The Blog: where all the good stuff happens.
Head just one hour north of Wellington and you reach the Wairarapa region which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite places to visit. Not only are there multiple independent bookshops spread across the region’s five main towns, but you can do anything from walking to wine tasting and seal spotting in a relatively confined area.
Read MoreOne for new books and two for old…….Head over the Harbour Bridge, avoiding rush hour, and make your way to the Northern suburb of Milford. Set on the beach with views over to Rangitoto, Milford is a lovely spot to escape the central city
Read MoreIf there’s one thing better than a room full of books it’s a barn full of books and sometimes in New Zealand it’s about knowing where to look as these huge secondhand bookshops are often tucked out of sight on industrial estates or in small towns that you might rattle through on a road trip to a bigger centre
Read MoreCross the main town bridge and turn right and you’ll find yourself on Grey Street, the commercial hub of Hamilton East. There are more cafes than you can shake a stick at and a burgeoning shopping scene with independent shops and boutiques.
Read MoreRotorua is known as one of the adventure capitals of New Zealand. You can try your hand (or risk your limbs dependent on your POV) at luging, sky-diving and zorbing. There are also multiple sites of cultural significance and geothermal interest and a couple of wonderful bookshops to visit along the way.
Read MoreNestled beneath the Remutaka ranges with a pristine night sky twinkling overhead, Featherston is an hour away from New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. Featherston might be small, it only takes two minutes to drive through, but it is mighty. New Zealand’s only book town, it has SEVEN bookshops, the world’s only surviving Fell Locomotive and one of the finest cheese shops I’ve ever set foot in.
Read MoreFancy a whistle-stop tour of the Coromandel with a bookish twist? Here are some of my favourite bookshops in the Coromandel and Mercury Bay must-dos
Read MoreRaglan is a small town on the west coast of New Zealand, about 45 minutes drive from Hamilton and 2 hours south of Auckland. Known locally for its fantastic coffee, surf and laid-back vibe, Raglan is also the perfect place to combine the beach and book shopping.
Read MoreNote to self, never chose to start a road trip at the height of rush hour in Auckland…..but it was so worth it to reach the small seaside town of Omapere
Read More
