New Zealand News

Easter is fast approaching and for the sweet tooths amongst us (me!), this is pleasing news indeed. After all, what other holiday is celebrated by stuffing your face with as much chocolate as humanly possible?

Here are all the events not to miss at this year's Auckland Pride Festival. 

Nothing has us feeling more festive than a completely over-the-top display of Christmas lights—this is definitely a case of the more the merrier! Lucky for us Aucklanders, a decent dose of holiday twinkle is never far away.

We love a good market, especially one with the word 'Christmas' attached! So hop in the car, crank up the Mariah (your secret's safe with us) and head along to one of these incredible Christmas markets coming to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland this holiday season.

Calling all snow homies, holiday heroes, music-mad, and just plain festy frothers—epic destination festival, Snow Machine is next week. And. You. Don’t. Want. To. Miss. Out. 

Auckland weather is a true ode to the power of Mother Nature who seems to have a soft spot for constantly dealing us the meteorological middle finger. Luckily, whether you’re prepared for it or not (and you probably won’t be), there’s still plenty of things to do in Auckland when it rains.

We love wining and dining in Ponsonby at the best of times—but throw in some one-off creations, tasting menus, and special prices, and we really don’t need our arm further twisted. So grab your planner and round up your foodie friends, here are all the best events you need to devour this year at Eat Drink Love Ponsonby 2024:

The first Afterpay Day sale of 2024 officially kicks off in New Zealand on Thursday 14 March. Shop the best deals on fashion, beauty, and homewares. Get discounts from top brands like The North Face, Culture Kings, Glassons, and more. 

Upgrade everything from picnic dates to love-making with these great gifts.

There's nothing quite as good as a long weekend, and this one is no exception. With the weather warming up, there's no need to head out of the City of Sails to feel like you're on holiday. With stunning beaches and plenty to do, some of our favourite bars, restaurants and cafes are remaining open, so there's no need to miss out.

For me, Matariki represents a time of celebration, reflection, and connection to people and land across New Zealand. 

Whether you are wishing to cut down your alcohol intake or are looking to go completely teetotal, here are our favourite non-alcoholic tipples for all the times you’re after a refreshing and tasty beverage, sans hangover.

The hot competition where chefs up and down the country cook up their tastiest take on the classic toastie, The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, has crowned this year's winner.

It's official whānau, IKEA is finally coming to Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Irrespective of how you feel about trans people, no one deserves to be excluded because of who they are.

Exciting news fam, Ponsonby's coveted Lucky 8 is getting a hot younger sibling and it's going slap-bang in the middle of a wholly revamped Elliott Stables, set to dazzle the senses and plunge you into an epic world complete with late-night eats, DJs and vibes for days. 

Today is International Women’s Day, an important day for all those who identify and women and allies. To celebrate, we reached out to 10 inspirational women to see what they had to say on this year’s theme #EmbraceEquity.

Well, whānau, what a time. As we finally come up for air following the unprecedented floods in Tāmaki Makaurau and with potentially more coming on the horizon, it’s time for us to come through for each other. 

Here we are again, whānau. Cyclone Gabrielle, hot on the tail of the recent floods, has put further strain on our communities. Here are 11 ways you can contribute to the Cyclone Gabrielle relief effort.

The New Zealand Government has this morning announced a National State of Emergency in response to Cyclone Gabrielle's journey across the country.

After having opened in the midst of various lockdowns, multi-award-winning distillery Broken Heart Spirits has launched Queenstown’s first-ever boutique gin garden.

Ever wanted to live like a Hobbit? Here's your chance.

Not many people can say they started a beauty brand in their own kitchen, but Brianne West did just that when launching Ethique.

Auckland crew listen up! In some hugely exciting news, it’s been revealed that Ponsonby is (finally) getting a cinema complex all of its own for the first time in more than 50 years, and it’ll be of the luxury boutique variety that we absolutely stan.

Is there any better news than a new scoop shop? Well, one that gives out free ice cream of course.

Aotearoa is having a pop-public holiday in memorial of Queen Elizabeth II next week, Monday 26 September to be exact. Here are all some of the best places to feast in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Stay up to date with our live list of the latest updates of restrictions around Auckland and New Zealand.

Take your tastebuds on tour, Wellington’s got a new restaurant serving epic Turkish and Middle-Eastern-inspired eats.

In a move that possibly no one saw coming—but then, it is 2021 and anything is possible—Mark Wahlberg is bringing his brassy American burger chain to Australia and New Zealand this year.

Given the threat of an omicron Covid 19 outbreak in the wider community in New Zealand, medical professionals suggest upgrading your face mask—remember the omicron variant is highly transmissible so you're better off with a respirator style that protects against finer particles over your standard cloth mask which just acts as a physical barrier. 

If you’re one of the unicorns that has not yet copped Coronavirus, this read is for you.

If you’re looking for conversation topics beyond your next choice of drink, Auckland Museum is playing matchmaker this year at their Mingle At The Museum singles event, which gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded people as you chat over dinosaur bones.

The future is now and a hotel in Japan is leading the way, replacing staff with holograms and robots. At the Henn-na Hotel, located in Tokyo’s buzzing Ginza district, you’ll be greeted by anything from a friendly ninja (who can speak five languages no less), to an even friendlier dinosaur who is pretty damn excited to meet a human. 

Whether it's a big ol' bowl of dumplings, a decent coffee and a slice of cake, or a juicy burger with all the trimmings, we're beyond stoked to get our hands on some takeaways at Alert Level 3.

Take a trip along the yellow brick road and prepare to be amazed by an all Kiwi cast as they transport you to Emerald City and back. 

Auckland’s Smoke & Spice Festival will be bigger and better than ever with plenty of barbecues, booze, live music, demos and events on the agenda but this time spread over two days.

This is not a drill, everyone's fave wine fest—Pinot Palooza—is officially returning to the thirsty city of Auckland after a years' hiatus.

Get excited as the Auckland Fried Chicken Festival is back for its fourth year. That's right, some of Auckland’s finest food trucks will be gathering to bring you their best fried chicken-inspired dishes for an entire day.

With Plastic Free July coming to an end and Conservation Week on the horizon, being mindful of our consuming habits should be our way of life. With the average Kiwi consuming 31kg of plastic per year (yikes), reducing our environmental footprint is something we need to consciously strive for every day.

If you've yet to be introduced to the deliciousness that is the Cookie Dough Collective, you're in in for a real treat—especially as they've just launched a decadent new brownie flavour (available for a limited time only), but more on that in a mo.

The snow gods heard your cry for alp. Take your mittens out of hibernation and pop on your snuggliest coat because Auckland is getting a whole lotta snow!

The hospitality industry is struggling, but not because of the reasons you probably think. While many venues are enjoying an unprecedented boom in popularity (and rightly so), these same places are struggling to find staff to meet the demand. 

If you've ever laid awake at night, pondering life's greatest question—what in the world could be better than a Krispy Kreme doughnut—we think we have the answer. And what might that be, exactly? Krispy Kreme-inspired cookies, that's what, and they're winging their way to us courtesy of Aussie biscuit giant, Arnott's, from the end of the month.

These beauties have now been made a permanent addition to the menu and they're available for your face-stuffing pleasure right NOW.

There are few partnerships in life sweeter than peanut butter and jelly, and the fine folk at Whittaker's are clearly in agreement because they've just dropped an incredible new choccy block inspired by the powerhouse duo.

The team behind the talented design and construction team Babylon Gardens—who have been creating beautiful landscapes in Auckland for over 10 years—have just opened the Babylon Store to help all plant-lover wannabes.

Grab the gang (and your snuggliest coat) and head across the water to Waiheke Island aka home to some of Auckland's best wineries and most spectacular beaches for Fullers360's annual Winter Wine & Dine experience, now in its third year.

Is it a donut or doughnut? For the sake of this pun, we highly recommend that you donut miss the chance to claim your FREE doughnut this Friday, at Krispy Kreme.

It’s not everyday that a giant, cosmic entity lights up the sky with an intergalactic aura—completely kicking a regular full moon to the curb.

From growing your own vegetables to cutting down on single-use plastics, slashing your food waste and walking more, here are seven ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Start digging out your gear, tuning your ski and snowboard and booking flights to Queenstown this winter because the NZ ski season starts this June. 

Not since Priscilla has New Zealand and Australia seen something as bloody fabulous as RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. Coming this September the absolute dazzling line-up will descend upon Australia for a spanking live tour featuring all ten of the Queens from season one of the show.

Hot on the heels of their four new biccy creations, this time they’ve teamed up with Cadbury to bring us two epically delicious new doughnuts featuring the almighty Crunchie bar.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Roses box is getting a new outfit by Bonnie Brown drawing inspiration from elements of the beautiful Aotearoa as an ode to thank all the unsung heroes who raised us.

They've given us Jelly Tip chocolate, Hundreds & Thousands chocolate, even K Bar chocolate (remember that?). Now the legends at Whittaker's have whipped up two new choccy flavours for us to demolish (and demolish we shall!).

Who doesn’t like starting autumn with a little good news? Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacida Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown announced that New Zealand and the Cook Islands will be opening a quarantine-free travel bubble between the two island nations on May 17 2021.

Has it really been seven long years since Lewis Road Creamery first revealed their now-iconic collab with Whittaker’s and dropped their next-level chocolate milk on the unsuspecting masses?

There’s nothing more exciting than when the carnival comes to town—the sweet smell of candy floss in the air, the buzz of anticipation—it’s basically carte blanche to return to the days of childish abandon. 

If you thought that the curtain had closed on Snifters, think again, because the iconic peppermint lolly—which has been forever in our hearts since it was pulled from shelves permanently by Pascall in 2009—has been reimagined as a choccy block by the legends at Cadbury, and we cannot contain our excite-mint (sorry not sorry!).

If you were thinking of giving healthy eating a go this week, think again. Because cult cookie brand, Moustache Milk & Cookie Bar have just launched a Giant Caramilk Cookie Pie that feeds up to 12 people and that, friends, is a deal that's simply too sweet to resist.

To celebrate the launch of their latest Chita Single Grain Whisky, for five nights only, Tommy’s Champagne Parlour in Seafarers building will be hosting a masterclass to take you on a journey of Suntory’s rich whisky distilleries with a highlight on The Chita.

Foraging for food isn't a new concept but it's certainly had a resurgence in recent years and personally, we love the idea of heading out into nature, basket/re-usable bag in hand and loading up on fresh, oft unusual grub that would otherwise go to waste.

Auckland, we've just discovered an epic new dining experience you need to know about, and it happens to involve one of our favourite restaurants—the incredibly delicious Gochu.

Krispy Kreme, you are offically the maker of dreams. Because hot off the back of your Easter doughnuts (which were just heavenly, thank you) comes another range of drop dead delicious treats for us to drool over, dubbed Perfect Partners—and we reckon they're some of your best yet.

Covid may have put the brakes on Food Truck Fridays one too many times recently, but worry not because Britomart's fave weekly food event is returning with a bang, including a different foodie theme every week for the month of April.

For anyone who thinks dreams don't come true, you clearly haven't been introduced to the amazing Easter-themed cocktail from our friends at Coops Corner Pub. Yes, Easter magic is well and truly in the air at this lively lil' corner of the Viaduct, and it comes in the form of—wait for it—an Easter Egg Chocolate Margarita.

SkyCity has recently launched Fortune on Fed, a craft beer pop-up bar serving divine craft brews. Treat yourself to cheeses, cold cuts and burgers – the perfect accomplices to an excellent beer sesh.

Cross St. Music Festival is back, baby. After the March lockdown rained on its parade, a new date has been released, and it’s only a couple of weeks away! 

Starting from today in Auckland and with Wellington and Christchurch following soon, you can now order beers, wines and spirits from over 30 local bottle shops and have it delivered direct to your door. How good. 

Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Then say ciao to De’Longhi, who could be swinging by your workplace with a very special coffee-laced treat in tow for you and all of your colleagues (are you listening, team Urban List?).

Ben & Jerry's have launched what's potentially the world's largest-ever Easter egg hunt—with 10,000 scoops of free ice cream thrown into the mix, no less—and you're invited. Now if you're wondering what the heck a virtual Easter egg hunt is or more importantly, how you can get involved—here's the scoop.

Ever since the first lockdown (remember that?) ‘Fairy Houses’ have started popping up in a Hobsonville park and to say they’re cute as a button would be an understatement. 

If you're a Kiwi of a certain age, chances are your childhood birthday parties consisted of three main treats—cheerios, sausage rolls and fairy bread. Now Shake Out is bringing you right on back to the days of pass-the-parcel and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, with a magical Fairy Bread Shake that's a legit party in the mouth.

Make tracks for this pop-up bar that's hit Morningside where you can sip pink drinks beneath pink disco balls and hanging greenery in a purpose-built Pink Bar - a garden oasis that’s sure to look awe worthy on your insta stories... and who doesn’t love a bit of pink on their gram?

Prepare to have your mind blown, because one of the country's favourite lollies now comes in ice cream form.

The Viaduct is already awash with exciting activations thanks to a lil' thing called The America's Cup, now we've got what could be your best incentive yet to get down to the waterfront. How does tequila ice cream sound?

Krispy Kreme, you've done it again—you've come up with an incredible collab that has us drooling over our computer screens and frantically scrolling for our nearest stockist.

Official champagne partner G.H. Mumm is offering champagne delivery services both dockside and direct to your boat in the Hauraki Gulf. Soak in the sun while you watch the action and get chilled champagne hand-delivered to you on a jet ski in true Gatsby style.

Great news, your week just got off to a sweet start thanks to the good people at Pascall, who have bought together two of their most-loved lollies in one seriously scrumptious treat—Milkshakes Flavour Lumps.

Ain’t no party like a street party—get ready for Parnell’s very own street party filled with groovy tunes, good vibes, and great food. As part of the Summernova line up, Parnell’s Faraday street festival will be pumping on 26 February.

Oh Lewis Road, how your flavoured milks make our hearts sing! Especially your latest offering, which combines the deliciousness of banana and caramel in a drink that tastes just like banoffee pie.

Whittaker's Hundreds & Thousands choccy block is back, baby! That's right, the brand's most requested flavour of all time is returning after a seven-year hiatus, and it's just the kinda news we Kiwis need this week.

Introducing Anti-Valentine’s Day, the best night out for those riding solo, celebrating with mates, or with Tinder dates in tow.

Get ready to get the drinks and your creative juices flowing at this boozy painting in the park.

Waiheke Distilling Co are opening their doors this weekend on New Zealand Gin day to its one-of-a-kind gin bar. Enjoy the picturesque views of the Rotorua and Pakatoa islands along with refreshing gin cocktails and a basket filled with local produce and delicacies.

Premium gin purveyors Bombay Sapphire are heading up four awesome workshops that will allow you to stir your creativity from the comfort of your own home, cocktail in hand.

 And just like that, we have a new TV series on the horizon.

Margo’s, Queenstown’s hottest new Mexican Restaurant and Bar has launched a new bottomless brunch just in time for Summer, and we’re not lying when we say we’re bloody pumped for this one. 

The Ōmanawanui Track along with Puriri Ridge Track is a six-kilometre upgrade to the Te Ara Tūhura / Hillary Trail. Make a day of it and take the new scenic route from Huia and Whatipu. Load up on sandwiches and sunscreen as this track is 12 kilometres long taking 5.5 hours each way.

Cult chicken joint, Winner Winner is opening a brand-new nest on the Shore. Bought to us by the same team behind BurgerFuel, this eggciting new eatery will be located on Anzac Road in Takapuna and joins three successfully-hatched stores in Wellington, Hamilton and Pukekohe.