Pioneering designer Karen Walker is the head of a global fashion empire, with frequent shows in London and New York, and stockists in 42 countries.

Auckland

"I adore Michael Parekōwhai and I think anybody coming to Auckland needs to go look at his state house. It’s a beautiful life-size rendering of a traditional 1950s state house."

The Lighthouse

"Art-wise, anybody coming to Auckland should take a look at Colin McCahon because he captured Auckland so well. You can visit the McCahon House and see where he lived, which is quite an eye opener."

McCahon House

"We have around 50 volcanoes in Auckland. Pick five or 10 and just climb them! My favorite would be Mount Hobson or Ōhinerau, which is an understated one that not many people think about, but it’s fantastic."

Ōhinerau / Mount Hobson

"My favorite beach on the west coast is Bethells Te Henga. If it's not the middle of winter there will be a little café called Bethells Cafe in the sand dunes, so grab a great coffee and fantastic organic carrot cake. You may even get really lucky with a movie or a band playing in the evening."

Te Henga

"Whatever’s on at this gallery is just brilliant. It’s also in a beautiful building that is one of our real treasures. Stop there and soak in some art."

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

"We have two coastlines — the Pacific on the east and the Tasman on the west — which have very different oceans and nature. You can walk from one to the other, which is about 16 km. The idea of being able to walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Tasman Sea in four hours is kind of mad."

Auckland Coast to Coast Walk