whopping fifteen minutes. And with a simple gold coin donation, this event is a cheap experience for the whole family to enjoy.

They Shall Not Grow Old

Hawkins Theatre presents a remarkable film that arrives on the centenary of the end of First World War. They Shall Not Grow Old is a unique film by Academy Award-winner Peter Jackson that uses state of the art technology to restore original archival footage, which is more than a 100-years old, into high definition views of the human face. Jackson brings to life the footage through narration by the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. This film is only screening for one day to commemorate the end of World War 1, and are expected to sell out fast, so get in quick to witness a truly remarkable look at the first world war.

Sep05

Picnic spots and secret stops part one: Breweries

Daniel Vernon Activities, Blog, food and drink 0 comments

Sometimes it is hard to decide where to eat, with a pleather of options in the city it can become a daunting task. In this two-part blog, we are going to explore different ways of enjoying food by looking at some of Auckland’s hidden gems and setting that takes a bit of exploring and travel to find!

One thing this country, and city, is proud of is its breweries, so we had to dedicate part one of the blog to Auckland best secret breweries.

Sawmill Brewery

Our first one is a bit of a drive, all the way out to Matakana in fact, but trust me when I say its worth the drive. Sawmill has thrived in popularity as one of the cities greatest export, and now it can also add a mouth-watering restaurant to that list – because a good beer should always be paired with a good feed. Their free-range selection also adds a bonus wholesome reason to visit.

Hallertau Brewery

Located in the heart of Riverhead boast another one of New Zealand’s finest craft beer breweries. But trust me when I say these guys know beer, and know what to pair well with beer, as their bustling restaurant flaunts dishes made with ingredients sourced from their on-site garden, so you know you’ll be eating the freshest food and drinking the freshest beer!

But no brewery is complete without a large Biergarten (that’s German for beer garden) and while you enjoy the adult playground that is the brewery, the kids can enjoy the on-site children’s playground as well. This venue is often filled with live music and plenty of banter, so be sure not to skip out on this one.

Brothers Beer

This brewery has been said to be the best in Auckland, but we will leave that one up to you to judge and you have the choice between two locations to travel too. The first is in the heart of the city in Auckland’s city Works Depot that features eighteen freshly crafted beer on tap and over two hundred bottles of beer to choose from. The location is great to soak in those afternoon sun rays after a day of exploring and try some of their popular pizza’s while you’re there.

But that’s not your only option, if you want to avoid the hustle-and-bustle of the city centre then hidden away in an unsuspecting suburban street in Mt. Eden is the Brother Beer Juke Joint BBQ. This second location pairs the freshly brewed craft beer with mouth-watering BBQ such as pork ribs, brisket, slaw, buns and homemade sauce. And with a huge courtyard made for large groups, this is a hidden gem well worth sharing.

Nov11

Out and About in Howick: 4 Activities for Active People.

Daniel Vernon Activities, Blog 0 comments

If being active, finding hidden local gems that are off the beaten track, or finding your inner child is your kind of adventure, then Howick can provide! We have found the top four best activities for the adventurous to make your stay in Howick that much more memorable!

Jump: New Zealand’s very first indoor Trampoline Park, Jump offers hundreds of square meters of interlocking trampolines, from Foam Pits, Dodge Ball Courts, and Free Running Area, This spring-loaded urban playground offers something for all ages. Whether you want to relive your childhood dreams or keep the kids busy, jump is for you!

Paradice Ice Rink: Ice-skating is a fun and often hilarious activity everyone can enjoy and is surprisingly easy to pick up (even if you fall down a few times). Paradice was established in the 70’s and has become Auckland most famous ice skating rink that hosts a series of events including discos! But if getting on the ice isn’t your cup of tea, Paradice also has its own laser tag arena for you to use all the energy on – so there is no excuse to visit this activity hub!

Motorent: How about a self-guided tour on a motorbike? It’s a pretty easy sell, but what makes Motorent so awesome is that when you hire a bike from them, they come with a built-in GPS that the company customizes to feature a route and daily km based on the time you have available plus any specific places you wish to visit. This includes transfers, inter-island ferry tickets (if required), any other excursions, luggage transfer (One Way), a comprehensive itinerary booklet, and a GPS with daily routes pre-loaded.

Extreme Indoor Karts: Maybe your need for speed can be quenched through the age-old activity of go-karting? Whether you want to just arrive and drive, or enter a competitive race – extreme indoor carts are for you! If you are planning on taking a large group, the facility also has a large outdoor BBQ area so you can recharge in between races!