Dancing with the Stars NZ judging LA's best

DWTS NZ judges Rachel White and Julz Tocker. Photo / Supplied

When they're not rating and hating the current batch of celebs on Dancing with the Stars NZ, this year's judges are all based in LA. They give their tips for making the most of the City of Angels.

Camilla Sacre-Dallerup

The Best Thing About LA is . . .

The weather! And the fact that you have everything you need within a short drive, fabulous beaches and beautiful mountains. I love the fact that we can be in our bikini in the morning and in the mountains snowboarding two hours later. Not to mention, it is definitely a place where dreams come true. If you work hard anything is possible here, I have written and had two self-help books published since I moved there four years ago from the UK.

DWTS NZ judge Camilla Sacre-Dallerup. Photo / Sacre Images

The best places to go out dancing:

Since I have danced most of my life, I don't tend to go dancing when I'm chilling. So the only place I go dancing is at my fellow judges Julz and Rachel's studio, Just Dance, which is five minutes down the road from me in Studio City. Julz knows how to throw a dance party and he also has some fabulous dance fitness classes.

The best off-the-beaten-track spot:
Fryman Canyon is just over the hill in the valley of Laurel Canyon. It's really peaceful and less busy than the famous Runyon Canyon hike. A few times a year I actually arrange free mindfulness hikes here, through my business Zenme, where we practise mindfulness on the way up, meditate at the top, and network and socialise on the way down. The East Griffith Observatory trail is very steep and quite a workout. When you reach the top you have a perfect view over the beautiful observatory.

Julz Tocker

The Best Thing About LA is . . .
You can surf and ski in the same day! The mountains and beach are so close yet you could do both if you wanted.

The best places to go out dancing:
Viva in Hollywood is one of the biggest bars and restaurants to go out dancing. With great live music, Wednesday nights is the best night to check it out. Go for dinner and stay to dance till close!

The best off-the-beaten-track spot:
Breakroom 86 is an 1980s themed club. It's a speakeasy club in Koreatown, with a "secret" back entrance. Every night there is either a band, performance or a DJ, plus the club has secret karaoke rooms. It's the best vibe always.

Rachel White

The Best Thing About LA is . . .
The weather. You can count on an endless summer with beautiful sunshine and beaches, and an extra bonus of palm trees everywhere. And anyone in the world can fit-in in LA. If you have something different about you, that is very cool in LA . . . the more unusual you are, the cooler you are.

The best places to go out dancing:
La Descarga is a speakeasy salsa club in Hollywood. When you get there, a hostess greets you and takes you into a room that looks like a little bedroom and opens a closet where some clothes are hanging. The hostess then slides open the back wall and you enter into this secret room that's a club with a live band playing salsa music. You go down a swivelled staircase right on to the dance floor where there is also a bar. At some point around 1am a really beautiful woman comes out and does a tango in a little balcony overlooking the dance floor. Super cool spot!

The best off-the-beaten-track spot:
The best walk in LA is hands down Will Rogers in the Pacific Palisades/Santa Monica area. Will Rogers is the name of the park, and there is a trail from the park that goes up and overlooks the ocean. On the way through you pass a waterfall and end up in a forest. It is so beautiful.

Dancing With The Stars, Sundays at 7pm and Mondays at 7.30pm on Three.