This is such a cool store, one of the go to options for when I have to buy gifts because everything…read morethere is unique. Even though it is New Zealand designed and made, there is not too much kiwiana, that makes for good gifts for tourists or people you know who are overseas but much of the store is just products created by amazingly talented people of whom Texan Art Schools bring collectively into their store. You'll find textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry and prints here as well as what I think must be feijoa candles because the store smells of feijoas. A while back I purchased some amazing glass vases and a dish for myself and had wanted to go back and get another colour of one of the vases. It was gone. So lesson here is that you need to just buy it at the time. Stock is often limited.

Is this an Art School? I'm not sure. What I know it has is a great New Zealand gift and NZ made…read moresouvenir shop. If you want good quality New Zealand gifts then this is the place to come. They do loads of stuff, including Jewellery, paintings, signs, korus, ceramics, wood carvings, sculptures, you name it. Many of the items they sell are also one offs so very unique bits which are wonderful for special gifts whether it be for someone living in NZ or family and friends overseas. Also while some things are expensive, I think they have something for everyone's budget. I have been to the Newmarket and Ponsonby stores and have found staff at both to be very helpful with advice for gifts.

I have driven past this character house on Fred Thomas Drive many a time on my excursions out and…read moreabout, and actually did pop in many years ago to find that there onsite cafe was closed that day. However on this occasion they were open, and I got to attend a free pre school art class in the centre. Part of the summer community program for children in the pre school age range, my three year old and I attended a morning session for about half an hour, where we participated in weaving using different arts and crafts and decorating our pieces. I got to meet other parents with little children and also au pairs. Then after the fantastic class the children and parents, etc relaxed outdoors on the lawn with free toys from the community trust, just a great way to spend time with other mums with little children. Lots of space for the kids to run about and let of steam, and they even had a permanent play tee pee and swing. Inside the main building is a cafe where you can purchase food and drinks and sit inside undercover of the dining room, or deck, and even outside if it is a sunny warm day. Good to know that there are classes that you can enroll your children in from school age five, somewhere that creativity flows freely.

I recently had a friend exhibit some art work here and was quite impressed with the place. Its a…read morebeautiful old heritage building on Barry's Point Reserve in Takapuna so once you're there you feel like you're at a private estate in the country (ok maybe sometimes depending on wind direction you can hear the motorway traffic). I had previously thought it was just a gallery that local artists put their work in but its much more - basically a community centre only way more interesting. They have art classes for all ages and all sorts of free children's programmes during the summer. Also really cool is every couple of years they host a wood-sculpting event where you can go and watch sculptors create pretty large-scale art pieces from raw wood over ten consecutive days. There's a café onsite that caters and does functions and they have a few different rooms in the lake house itself that are available for venue hire too. This place is not just for the arty-farty!

The first time I saw this place, I walked past it wondering what an earth a Texan Art schools shop…read morewas doing in the NorthWest mall!? Maybe it had something to do with the 'Wild West'!? The window display sent that theory straight out the window - not a cactus in sight, a cowboy or desert-scape! Well, it turns out this place has nothing to do with Texas or Texan Art Schools - the name is simply a play on words: Tech n' Art schools. Apparently, if you say it really fast three times, you end up saying Texan Art Schools! Right, now that we've got that cleared up let's focus on what these guys specialize in! Basically, you'll find a nice range of hand-made pottery, jewelry, prints and other hand crafted items by New Zealand artists. Plenty of Kiwi motifs and themes to choose from, so an ideal place for a spot of souvenir shopping. Prices seem to be on par with other souvenir style arts and crafts stores.

Located off busy Carrington Road in Mt Albert, Unitec is one of the leading technical universities…read morein New Zealand. Specialising the hands-on, more creative courses like Graphic Design, Filmmaking and Building, Unitec offers fantastic tertiary programmes that are now recognised and valued overseas. Though I haven't personally attended Unitec, I really wish I had. I completed a BA degree at Auckland Uni and not a day goes by that I don't consider studying film or photography at Unitec. This isn't helped by the fact that I live right beside it, and am constantly impressed by the different events that are held on Unitec's grounds. Moreover, I am constantly envious of the grounds themselves. Unlike other university campuses in Auckland, Unitec offers its students free onsite parking, and dozens of appealing outdoor, spacious areas in which to study or sun yourself during breaks. The fields at Unitec are great. Despite being located within the realm of central Auckland, when on the Unitec campus you feel somewhat removed from it all. And unlike other universities, the atmosphere at Unitec is really welcoming and relaxed. If I ever go back to study, it will be at Unitec! Tip: The Unitec carparks are a great place to learn to drive. The little roads connecting each building are relatively traffic free during the weekend so are the perfect place to get used to driving and parking!

There are plenty of ghost stories haunting this place, and I was fortunate enough to take a tour…read morewith a former student here. It has that decaying and old worldly feel that makes you particularly drawn to it as a haunted house, but the fact it was a psychiatric hospital really adds to the creepy flavour. I say 'was', but there's still the Mason Clinic on campus for the criminally insane. Would you still like to go to University here? Well, I've heard good and bad things about Unitec. In my experience, it's a fascinating place to visit, take photos in and they are constantly drawing people in with new and innovative events, functions and programmes. Don't try and make a movie here unless you have big bucks, cause they will charge you big bucks for the effort, unless you happen to be a Unitec student. Aside from that, it's worth a squiz any day!