Five Morning Coffee Break Adventures in Wellington

in partnership with

During the working week, time away from your desk is a rare and precious commodity. We're all guilty of killing time mindlessly trawling the web, but as excellent as cat GIFs may be there's far more exciting things we could be doing on our coffee break.

Make even the shortest of respites count and carve out time in your day for a bit of adventure, whether it's a morning mission or an after-work moment to blow off steam. Take the break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve.

REMEMBER PIXELS < PAPER

Sometimes, you just want to get out of the office and immerse yourself in a different world. What better than one of Wellington's small independent bookshops? They're surviving in a world that values the printed word less and less, but they're rich sources of interesting tomes for when you need to give your eyeballs a rest from all those desktop pixels. Unity Books, on Willis is our largest, with endless shelves of titles (try the big art books or the intricate theories of the science section). Ekor is the new kid on the block if you work up on the Kent Terrace side of town, and if the smell of old paper and ink is more your thing, you really cannot go past Arty Bees on Manners or Pegasus Books in Left Bank, with its floor to ceiling shelves and old librarians' ladders.

TAKE A WALK IN THE PARK

... or grounds of Parliament. With its vast swathes of perfectly manicured lawn and outlook over the waterfront and the old government buildings, the grounds of our national Parliament are the perfect spot for a coffee and a breather on your break. Pick up an espresso from Café 86 and wander up to the Beehive before making your way back to work.

LISTEN TO A PODCAST

With no shortage of little streets and laneways, interesting architecture and nice outlooks into the harbour, Wellington is the perfect walking city. Why not switch out your Pokemon Go for a podcast while you're strollin'? You'll broaden your knowledge and learn something new (there's still plenty of time to catch 'em all). Our picks include Women of the Hour with Lena Dunham, No Such Thing as a Fish with the researchers behind British show QI, and the old classic, the BBC's Desert Island Discs (the presenter has a voice of silk).

LUNCH WITH A MESSAGE

Those who don't work in the general vicinity of upper Wakefield may not be aware of the lunch spread available everyday at Commonsense Organics. For winter days such as these, their soup is seriously the best lunch (with a big chunk of Leeds St Sourdough, no less) that you're going to find for $7. While you're there, have a lifestyle overhaul—jump on the kombucha train, swap out your yoghurt for co-yo (that's coconut yoghurt, for the uninitiated) and start your organic vege garden. You'll feel so virtuous, with good food that doesn't hurt the environment and gives you a hobby to do on the weekends, too!

GO COMMUNE WITH NATURE IN THE BOTANS

Our local 'Botans' (Botanical Gardens, for anyone who doesn't get the Wellington colloquialism) is a special place indeed. Nothing could be further from your temperature regulated office, with its lack of opening windows and a wilting peace lily in the corner providing the only source of nature. The 25 hectare gardens has it all—the jungle-like native bush, the perfectly manicured rock gardens, the rose beds and the glass houses. Take your lunch, pick a bench and just chill.

By Lauren Harrigan with Alexandra Middleton.