With two long weekends ahead for many of us, it’s the ideal time to go on an adventure or just treat yourself to a picnic.

With Auckland, Northland and Nelson Anniversary break this weekend, and Waitangi the following its time to escape.

If you want to stay in the City of Sails, you could plan a picnic with a huge array of options available. Of course at AutoMuse, we’re partial to the black sands of Muriwai Beach that we can see from Parihoa.

There are also great places around New Zealand to escape to for Waitangi weekend, with our pick in the South Island being Lake Takepo , Lake Wanaka for the crystal clear water, Lake Pukaki to see Mount Cook in all its glory, or just about anywhere along the epic coastline.

Mini has made it extra easy to have a picnic, thanks to the addition of a Picnic Bench in the Countryman.

The Picnic Bench folds out from the boot so you can sit on the sill and enjoy the view, with the boot lid protecting you from the sun (or rain, hey it is New Zealand).

The Mini Countryman was first launched in 2010, and was the first in the brand to have four doors, a large tailgate, five seats, and optional all-wheel drive. Global reception to the game-changing, segment-redefining new Mini was such that more than half a million Countrymans have been sold worldwide.

(We’re a bit biased here at AutoMuse as I bought my daughter Grace a 2013 Countryman for her first car.)

The Countryman is priced from $49,990 and comes in four variants, from the entry model the Cooper S (from $58,990), the hybrid from $64,790, and the JCW version at $71,990.