Colder months usually see New Zealanders rug up, all except the people who know how to make the most of it. They’re inspiring the rest of us in the winter issue of AA Directions.

Father and son David and Jackson Kerr from Hamilton are spending their weekends restoring a 1971 BMW while Auckland dad Daniel Too took on the task of teaching his seven-year-old to conquer the Rubik’s cube. All up, eight projects feature.

With school holidays starting this week AA Directions Editor Kathryn Webster says it’s the perfect time to give up hugging a heater and instead get warm by getting busy.

“We wanted to celebrate the people who get on and do something, the ‘project people’ who make a decision and actually follow through,” she says.

“The project people we talked to are everyday New Zealanders who are saying no to slipping into hibernation mode and are instead picking up tools or a new hobby so they can build up their bank of experiences, and we hope that inspires others to do the same,” says Kathryn.

The other way to make the most of winter is to pick up a map. This issue of Directions also shines a spotlight on some of New Zealand’s best winter locations, from taking a break in Waipu, freefalling in Rotorua, snow shoeing on The Remarkables, road tripping Otago Peninsula  and  tackling the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail.

AA Directions Magazine is currently making its way to more than 592,000 letterboxes of AA Members throughout the country and is also available to everyone online on the AA website.