Stand Up Paddling (SUP) is the latest thing in waterbased sport and recreation and it’s growing in popularity as punters realise the health benefits as well as the joys of this pursuit. What better way to enjoy a beautiful day on the North Shore than to paddle a long board around the bays? You can do it any time of year (some of the most beautiful, calm days are in the middle of winter), and you set your own pace.

Mark Jackson is a local boy who has spent the past 25 years perfecting and competing in this sport all over the Pacific. He has set up a business importing the special boards for SUP, and you can check out the goods on offer on his website. Mark has recently written an article on SUP in the first issue of Channel magazine which gives a good insight into the sport.

Just moved house, and we’re exhausted,  so we look for somewhere cheap and cheerful to have dinner on a Monday night. A quick stroll down the main street of Milford takes us to Kashmir of India. We’ve eaten here a few times before and always been happy with the food and the service. The decor feels authentically Indian, with lots of ornamentation, pink serviettes and carved mahogany dining chairs.

The owners are away and a couple of young women are in charge – they are quite attentive and friendly, and they don’t mind that we duck across the road to grab a bottle of BYO wine. A jug of water and complimentary poppadoms -  smartly delivered to our table – keep our hunger at bay while we peruse the menu. Samosas, lamb cooked in a spinach sauce, and paneer with tomatoes, capsicum and onions are all delicious and satisfying. We take a doggy bag of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. All this for just $37, plus the cost of the wine, makes for a happy evening. We’ll be back!

Start your day at a Les Mills RPM class with Olly the trainer! Phew, it’s a bit chilly only 5 degrees, bound to be a frost somewhere but not here on the North Shore, and it’s going to be a beautiful day. There are only 20 or so this morning as the other thing to do this morning is watch the final of the World Cup. Olly works us hard and despite a cold start, the sweat starts to drip off my nose 15 minutes in. I start to strip off and I am breathing hard.

This is a great start to a day, and I end up feeling euphoric as the endorphins flow and as soon as I am finished my tummy tells me it’s breakfast time. There are spin classes at most gyms on the North Shore but Les Mills is particularly well equipped, I think their training bikes are the best there are and the trainers, Olly, Frida, Pete Leo are fantastic. Highly recommended.

Sure, it’s not Coronet Peak, but the slope at Snow Planet in Silverdale (just a little north of the North Shore) is heaps of fun. This is New Zealand’s only indoor ski resort. Take the kids there for a couple of hours during the school holidays or in the weekend, and let them loose to exhaust themselves. If you’re a beginner, it’s a great place to gain your ski legs, and you can get a lesson thrown into the hire package. It can also be helpful for the more experienced skier who needs to hone their skills or get a little ski-fit before hitting the real slopes. Snowboarding is popular at Snow Planet, and it’s a safe and easy place to learn to ride. You can even try out your jumps. Snow Planet is open every day, from 10am – 10pm (from 9am on weekends, school and public holidays). Take the Silverdale off ramp from SH1, turn left and then left again at Small Road. All the ski gear is available for hire – check out the prices here.

mmmmmmm……..Fresh Baked Bread

I have (like many people) a passion for good bread. I’m excited to have Wild Wheat on the Shore now (originally in Mt Eden) and visit a few times a week to buy my bread. This is the good stuff, mainly artisan and mainly sourdough (their apple based starter is reputedly 10 years old!). If you think sourdough bread is not to your liking, put your prejudices aside and go sample some of the Wild Wheat product. It’s wonderful! I’m slowly working my way through all the flavours, and standouts for me are the fruit bread, the baguette (ooh that deep crust!) and the kumara sourdough. The breadmaking process takes about 36 hours, which helps to develop the great flavour, as well as making the bread far more digestible. It also keeps really well – just wrap it in a clean tea towel and store in the pantry. This is bread the way it used to be made and the way bread should taste. Wild Wheat Bakery also has cakes and other sweet things, and you can pick up a great sandwich for lunch, then go eat it on Takapuna Beach. Wild Wheat is located at 1/69 Lake Road, Belmont (the Takapuna store has closed down but you can buy the whole range of breads everyday at Farro Fresh in Constellation Drive. You can check out the range of products and some background information on the Wild Wheat website.

One of the colourful Takapuna stall holders

Originally called the Takapuna Flea Market, this regular Sunday morning market had humble beginnings but is now positively thriving. Covering the whole of the municipal carpark in Anzac Street, it kicks off at 6am. There’s plenty of parking around Takapuna, but you have to be canny to get a free park. If you’re a serious shopper, you should arrive well before 9am for the pick of the day’s fresh produce and flowers. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in bargain hunting, it can pay to whizz around nearer to the midday closing time when many stallholders will do some great deals simply because they don’t want to take anything home with them.

Markets are a great place to buy fresh fruit and veges

As well as a huge selection of well-priced fresh fruit and vegetables, the Takapuna market is a popular spot for browsing the second hand goods, from tools to trinkets. Artisan products such as bread, olive oil, handmade soaps, cheeses and sausage are in abundance here, as well as some delightful cakes, local and ethnic foods (the mussel fritters are in huge demand), honey and fresh fish. You’ll also find a number of art and craft stalls. One of my favourites is the ponga logs carved with beautiful Maori motifs.

Want to have a home garden and need some quidance? Maybe you’d like to reduce your household waste. Learn to make compost, how to make a worm farm, reduce your household waste and help keep our environment clean and healthy. The Kaipatiki Project runs regular adult education courses, activities and workshops free or at minimal cost. They will also tailor-make courses on demand for groups and they provide environmental education courses for schools. They are based in Lauderdale Road, Beach Haven and you will need to book in for a class as they are very popular and in demand.

Our favourite movie theatre on the Shore – strictly for grown-ups – it has big comfy seats and lots of leg room, an intimate setting, nice foyer where you can enjoy a glass of wine or a coffee before the film, and they even let you take your wine into the theatre IN A GLASS!. It’s nice to be treated like a grown-up for a change.

The Bridgeway – 122 Queen Street, Northcote Point – has a great back story (saved from destruction by some forward thinking people) and the model has been replicated in Matakana. While they screen mainly art-house films, these are generally quite accessible, and they run short seasons of Opera from the Met, as well as live screenings of plays. Senior citizens pay just $10 before 5pm, and $12 after 5pm (exclusive of special screenings and opera).

Take advantage of the $40 pizza and movie deal (2 movie tickets, 1 pizza) and enjoy a light meal before or after the film at adjoining cafe Sausalito. They make mighty good pizza and have a comprehensive wine list. See what’s screening now at The Bridgeway.