The McD’s do… Kaikoura, NZ

After a relaxing week in Auckland, then a fairly hectic week in Nelson for my dad’s wedding, the four of us decided to take some extra time on our road trip down to Christchurch and stopped over in Kaikoura for a day and night.

Kaikoura is a magical little seaside town located on the east coast of the South Island of NZ.  The local speciality is crayfish, and there are gorgeous little food trucks selling freshly caught cray, oysters, whitebait and other seafood, right on the water’s edge.

Nin's Bin crayfish van (Image source: TripAdvisor)

The other attractions in Kaikoura are the seals

The McD's do... Ramsgate Organic Foodie Markets

We love going to the Ramsgate Organic Foodie Markets, it is one of our absolute favourite things to do on a Saturday. Held in the grounds of Ramsgate Public School, it has all the elements of a perfect day – delicious food to eat, beautiful fresh produce and ingredients to take home to cook with, gorgeous things to admire (and sometimes buy), live music, and a bouncy castle with a well-managed queue. Everyone wins!

The Stuntman having a go at hopscotch at the Ramsgate Organic Foodie Markets

 I especially love it as the market stalls have a real focus on wholefoods, and there are loads of things that I can eat! Sometimes when we go out there is absolutely nothing the Stuntman and I can eat (needing dairy and soy free as a minimum), and it is so frustrating!

The McD's do... Mission Bay, Auckland NZ

After our nightmarish flight from Sydney, I was pretty pleased to finally arrive in Auckland. My mum is from NZ, and her parents, sister and a few of my cousins live in Auckland, so we had lots of family-time planned. Mum (Nanna) was also in Auckland for the week we were there, so it was lovely to spend time together.

We had booked an apartment through Airbnb for the week, in Mission Bay, which is a popular seaside suburb of Auckland. Having never used Airbnb before we were a bit apprehensive, but the apartment was clean, tidy, and in a fantastic location. And half the price of a hotel, with all the comforts of home! We were directly across the road from the water, and a short walk to both Mission Bay and Kohimarama Beach (known as 'Kohi'). I even managed to find a cafe at Kohi beach that served almond milk coffee, so I was a very happy mummy.

Mission Bay, Auckland NZ