New Brighton Good Life Guide: Jenna Ingram's Picks of the Neatest Things to do in New Brighton

My absolute favourite walk is from the North Beach Community Centre, on top of the dunes, to the New Brighton Surf Club and back. It is always interesting, with spectacular views. Through the twists and turns and ups and downs, there is one spot where you can see from the very east of the peninsula to the Cashmere Hills and the other way, the beach stretching in a beautiful arc to the Kaikōura mountain ranges. It is magic every single time and sets up my day with positive energy and gratitude. There is a sand dune walking track from Waimari Beach right down to South Shore, so if you're up for it, it's a great walk.

New Brighton has a great collection of funded and organic street art and graffiti. Fiksate has been involved in several murals - 'Welcome to Oura Paeroa', 'Viva New Brighton' and the Switch Cafe mural, plus other individual installations by Nath and me. There have been amazing festivals put on by the New Brighton Outdoor Art Foundation - Shout out to Rubble City for creating epic opportunities for so many artists. Something new is always popping up, and I love the variety, colour and incredible talent of the artwork and artists on display throughout central New Brighton.

Nath and I love to walk to the beach on a Saturday morning before our gallery opens, grab a quality oat milk flat white from North Beach Coffee Shed and find one of three hidden picnic tables on top of the dunes. It is a great vantage point to sit and chill and watch the waves, surfers, swimmers, lifesaving crews, and so many doggos. This shed is small but a big part of our North Beach community! Good coffee and beach walks = nothing better!

Rawhiti Domain is HUGE and filled with stunning trees, open spaces, playgrounds (three in total), a dog park, and so many activities to choose from. The 18-hole golf course is beautiful; there are several sports grounds - rugby, touch, cricket, indoor netball/hockey, archery and an athletics track. Thompson Park has an epic skate bowl that holds skate jams annually, a quarterpipe and easy hills for beginners to advance. The playground has several areas to explore, and the new basketball court is always in use. There are plenty of tables and seats for picnics or parties, and Thompson Park hosts a huge, busy but vibrant festival every Waitangi weekend.

Chanakya is probably the smallest restaurant in Christchurch but punches high with taste and family vibes. We've been going to them since they opened, and the small family-run business down the New Brighton Mall has incredible customer service and southern Indian food. We get the same every time, they know us by our order! Try their garlic or cheese/chilly parathas with their Dal Makani and added paneer and their Butter Chicken, although everything there is fantastic. 

The team down at Vetlife New Brighton are amazing. The genuine care and excitement for your animal are really heartwarming. I know not everyone has a pet, but they are a very special part of our community, and my experiences with them have always been positive, even when the situation wasn't. Thanks NB Vets!

What an asset to New Brighton! These hot pools are SO GOOD! From the relaxing, chill house-mix music playing in the background to the views of the ocean in the open salty air, Te Puna Taimoana nailed it. I love the layout, the pool variation, the sauna with an entire wall window out to the dunes and the high-quality facilities (the diffuser in the changing room is a lovely touch). My son and I love going there on a special day out, just for us. We bop around, float and relax. The larger cold pool is his favourite. I'm too chicken to try the plunge pool, but you should give it a go! The pricing is reasonable, and you get a discount being a local!

Switch has been a part of the New Brighton community for a long time. It was first opened by our friends Hamish and Jen. They then passed over the reins to the amazing wahine Donna. It is a staple of Nath, Frank and mine, with most weekends either biking or driving down there for their fantastic coffee and food. Try the eggs on toast, their selection of slices and cookies and the coffee and smoothies, which are always top-notch with excellent customer service.

I may be biased because my son goes here, but I love not only the teachers at this school but the entire school layout, so much so that we go there on the weekends to utilise it! There are multiple basketball and netball courts and hoops, two bike and skate pump tracks, an astroturf mini soccer field with nets, a big backfield for bigger kicking around and an epic playground for all ages. There are always people down there when we go, enjoying what Rawhiti School has built for our community.

The Purple Door Op Shop next to the NBHC is fantastic and run by the sweetest ladies ever. I always find a gem in there, and you can discover hand-knit items made by the ladies themselves. Other spots to check out are Redo Renew New Brighton down the New Brighton Mall and Seaside Vintage in the 105 Seaview Road collective. 

This place feels like you're on a secluded island. We usually park a few streets from the end of Rocking Horse Road and walk down along the estuary side, then around to the beach access point and along the beach. The views are phenomenal! You see the eastern edge of Christchurch, past Mt. Pleasant, around Redcliffs to Sumner. The beach itself is massive, and seeing the super strong current where the Avon River meets the ocean, is pretty cool. It's an easy and beautiful escape into nature.