Here are the nominees for Best Suburban Destination

Greater Wellington is actually great. We may come across as a little bit CBD-focused, but we’re aware that there’s stuff going on beyond the Golden Mile. That’s why we have this affirmative action category for the suburbs. We have a dream that one day people from Lyall Bay or Petone will be able to hold their head high and declare loudly, “We are Wellington!” in a manly, bare-chested way.

The New Dowse (45 Laings Road, Lower Hutt)
With an emphasis on the decorative arts, The New Dowse is our favourite reason for venturing into the Hutt Valley. Highlights from 2008 included the outsider art exhibition My House Surrounded by a Thousand Suns, A Family Occasion – Malcolm Harrison’s handmade dolls, and the Craft 2.0 fairs.

Te Puna Wai Ora (Spring of Life) (Jackson St, Petone)
A bit like the hallowed Speights tap in Dunedin, people travel from all around to score some of Petone’s pure, untreated, artesian water from deep deep underground. We love that you can score it from taps at the sculpture/icon in Buick Street. There is nothing like public art plus free water.

Cafe Kiallis (Riddiford St, Newtown)
We’re actually a little reluctant to put Cafe Kiallis on the list because it can be hard enough getting a seat at times already, but this cafe in Newtown is so delicious that we just can’t keep it to ourselves. Their breakfast menu offers variations on the usual boring eggs (pancakes with rhubarb compote and cinnamon mascarpone anyone?), their mezze platter is huge and splendid, the coffee is Peoples and nice and strong, and the service is family-run and friendly. Now, if only they could expand so more people could dine at once…

Aunt Daisy’s Boathouse (Titahi Bay)
A cafe in Titahi Bay? Really? Yip, and it’s bloody delightful. Decorated like an old bach, down to the newspaper ads in the toilets, Aunt Daisy’s is well worth the trip. The baking’s like the greatest hits of the Edmond’s Cookbook, there’s menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the beans are Fairtrade Coffee Supreme. If you don’t like your dining companions, you can immerse yourself in the handy household hint books that Aunt Daisy lent her name to. Did you know that to clean out an icky kettle you can add in some washed eggshell? If you want more tips, head out to the Bay, and please grab us another date scone while you’re there.

Maranui Cafe (7 Lyall Bay Parade)
Surf’s up in Lyall Bay, with this cheerful cafe atop the surf lifesaving club. In the summer, the beach is a glorious (and cold) place to swim, and in the winter, it’s a glorious place to watch the big pounding waves. The food is fresh and tasty, there’s heaps of vegan options and the service is adorable. Be prepared to wait for a table on weekends, or try sneaking in on Tuesdays for their cheap breakfasts instead.