Margo and Rosa Flanagan's Christchurch

The place to be, your one stop street. Not your standard places.  Every business is individually owned, has a quirky twist and the people are passionate about what they do and super friendly.  You keep walking and there are all these cool things that keep popping up.  We just love it. We spend a lot of our time in Welles Street at The Welder, Supreme and Welles Street Restaurant.  Welles Street Restaurant has cheap yum Middle Eastern food and if you’re hungry, that’s a place to go. The souvlaki and platters are delicious, the atmosphere is great and in summer you can sit outside. Supreme has good music and excellent coffee.  If we’re getting out of our own space, we go straight to Supreme. 

We’re all about buying good quality staples that will last a long time. Infinite Definite stocks all our favourite, sustainable brands like Marle and Kowtow. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Margo thinks of Josh as basically her personal stylist as he’s always on the lookout for new stuff that he thinks she’ll love. We pop in regularly and it’s our go-to if we’re shopping for a photoshoot.

Gatherings restaurant fits very well with our philosophy of fresh, local food for sharing. The restaurant is small and intimate. The food is high-end but affordable and the vibe is super relaxed. The staff are really friendly and welcoming and they tell you everything about each dish.  The wine selection is amazing and they go out of their way to source natural and local wines and spirits. We love going to the restaurant but they also do take-away fish suppers, which makes entertaining at home super easy.

We’re so lucky to have the Port Hills in our backyard. We’re around people a lot so it’s nice on the weekends to put the headphones in and just explore - running or walking, depending on what our bodies need. The Harry Ell walkway is one of our favourites. It’s not too steep but is still a climb and has beautiful views. The Bridle Path is good for a hill challenge. There are lots of tracks, and one track leads into another so you can really just head out and explore.

I love the water, but Margo not as much. For me, being out on the water is another outlet. I’ve been paddle boarding for a few years and I’ve just started learning to surf with my friend. In the sea, your mind is elsewhere. It’s such a peaceful place for me and you get a tan, my favourite part. In the summer, I go in the evenings and that feeling after you’ve been in the water and in the warm sun, is the best.

We do hands-on and demonstration classes. Our big aim is to simply get people to incorporate more plants into their everyday lives. We’re not vegan or vegetarian, but we feel that people can get stuck in their ways with veggies. The main element of a meal is usually the meat and the veggies are the boring side extras. We are about switching that up and showing how familiar ingredients can be used in different ways . It’s not a typical cooking school. We have a lot of laughs, it’s very hands on and everyone gets a glass of wine. It’s all about practical ways to live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

We love to go to the Christchurch Farmers Market at Deans Bush on a Saturday morning to buy first-class organic greens. There are always a variety of heirloom veggies available, especially in summer. The vegetables are seasonal and freshly picked, and having good quality vegetables is very important. Supporting small and local businesses is a satisfying way to spend a Saturday morning too. Don’t miss the Bellbird baking and the Volcano olives and pesto - perfect for pulling together an afternoon platter.

5th Street is one of those restaurants where the menu is always slightly different, but the standard never drops. The food is amazing and the staff are cool and helpful. Situated in a slightly industrial part of the city, the space is full of plants and velvet furniture and the vibe is brilliant. The menu caters for everyone so it’s a perfect place to go with a larger group.

This is our go-to place for a glass of wine, specifically the Man-O-War Syrah served in beautiful red wine glasses. OGB is a speakeasy style bar in a heritage building and has won Christchurch’s best bar for the last four years.  It has such a marvellous ambiance, especially at night time. Even in winter everyone’s outside, wrapped in blankets and sitting around the heaters. We normally just go for a wine, but they do some decent platters too.

O-Studio is literally one minute from our kitchen and we go every week, either for the float tank or the sauna and ice bath. It’s such a calming place that as soon as you walk in, you can feel your shoulders drop from your ears. It’s incredible what the sauna and ice bath does to the body. You could be as tired as hell and you come out a new person. The float pods are a chance to just remove yourself from everything, which is important to do when our lives are so hectic.