Five Spontaneous Date Ideas to Not Plan This Spring
Make the most of your next night out.
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While it can be hard to beat the tried and true dinner and a movie, there are plenty of spontaneous activities you can enjoy during your next date night in Auckland. Whether you decide to join a boozy glow-in-the-dark painting class or tap your way through a two-storey mini-golf bar, Ola can help you make the most of your night out. The rideshare company is currently running the #4MinuteChallenge so you can get home fast and don't have to worry about rolling around in your junky set of wheels. Book a ride in Auckland and if Ola doesn't arrive within four minutes, you'll get 50 percent off your next ride.
JOIN A BOOZY GLOW-IN-THE-DARK PAINTING EXPERIENCE
Every week, Paintvine helps would-be Picassos create their own masterpiece. As well as its flagship wine and painting evenings, the team hosts New Zealand's first glow-in-the-dark painting experience. For each experience the venue is kitted out with an ultra-violet lighting setup while the paints cover the full fluro spectrum. The classes are more like a party than your average painting lesson and no previous experience is required as Paintvine's experts run step-by-step through a famous work. All the appropriate tools are supplied to make your own masterpiece, so you can simply put on an apron, grab a vino (the first one is free) and translate your head trip on paper.
FOLLOW A SELF-GUIDED ART TRAIL ALONG K' ROAD
The uptown strip known as Karangahape Road is home to the greatest concentration of art galleries in Auckland. The best way to see it all is by heading out on a self-guided adventure with the downloadable K' Road art map. The map traverses a pre-European, Māori route and takes in public galleries, dealer galleries, artist-run spaces and auction houses. Between galleries, why not stop into one the many first-class dining spots in the district. We recommend filling your boots at upscale wine bar Apero, Lebanese eatery Gemmayze St, pasta restaurant Cotto or street food hole-in-the-wall Satya Chai Lounge. It'd be rude not to jump in an Ola for the journey and use the company's 5 Layers of Safety to stay protected. You can also rest assured that Ola's drivers keep more in their pocket.
TAP YOUR WAY THROUGH A TWO-STOREY MINI-GOLF BAR
Mini-golf bar Holey Moley has been bringing friendly, booze-fuelled competition to Auckland Viaduct since 2018. Created by parent company, Funlab, Holey Moley brings together a mini-golf course and the humming atmosphere of a bar, turning traditional putt-putt into a sensory labyrinth for kidults. The first-of-its-kind Auckland venue sprawls across two storeys and boast 27 themed holes. Visitors can tap, tap, tap their way through rooms themed around The Simpsons, E.T., The Flintstones and The Hobbit, complete trick shots across miniature buses as part of an Evel Knievel-themed hole and navigate around obstacles in nana's living room. The vibrant space also boasts a bar on the top level where you'll find an appropriate pun-laden cocktail list.
HEAD TO LATE-NIGHT IMPROV AT THE BASEMENT
Late-night improv show Snort puts some of the city's best comedies on stage without a script. The rotating cast of comedians and actors that make up the collective have been making stuff up on the spot since 2013, using audience interaction to create hilarious stories and scenes. The fast-paced, hour-long show is based on formats used by troupes in New York and Chicago. The all-star cast includes Rose Matafeo, Guy Montgomery, Eli Mathewson, Alice Snedden, Chris Parker and Laura Daniel. After the show, make sure you stick around for a drink with the cast at the weekly after party.
HIRE A PRIVATE LUXURY KARAOKE ROOM
The Vodka Room's two luxury karaoke rooms are not quiet in any sense of the word. Tucked away on the second floor of the Ponsonby bar, the rooms come equipped with leather couches and those ingenious "Press for Vodka" buttons. They are available to hire by the hour, seven days a week. All you have to do is choose from the extensive playlist of songs spanning classic hits to current chart toppers. And if you need sustenance, orders from the food and drink menus can be made at the press of a button. And when you're done, you can #RideTheChange with Ola's Secure Start Code to ensure you're always in the right car.
Book now and take the #4MinuteChallenge.
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