10 Places To Visit Close To Home

Early in January, I was innocently scrolling my phone when the algorithm served me an article outlining ‘20 Places to Visit in 2026.’ Fascinating, I thought: I love places. Clicking on the link, I found a slew of luxurious, far-flung destinations, the kind I’d be lucky to visit once in a lifetime, let alone 20 in a year.

And yes, I know, no one’s actually telling me to visit Bali, São Paulo and Cannes all in the next twelve months, but it did get me wondering what we might see in a ‘realistic’ list of places to visit. Tourism is so often focused on getting us out of our immediate surroundings and into unfamiliar settings. There are obvious benefits to that, but I’d argue that there are plenty of exciting and broadening “Places to Visit” closer to home. Here are a few.

1. Your local community theatre

In your town (or somewhere close to it) there will be a community theatre company. The people running the theatre, directing the plays, and performing on stage are unpaid for their efforts, but they’re also highly skilled, highly experienced, and highly talented. Community theatre is often victim to a fair bit of snobbery, which is a shame, because it’s a warm, vibrant and inclusive part of our arts scene. There are plenty of excellent creatives making excellent theatre in community settings, working with limited resources, and weaving magic with it.

2. An art gallery

Allow me to give you some insultingly patronising advice: art galleries are great when you actually look at the art. Not glancing. Looking. Standing and staring, like an entranced toddler in front of Gabby’s Doll House. I learnt this recently, when I tried looking at each art piece for at least a minute, rather than my traditional 4 or 5 seconds. No one spends weeks, months, or years making something for it to receive only a passing glance.

3. A comedy club

New Zealand has a wonderful live comedy scene. There are comedy clubs and open mics all over the country where brand new comedians share the line-up with experienced pros and Taskmaster contestants. The ticket price is a fraction of the cost to go see a big name comedian (in fact, depending on where you are, sometimes the entry is free), and you’re likely to discover a new favourite comedian.

4. A festival

It doesn’t have to be a music festival. Visit a food festival, a writer’s festival, buy tickets to a comedy festival, or go to Pride. Just get out there amongst the other enthusiasts.

5. An open mic

Don’t worry, you don’t have to perform (although, massive respect if you do). Just like in theatre and comedy, very talented people aren’t always making their living by doing the thing they are very talented at. They might be earning money another way, and then shining their light on their own schedule, in other places. You will see some wonderful performers at an open mic. You will hear things that aren’t currently on-trend in commercial settings. It’s well worth a visit.

6. A library

Go Matilda-core and re-discover your love of libraries. They are often really cool buildings, and wandering the shelves is a great way to build up your book-appetite and get some To Read list suggestions.

7. The museum

Is there a museum you’ve been meaning to go to for ages, but it’s not The Main One so you keep forgetting? Maybe it’s close enough to where you live that you think ‘I’ll go next weekend/next month/next time that weird mate of mine visits’. For me, this is the Maritime Museum in Auckland (and that weird mate is my Dad). My inability to get my ass down there means I’ve missed awesome exhibitions on things like Arctic explorations. NO MORE.

8. Parkrun

I love parkrun. It’s so wholesome and inclusive. Everyone – from the speed-freak athlete, to the gentle jogger, to the chilled-out ambler, is welcome at parkrun. It’s free. You don’t have to book or commit to an event. New Zealand now has 67 separate events. You can run and leave, or hang around for a coffee afterwards. If you’ve never been before, I’d recommend just starting at the one closest to your home. If you’re already a seasoned parkrunner, challenge yourself to get to a new location this year.

9. The friend you didn’t manage to see last year

Maybe they live far away, or maybe your calendars never quite lined up. Maybe one or both of you have kids now, and the gap between nursery plagues was never quite long enough. Whatever the reason, it’s January now. Get in touch, and make a plan. If you have to buy flights, they’ll be cheaper the sooner you do it. Finding a time you can both do is challenging, but it’ll be easier to do that now before you both fill your year with plans.

10. Your partner or friends’ workplace.

What do they do all day? Are they actually a spy? Is that dude in finance as horrendous as he sounds? Find a reason to get into their building (or at least into the foyer) and do some reconnaissance*. At the very least, you’ll have a mental image for when they’re telling you their work tales.

* If your partner or friend works in a school though, maybe abandon this plan.