Over the ANZAC long weekend, we road tripped up to Waipu Cove (2 hours north of Auckland) to surprise one of our best friends with a fishing charter. This friend of ours has been telling us for months how keen he was to go out and catch some fish, so keeping it a secret for the last month or so was no easy feat.

I spent most of my life in the Waikato. This place has and will always feel like home to me because of those years. Hamilton has always had a strange relationship with the Waikato River. The city is almost cut off from the river that cuts directly through it. Apart from the many bridges that run across it, the only way you can really enjoy it is to find a gap and follow the trail.

For those of you who have never heard of The Catlins (like I had until a year ago), it's a region in the lower South Island, between Otago and Southland's borders. I thought now more than ever is a great time to tell you about this hidden gem, in the hopes that you check it out when you're next down that way.