Prak & Nadya's Wellington

This city sauna is sublime. They are right in the central city, tucked away up a set of stairs, and have been in Wellington for a long time. A great spot to wind down, sweat out the day and meditate a little. We also enjoy the decor too.  There’s a Grecian bath house vibe inside, with a plastered mural on the wall by the dipping pool. They make their own Kombucha and yoghurt and beautiful teas.

We’re not sure if it’s the carpeted floor, but there is an overwhelming sense of calm whenever we step foot into Unity Books. A bit of a sanctuary, jumping off the conveyor belt of commuters and hustle on Willis St. We quite like to pop in here after work, and we get a buzz from how busy a bookshop is. We enjoy cooking and generally head to the cooking section to see what’s new.

This Cuba Street institution is recognised as one of the country’s oldest and best designer and vintage consignment shops, full of the rare and exotic. Chrissy has been running Hunters and Collectors for 30 years in various forms. We definitely admire her long-standing ability to put the mahi in, and she has the most amazing network to pull from when it comes to secondhand and preloved stock. We very rarely walk out empty-handed.

Ghuznee Street is known as Wellington’s home of independent style. For us, there’s a gravitational pull to this area, even on our day’s off from running Precinct  35 or ENA. And that was something we felt even before we’d opened our stores. We enjoy seeing how the area has grown and expanded over the last few years, and how people have supported this hub of independent businesses. Milk Crate café is an institution here on Ghuznee Street.

We think a lot of Wellingtonians describe Miki as their own little secret. Miki at Hana-akari is a Japanese-born traditionally trained massage therapist and reiki practitioner with her studio at the top of Cuba Street. She is a gorgeous woman and going to see her is pure bliss. The massage is heavenly. I’ve never tried it, but she also offers Yoni sauna. Look it up. Very Gwenyth Paltrow.

The Mt Victoria forest was a saviour over lockdown. Living in Mt Victoria, this was our daily allocated walk and we’d find new paths to explore every time - up to the top of Maunga or across the Southern Walkway. Each day it seems to take on quite different forms, depending on the weather - whether it’s raining, sunny or blowing a gale. It’s pretty special to have our city nestled within native bush.

We love visiting the Aunty’s. It’s difficult to put them in just the vegan food category, because the food is so delicious, regardless of the fact that it’s vegan. I am hopeless.  I order the same thing every time, Roti Chanai with Vege Curry, while Nadya’s pick is the Fried Char kuey teow.

The perfect way to start, or end your night. This is our favourite kind of bar, with great knowledgeable staff and not pretentious in any way. Nadya and I will usually try to visit for a half-pint or negroni after work, to chat and de-stress - the drink choice depending on what kind of day we’ve had.

The pulsing heart of Pōneke, and it’s hard to find a day where we don’t find ourselves popping in. With the loveliest staff and the best OJ in town, it will ruin every other supermarket experience you’ll have after - guaranteed.

The Adam Art Gallery is probably one of our favourite galleries and has a great programme run by Christina and Stephen. The architecture is quite interesting, which I think can dictate how the shows feel. It’s a rather nostalgic hike up to the University campus, but well worth it. A nice way to pause for the day. We definitely enjoy taking this time to have our eyes opened and to have our thinking challenged in certain ways. A lovely thing to do together.