Category Archives: Eats & Drinks

Eats & Drinks

A short, steep climb to Astro Cafe, Lake Tekapo

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If you’re staying at Lake Tekapo Holiday Park or are visiting Tekapo Springs there are walking tracks nearby that take you to the summit of Mount John, and the glass house style Astro Cafe.

There’s a choice of two tracks – a steep one hour climb, or a longer gradual climb. I chose the one hour track which took 45 minutes with a couple of stops to rest the screaming calf muscles. The first 30 minutes of the walk is shaded by tree cover, the last 15 minutes is exposed*, the trees disappear to reveal the view that makes Astro … Read the rest

A vine romance in Cromwell

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I fell for ‘Blondie’ at Wooing Tree Vineyard, I liked her “delightful aromas of peaches and cream”. Next I fell for a love story ….. a couple met over a glass of Wooing Tree, a few years later they said their vows at the vineyard. The couple continue a long tradition of Wooing Tree romance.

The vineyard takes its name from a large pine tree, affectionately known by locals as the Wooing Tree. The tree could have succumbed to a chainsaw when the vineyard was being developed – the new owners were unaware it was Cromwell’s lovers lane. Locals campaigned … Read the rest

Curiously Cool in Queenstown

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Below Zero Ice Bar was a bit like a 3D New Zealand tourism brochure in ice, if you melted the polar bear. Although the polar bear’s handy for holding vodka bottles, and plenty of vodka is needed to fill the ice glasses with Perky Penguin and Chilled Kiwi cocktails.

The ice sculptures have changed since our visit, the jet boat may have gone but the gondola remains. The gondola comfortably seats two, although getting up close and personal isn’t a bad idea. After 30 minutes or so in Below Zero you’ll feel the cold begin to creep under the standard … Read the rest

Fish for lunch in Takaka

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Anatoki Salmon, 242 McCallum Road, Takaka
You catch it, they’ll smoke it at Anatoki Salmon. We spotted Matty McLean and friends fishing for their lunch – success. The use of fishing gear is free, you pay per kg for the salmon you catch. In November the price was $15 a kilo, from what we saw expect to pay about $22 per fish (includes cleaning and smoking).

I wasn’t keen to give it a go, it seemed a bit like going to the zoo to hunt wild game to me, but I was happy to have salmon sushi in the cafe … Read the rest

Staying Curious in Marlborough Wine Country

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A silver coin was planted at Montana Wines (now Brancott Estate) in 1973 as a token of good fortune, in 1975 the first sauvignon blanc vines were planted out of curiosity. In 1990 the sauvignon blanc was awarded the ‘Marquis de Goulaine trophy for best Sauvignon Blanc’ at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

Curiousity helped bring good fortune to Brancott Estate who in turn helped put New Zealand sauvignon blanc on tables around the world.

These days Marlborough is the largest wine producing region in the country, according to Wine Marlborough it produces 77% of the country’s … Read the rest

Curious or creepy? Wunderbar, Lyttelton

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Wunderbar prides itself on being unique, I’m going to call it curious, and a little bit creepy. The dolls head light shades could be considered cute, and if you’re going to behead some victims and display their heads in a cabinet it’s probably best they belong to Sindy and Barbie.

It was the hair roller light shades (with hair) that led me into creepy territory. I don’t know if the hair was real, neither of us was keen to examine it closely.  I couldn’t help wondering though whether hair from a hundred nanas was hanging out with us on Friday … Read the rest