Mark Walynetz, owner, TriBeCa
We love spending time at Hahei (above) and Hot Water Beach with our three boys (the northern end for the surf and no crowds). One of the fabulous things we have discovered is that you can get on the phone list for the local fishing boat. They will then text you and let you know what fish they have on board and what time they will be at the Whitianga wharf. We catch the ferry from Ferry’s Landing over to Whitianga (it only takes a couple of minutes) and buy fresh, whole fish from the wharf for dinner. We also frequent a lot of honesty-box vegetable stalls in the area. At our favourite, you can even dig your own potatoes. They leave out buckets and spades; you leave your money then start digging.

Jacqui Murphy general, manager, Two Paddocks winery
The fish and chips at Lake Waihola, 30 minutes south of Dunedin are fantastic – you can get battered-to-order blue cod and Bluff oysters, then take your hot little parcel down to the park. Oh, the serenity… And Glenorchy – be it Blanket Bay or under a blanket in the camping ground – is a truly glorious unspoilt spot, great for all outdoor activities, fishing in particular. I also find Earnscleugh Rd in Alexandra is literally a fruit bowl from December to March – you can pick your own cherries or stop at the roadside stalls to get apricots, nectarines and peaches galore!

Rachel Taulelei, Yellow Brick Road
My favourite place to vacation is Wharekaho, a wee community just over the hill from Whitianga, where the fishing is amazing. The best thing in the world to eat has to be raw scallops on a boat. Absolutely divine. In Whitianga there’s a great old-school butcher and a brilliant organic shop. And to drink, it’s a box (or two!) bought online from Advintage in Hawke’s Bay. I also have a bit of a penchant for Champagne and my sunset drink is Quina Fina tonic with Lighthouse Gin.

Mark & Helen Limacher, owners, Ortega Fish Shack
Our family has had some beaut summer holidays on the Mahia Peninsula (above) between Napier and Gisborne. It’s quintessentially Kiwi, with family baches, camping grounds and glorious beaches to swim at and gather shellfish. Oslers Bakery in Wairoa does great pies, jam doughnuts and raspberry buns, as well as fresh fried fish and tartare sauce in a long bread roll. In Mahia itself, the crayfish dinners on the chalkboard menu at the Sunset Point pub always sell out.

Philip Bothwell, national wine ambassador, Pernod Ricard NZ
The tiny settlement of Kinohaku on the Kawhia Harbour, two harbours south of Raglan, is home to our bach. Steeped in Maori history, this area is the original stamping ground of the famous leader Te Rauparaha, composer of the Ka Mate haka. The fact we are 30 minutes from the nearest shop and more than an hour from the nearest supermarket doesn’t mean we go hungry. We have a whitebait stream at the bottom of the garden and in season we eat well from it. Eels abound too; wrapped in kawakawa leaves and steamed, they are truly delicious. Out in the harbour it doesn’t take long to set the flounder net in the shallows. While the net is in the water, it is time to collect rock oysters, green-lipped mussels, kina, pipi and tuatua – they’re all there for the taking. On the other side of the harbour is the town of Kawhia, a 40-minute car journey or 15 minutes by boat. Apart from the Tainui waka, Kawhia is famous for three things: Te Puia Hot Springs – a hot-water spring on the beach where you can dig a hole and relax in the warm water; the Kawhia Maori Kai Festival (4 February 2012), where you can gorge on fried bread with creamy paua; and the Kawhia fish and chip shop – the paua fritters are fabulous.