POPPY’S REAL HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

It's easy to spot the best ice cream in town. If there isn't a family consuming melting swirls of confectionery nearby, look for a queue of customers spilling out onto the footpath. This local favourite started in a caravan and has since moved to one of the most-visited shops along Kaikōura's West End strip. Devoted residents and visitors can choose from 27 flavours of homemade, creamy goodness. The homely café is reminiscent of the good ol' days of visiting an ice-cream shop as a child. Remember the panic of dripping ice cream? With its Kiwi classics and more inventive flavours (for example, lemon curd and apple rhubarb), Poppy's is for kids of all ages. 18 West End, Kaikōura. (03) 319 6489, poppyskaikoura.com