Jasmine J.'s
Best Ice Creams and Gelato
- 12Dizzy Lizzy's Mangawhai HeadsMangawhai HeadsI love getting a big, soft gelato from Dizzy Lizzy’s. The hardest part is knowing what flavour to choose as they all look so beautiful with scrummy decorations on top. If you’re lucky they’ll give you a little taste or offer their best recommendations to help you decide which one to lap up!
- 22Te Kao Local StoreKaitaiaWhen on a road trip to visit Cape Reinga stopping off for a monster ice cream is a tourist attraction in itself. This is the northernmost dairy and their ice creams are all about quantity! Chow down on one yourself or be sensible and share a big one before it melts into a sticky mess all over your hand.
- 32Blue River OrchardKerikeriI love these ice creams more than anything. They’re so tasty, purple and good for you! The ice creams are a vivid lilac colour and the sorbets are a rich violet. Normally I’m an ice cream fan but in this case the sorbet wins my vote.
- 410Bennetts of MangawhaiMangawhaiBennetts have the best chocolate everything (durr they’re a chocolate shop) which includes their sumptuous chocolate gelato. I love getting one of their rich choccy ice creams to accompany a cappacino. The mix of hot and cold, bitter and sweet is divine!
- 511Charlie's Gelato GardenMatakanaThis gelato is completely scrumptious. There’ll be no point in going to Italy after your tasted Charlie’s - you won’t find anything better! I love the banoffee gelato they have which is made from real banana. They also sell freshly picked strawberries and grapes if you want a healthy snack after a rich ice cream.
Jasmine J.'s
Best Summer Shape Up Classes
- 12Crossfit KonkaKerikeriThe road to the beach bod is a sweaty one. Thankfully the trainers at Crossfit Konka are pros at squeezing every last bit of energy out of you. You leave exhausted but you definitely see results. I recommend going along to a crossfit class if you want to step up your fitness game, it’s definitely not for the faint hearted though!
- 21Pumping Iron GymWhangarei CentralThis is a place to get serious about your muscles. It’s a traditional old school gym where everyone knows your name, what stage of the fitness journey you’re on and where you want to go. They’re also pretty clued up around nutrition and supplements so they offer great advice to help you get where you need to go.
- 31Results RuleKerikeriThe name says it all really. Want to shape up for summer? Give Ms Rule a call! She can help you in any method, whether that’s personal training, boot camp, group sessions or access to her 24/7 gym. I love her box fit classes for an extra exhausting workout.
- 41Curves KerikeriKerikeriSometimes it’s nice to workout in a sanctuary of women. You don’t have to worry about massive men taking up all the weights and judging you as you struggle to life the dumbbells. I love that Curves have a half-hour circuit programme. It helps give you a bit of direction so you know where to start. If you’re unsure come in for a free consultation and you can ask as many pesky questions as you like!
- 51Surfaris Surf SchoolWhangarei CentralWhy not learn something new and get fit at the same time? I absolutely love these guys, I’ve had one lesson with them but borrowed gear off them a few times and had other friends get lessons with them. They teach you all the essentials and are really good at troubleshooting when you’re doing something wrong. Plus the next day you’ll feel every muscle on your extremely sore body - but it doesn’t feel like hard work at the time!
Jasmine J.'s
Best Markets
- 12Mangonui Craft MarketMangonuiI love grabbing a coffee and slowly browsing these awesome art and craft markets on a Saturday. Mangonui is a really creative, slightly alternative area so you get lots of beautiful artisan products and crafts. Now that it’s ramping up to Christmas time I recommend checking out their wares for good gifts!
- 23Dargaville Riverside Produce MarketDargavilleDon’t go to this market hungry or you’ll walk away having bought waaay too much. They have an awesome range of fresh veges, most of them are grown within a few kms of town. I love buying my produce here because it’s always seasonal and way cheaper than the supermarkets.
- 32Since this market is only held once a month it really gets a buzz going! All the locals make an effort to attend and there’s heaps of stalls and ambience for such a tiny town. It’s nice just to come, get a coffee and listen to the live music. Or to go to town on the chutney selection and stock up with their tasty condiments.
- 42Mangawhai Village MarketMangawhaiThey have all sorts of things at this market like fruit, vegetables, cheese, breads, coffee, delicatessen meats, plants, books, clothes and bric-a-brac. My personal favourite is picking up a yummy bottle of rich olive oil to eat with fresh bread and tomato at home.
- 57Whangarei Farmers MarketWhangarei CentralIt couldn’t be a market list without the classic Whangarei market. I got a really yummy fejoa and apple juice from here recently that was the perfect balance of tartness. I also love their fresh breads like the carrot and zucchini one.
Jasmine J.'s
Best Night Classes
- 11I learned Te Reo through these guys and really treasured the experience. It’s free (amazing!) and you get so many quality resources like heaps of books, cds, dvds and even a clock that tells you the time in Maori. They have classes in Kerikeri and Kaikohe and have a level 1, 2 and 3 depending on what your language skills are like.
- 22Northland Boxing GymWaipapaI love this gym so much. The people here are like a family. It’s incredible fitness and you learn so much about boxing, especially if you show you’re interested. There’s the opportunity to do sparring and the main men - Rusty and Mike Porter have lots of tips and tricks to make you a better boxer.
- 31True North Yoga NorthlandNorthlandThis is an awesome class to pump your muscles up and get active. You get a lovely mix of people coming so it doesn’t matter how fit (or unfit) you are you won’t be the odd one out. I love that the trainer does it for the community so you feel like you’re part of a family more than a workout group.
- 44FlourflowerKerikeriThese guys always have something going on in their venue. They host an amazing range of cooking classes because of their top-notch commercial kitchen. I love the cooking club that’s on once a month, everyone’s so lovely and we learn how to make the yummiest food. They also have a cooking class just for men if you think your hubby could brush up on his kitchen skills!
- 53Community Education WhangareiWhangarei CentralThis is a fantastic educational reservoir of knowledge in the heart of Northland. CEW has so many courses on pretty much everything you can imagine, from gardening and music to computers and finance skills. I want to do pretty much every class under the arts and crafts genre. Pretty sure I’m going to sign up to learn how to paint a tui this summer!
Jasmine J.'s
Best Asian restaurants
- 12Thai Chef MangonuiMangonuiThai Chef is bursting with authentic asia flavour. They do a massive amount of yummy fresh meals. I love coming here for their classic chicken and cashew nut dish. Then if you eat too much you can stroll around the picturesque Mangonui township to digest.
- 22Amazing ThaiPaihiaI went here for a birthday dinner last week and loved it. The creamy red curry with prawns was a real hit amongst the friends. Plus the staff were so lovely. They let us bring our own birthday cake and brought out plates and a knife for the birthday boy to cut it all up.
- 31Asahi Japanese RestaurantWhangarei CentralThis is a great little restaurant that offers a delicious range of Japanese cuisine. I got their salmon dish because it’s my favourite fish and I wasn’t disappointed. Their miso soup is also super yum and the staff always seem keen to please but aren’t overbearing.
- 41Ezumi RestaurantWhangarei CentralEzumi are masters at the menu. I love that you can get fresh sushi from them during the day and then pop back at night for a wonderful meal. I’m always hungry for one of their bento boxes or their beef tataki is some of the best I’ve ever had - highly reccommended!
- 51Shiraz Indian RestaurantWhangarei CentralShiraz serve top-of-the-line North Indian cuisine. I love their rich creamy curries and fresh flakey naans. You can choose how hot you want your food which is pretty great. I like it spicy so one of my favourites is the hot beef vindalloo!
Jasmine J.'s
Best vegetarian
- 12Fat Camel CafeWhangarei CentralEverything at the Fat Camel tastes explosively delicious. I love their vegetarian platters with warm breads and all sorts of dips like creamy home-made hummus and epic olive tapenade. They also have amazing desserts like their lemon semolina cake with candied lemons - best ever!
- 21The Wharf Restaurant & BarRussellThese guys have such a large menu there’s food to suit every type of eater, and plenty for vegetarians! Their Mediterranean cous cous and patatas bravas are awesome tasty nibbles. They also do epic breakfasts like the "wharfie waffles" (obv don’t get them with bacon). They are cooked perfectly!
- 32Hare Krishna Food for LifeWhangarei CentralThis would be the most quintessentially vegetarian place in Whangarei. Not a whisper of meat will pass this restaurants door! They often have lines out the door and serve an epic feed for a koha. Give generously if you can as it’s a good cause. It means others not so fortunate can eat for free.
- 41The Herb ShackKaitaiaThe Herb Shack is one of the only specialty vegetarian places to eat in Kaitaia - and it’s delicious. Whether you want one of their nutrient-rich meals or they yummy gluten free cakes you’ll love the food here. You won’t even know you’re missing out on meat! I love their sundried tomato gluten free bread.
- 51Orana RestaurantKaitaiaCome here for their tasty curried vegetable medley. They also have the most amazing toasted camenbert in a sauce of blueberries - it’s sooooo good! Not exactly vegan, but good for the vegetarians at least.