CHANNEL MAG: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Kim McIntosh: Spend as much time outdoors as possible! My happy place is to be entertaining outside, whether at home with friends and family or enjoying the wonderful local hospo options in Birkenhead and Takapuna. My family and I always love strolling along the beach in the evening with our four-legged furry friend!
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
KM: Absolutely. Doubtless Bay has to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. We've been going to Cable Bay to our friend's bach pretty much every year for the last five years or so, and just love spending extended weekends away there.
CM: A week or two away and where are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover.
KM: Rarotonga was a standout family holiday for me, when my kids were younger. We absolutely loved the family-friendly vibe that was fantastic with little ones. It just made the holiday to easy and relaxing for us all. Top of my wanna-go places would have to be Cuba, before it becomes too commercialised.
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
KM: Not having to be anywhere! With my extremely busy work-life, it's great to the get the balance realigned and just kick back and relax. Of course, spending time with family and friends is the highlight of my summer, every time.
CM: Complete the following: This summer I'm going to…
KM: … go somewhere. Anywhere! I don't mind – I just want to have a good Kiwi summer holiday break. It would wonderful to get my girlfriends all together and hire a beach bach for a week and just enjoy each other's company.
Channel Mag: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Gary van Heuven: Raised on a farm in the Waikato I moved to the big city last year. When the weather gets warmer I make haste and get out of the city and head for the bush or surf!
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
GVH: The summer break in early January when everyone is in cruise mode, the weather is warm, there is music everywhere and cold drinks at everyone’s house to be finished!
CM: A week or two away and where would you be, or are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover?
GVH: Last summer I got the privilege to stay at Earls Paradise in Whangapoua. We camped a few days and explored around this part of the Coromandel discovering some fantastic off the beaten track beaches!
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
GVH: Has to be the summer vibe to experience the new year and Christmas time in the sun, how lucky are we to enjoy this break in the summer!
CM: Complete the following: This summer I'm going to…
GVH: …be making the most of more beautiful walks around the country, enjoying the beaches and keeping the breweries profitable.
Channel Mag: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Sonia Thursby: Time by the sea. I love to be aware I can hear the sea, see the sea and smell the sea. We have such beautiful accessible beaches that come alive as the weather warms up.
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
ST: Matakana is perfect for me: markets, restaurants, winery and bikeways. I always feel I am in a completely different world and return to work refreshed.
CM: A week or two away and where would you be, or are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover?
ST: If I am in New Zealand I love to go north to Opononi the home of Opo the dolphin, stopping in to visit Tane Mahuta the king of the forest, so old, so wise, so beautiful. If I am oversees, Florence (Italy) is so full of history and mystery.
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
ST: Family bbq’s, beaches and the laughter of our grandchildren. Creating memories for future generations. My best memories growing up are of being on the beach with the traditional family picnic.
CM: Complete the following: This summer I’m going to…
ST: …reconnect with family and friends, lockdowns reminded me that time together with special people in the sun, sharing and smiling feeds my soul.
Channel Mag: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Melissa Powell: As soon as it starts to warm up, I head to the ocean. A quick dip, a surf or scuba dive. Any chance to get in the water and I’m there.
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
MP: If you haven’t done a bomb off the Raglan bridge, you can hardly call yourself a Kiwi! Whaingaroa/ Raglan is my favourite weekend holiday destination. I went a few weeks back and every time I go there I just want to stay. Whaingaroa/ Raglan is where I learned to surf. I’m not a great surfer but I do love it and the friendly encouraging team at Raglan Surf School can help anyone ride a wave on the first day. For a unique place to stay, I can recommend The Silo Apartments. Converted industrial wharf silos with wall to ceiling harbour views.
CM: A week or two away and where would you be, or are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover?
MP: Hahei is a constant character in our family story. We started camping there when Theo was six months old and he’s 16 now. We’ve made so many family memories there. We stay in the Hahei Holiday Resort campground because of the community vibe. Hahei has become a family destination spot for us now that Anya has moved to Dunedin for university. I treasure this mumma time with both Anya and Theo without the distractions of work and with a gorgeous playground to explore. Even though we’ve been there so many times, we still find fun things to do.
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
MP: I adore Aotearoa. I’ve lived in different parts of the world, but nothing beats a Kiwi summer. I feel very fortunate to live in Sunnynook in summer. I enjoy going down to Mairangi Bay for a swim after work and going for a morning run along East Coast Road when it’s light. Our bootcamp exercise class in Sunnynook Park is much more enjoyable in the summer evenings than on the wintery nights. We do live in a beautiful spot and wonderful community and I’m very grateful.
CM: Complete the following: This summer I’m going to…
MP: …read books, enjoy every minute my daughter is home for the holidays, surf with my son (even though he’s better than me), dive through a kelp forest and enjoy our gorgeous natural environment in Sunnynook and the Shore.
Channel Mag: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Liz Cannon: Get in the sea! I'm a self-confessed water baby, so anything in, on or near the beach is bliss for me! I'm so very lucky to live a few minutes' walk from both Narrow Neck and Cheltenham beaches, so a long paddle board around the headland between the beaches, then a swim to cool off followed by a good book and a cheeky snooze is my perfect plan for warmer days.
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
LC: We have a special and unique campervan called Basil which was converted from a long-based Toyota high ace disabled vehicle with the fully functional kitchen built on the hydraulic lift originally designed for wheelchairs - it's so cool! Weekends across summer are filled with 'Travels in Basil' wherever possible! My partner and I stay in the van and my three boys, Billy, Harry and Charlie camp in their tents. We love the Coromandel and Tāwharanui but perhaps our favourite campsite is at Ōpotiki near Whangamata.
CM: A week or two away and where would you be, or are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover?
LC: I am lucky to have travelled extensively all over the world - I have so many favourite destinations, it's too hard to choose just one, but if I must, New York would have to be very near the top of the list. I lived in Manhattan for three years back in my twenties. Now Air NZ is running direct flights, I am going back to the Big Apple for the first time since 2002 to meet up with my daughter who's currently on her OE. I'm then travelling on for a sneaky beach week in Barbados to see all my old London girlfriends. We've known each other since we were young kids and we're all celebrating our big, significant half-centuries together later this year.
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
LC: Family time and long, evening walks on the beach! My partner and my kids tease me relentlessly about my obsession with the beach and my need to spend as much time there as possible – I've been known to cook a curry or a full English roast dinner and decamp the entire meal, crockery, cutlery, plus grumbling kids to eat it while watching the sun set over the water.
CM: Complete the following: This summer I’m going to….
LC: …enjoy a cruise around the Bay of Islands with a fantastic company called Rock the Boat. A group of 40 if us were all set to go back in March this year, but then my boys came down with Covid two days before we were due to go. We all postponed the trip to the end of January next year.
Channel Mag: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Tim Bray: Swim! Swim! Swim! And relish in the doors and windows being flung open with longer days and nights.
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
TB: Raglan is fab – a mix of surf and family friendly beaches, with art galleries, great cafés and restaurants and a chilled out vibe.
CM: A week or two away and where would you be, or are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover?
TB: For decades I've been fortunate to go and camp with the wider whānau on 10 acres beachside my sister and her husband owned at Opoutere, Coromandel. Absolute paradise. Sadly, they recently sold it to fund their retirement so now we need to find a new unique spot.
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
TB: The times I've had a holiday at home in Auckland over the Christmas/New Year break is actually rather great. There's so few people left behind, the neighbourhood is quiet and it's a great chance to be a tourist in your own town with plenty of easy parking.
CM: Complete the following: This summer I’m going to….
TB: ...enjoy putting The Santa Claus Show '22 on. With Covid interruptions it will be the first time since 2019 we have presented this quintessential Auckland Christmas theatre experience. I'm looking forward to bringing the magic of Christmas back to the stage.
Channel Mag: When things get warm what do you like to do?
Aidan Bennett: Head north more often to our little slice of paradise at Point Wells. Enjoy fishing, swimming in the estuary and Omaha, walks and biking!
CM: Do you have a favourite weekend summer break, or can you recommend one to our Channel Mag readers?
AB: This year we spent a month in central Otago in March which was fabulous. Lots to do and many trails to e-bike on. A little slice of paradise we discovered was St Bathans in the Maniatoto. A must see if you are in central Otago – old, quaint with a little pub and a picturesque lake.
CM: A week or two away and where would you be, or are you keen to tell our readers about a special summer holiday destination they must discover?
AB: We had a bach for 20 years at a wonderful little spot near Whangarei called Pataua North. Pataua North (and Pataua South – they are separated by a foot bridge) have wonderful surf and an estuary and are very tranquil, even though they are just a 20 minute drive from Whangarei. Our kids grew up there in the summers – it’s a great place to stay at the camp ground or to rent a bach for a week or two. Very relaxing. Make sure you jump off the bridge!
CM: What do you enjoy most about a summer holiday at home in New Zealand?
AB: Family times for sure. Mich and I getting away to our Point Wells bach with our daughters and their families, spending quality time and doing all the things that the Matakana area has to offer – eateries, wineries, walks, boating, golf, swimming … Roll on summer!
CM: Complete the following, This summer I’m going to….
AB: ...catch the biggest snapper I have ever caught and win the Point Wells fishing comp!
