The sun is out and it’s time to hit one of the best beaches in Wellington for swimming and some sunbathing. Not every beach in Wellington is created equally, so here is my advice for the best beaches to hit in Wellington when you are looking for a swim and/or chill. Related Posts: Best Boutique Cinema in Wellington Top 5 Cocktail Bars in Wellington Top 5 Wine Bars in Wellington The 7 Best Beaches in Wellington for Swimming: Scorching Bay Scorching Bay is an absolutely stellar Wellington beach for sunbathing. There is a big grassy bank next to a strip of sand and a nice calm bay for swimming ..read more

I first moved to New Zealand in August 2016, meaning I have now been living in New Zealand as an expat for more than 6 years. This is quite mind-boggling to me, as it is such a long time, it’s the longest I have lived in any city and it’s much longer than I expected to be here. Having been an expat in New Zealand for 6 years, I feel I have got to know the place quite well, its delights, its quirks, and its somewhat frustrations. Because of this, I wanted to share 10 of the main things I have learned after 6 years in New Zealand. 1. It is far away This is really obvious I know, but I didn’t rea ..read more

New Zealand Partnership Work Visa 2022 Update This post has been the most popular on this blog and I know it has helped so many people as so many people have messaged me to say thank you. The bulk of this post and example was written in 2017 and some might be wondering if it is still relevant? The short answer is yes, this example for completing a New Zealand Partnership work Visa is still applicable in 2022. After a quick review of the criteria, everything is the same, however, there is now an option to apply online, rather than having to apply via paperwork. Undoubtedly this makes things muc ..read more

Plot twist! I bought a house in Wellington. This may be a surprise as my previous post: Buying a House in Wellington, Why it’s Not for Me is one of the most-read posts on this blog. I wrote this in September 2019 and if things on the housing market in New Zealand were bad then, it feels even more bonkers now. The housing market in New Zealand has previously been called the worst in the world and has even previously been named a human rights crisis by the UN. However, with a recession looming, the bubble seems to be bursting and prices are taking a dip. Should we have waited? we will never know ..read more

I have to write about how to deal with post-travel blues. That feeling of absolute rock bottom lowness that is experienced after a period of travel and experience is absolutely real. I have often experienced it, having moved around and traveled a lot but I don’t think it has ever hit me harder than when I recently arrived back in Wellington after spending two months with my family in the UK and traveling in Europe. It’s the feeling of “what am I doing with my life”? “why am I here”? and just generally feeling miserable after a period of intense adrenaline and good times. Post travel blues or ..read more

I have been itching to write this post since I had a beautiful facial at Puravida Beauty back in May. But soon after I took off on a 2 month trip to Europe and gave myself this time to be away from the screen. However, it has been on my mind to share this experience on my blog as it was so wonderful and kindly gifted to me by Puravida and their partner skincare range Prologic skin care. There was no obligation for me to write anything, but it was such a gorgeous experience that I really want to share it. Puravida is a small local salon in Wellington CBD run by the lovely Sherri-Lee and the te ..read more

There is nothing better than a Friday night cocktail or two whether it is with the gals, on a date or having a pre-party bev. Luckily Wellington has lots of amazing cocktail bars that will offer a huge array of amazing flavours and quite remarkable bar tendering. It’s a great time to be supporting Wellington hospo – Here are my Top 5 for where to get the best cocktails in wellington (out of those that I have tried so far, that is) Any recommendations? Let me know! Night Flower Night Flower is fairly new in Wellington, but it has made a name for itself. Located above 1154 on the corner of Cuba ..read more

Wellington is the craft beer capital of New Zealand, and maybe of the world…so, there is no shortage of great places to drink beer in Welly. They are all pretty great so it is really really hard to pick a top 5 (for a fuller list check out the list on Wellington NZ,) but here are my personal current picks for the Top 5 best craft beer bars in Wellington: For more Top 5 Wellington posts, check out the following: Top 5 Wine Bars in Wellington Top 5 Burgers in Wellington Parrot Dog Parrot dog or P-Dog as we call it is one of my absolute favourite places to grab beers in Welly. The bar is huge bu ..read more

Sometimes I haven’t heard the best reviews for this holiday destination but I absolutely loved visiting Rotorua for a weekend. Having been invited to Rotorua for work on a Friday, I decided to tag on a holiday. Flying solo and with no specific itinerary, I very much winged it but loved my short time visiting Rotorua! I checked out hot pools, some great little hikes and cafes and stayed in the sweetest lil Air BnB. Read on for more detail and my recommendations for visiting Rotorua for a weekend. For more of my travel posts you can check out the following: Travel Diary: Road Tripping in Northla ..read more

I love a good glass of wine and being in New Zealand means there is no shortage of beautiful wine to be enjoyed from local vineyards. However, perhaps surprisingly, Wellington seems to have grown more of an affinity with beer than with wine. But, it is still possible to find great places to drink wine in the capital, Here are my tried and tested top 5 best wine bars in Wellington: Puffin Puffin opened a little while back and has become very popular but still feels like a hidden gem. You would be forgiven for missing the entrance, just off Cuba on Ghuznee, down a dark corridor only signaled by ..read more