Glass half-full approach
As part of our new Back Your Backyard coverage, Lorna Thornber looks at three internationally flavoured breaks with a distinct Kiwi twang.
Sure, it sucks that international travel isn’t a safe option right now. But there are far worse places to be confined to than New Zealand.
With islands encompassing everything from subtropical beaches to snowy mountains via vast stretches of wilderness and some pretty idiosyncratic cities and small towns, New Zealand offers a lot of bang for the tourists’ buck.
But since so many international tourists are staying away right now – and we’re being encouraged to stay at home – it’s a prime opportunity to see your own country properly.
If you had your heart set on going somewhere more exotic though, there are some pretty decent alternatives to popular destinations abroad if you do your research. They won’t offer the same experience no, but they’re certainly not pale imitations.
In this series, we look at how to do a staycation instead of travel to big international cities. Think of them as internationally flavoured breaks with a distinct Kiwi twang.
Instead of Tuscany, try Hawke’s Bay
Savouring a long lunch in a Hawke’s Bay vineyard on a sunny afternoon, it’s not hard to make believe you’re in Tuscany. Particularly after a glass or few of local wine. With its vineyards, olive groves, fertile farmland, artisan producers and focus on living la dolce vita, Hawke’s Bay could be said to be New Zealand’s answer to the famous Italian region. The sunset hues of central Napier’s buildings mirror Tuscan settlements: Even if the style is art deco, rather than Italianate.
Sure, there are no Roman relics or medieval villages but natural attractions such as Cape Kidnappers, Shine Falls and Lake Waikaremoana, home to one of New Zealand’s great walks, make up for it – or at least provide pretty fair compensation.
Many of the more than 200 vineyards, 70 wineries and 30 cellar doors are connected by flat cycle trails, so it’s easy to convince yourself your balancing out the almost obligatory imbibing with exercise.
But there’s much more to Wine
Country than its exceptional chardonnay and syrah. Te Mata Peak, with its panoramic views over the Tuscan-esque countryside and out to the Pacific, is a must visit. As is the perfect for swimming, surfing and sunbathing Waimarama beach.
Make sure you try one of the of region’s famous real fruit icecreams. Arguably even better than authentic Italian gelato.
Instead of Brussels, try Nelson
Belgium may be a major site of pilgrimage for beer worshippers in the northern hemisphere but Nelson has quite the following in the south.
Fertile ground for some of the world’s finest hops and as crowded with master brewers as a good head of beer is with bubbles, it’s known as the craft brewing capital of New Zealand.
Belgian brewers have had a huge head start on their Nelson peers, of course – Belgian monks have been turning barley, hops and water into liquid gold since the days it was healthier than water and considered by people other than alcoholics as a meal in itself (it was basically cold barley soup).
But Nelson brewers have sure made up for lost time. German settlers kicked things off in the 1840s when, realising the Nelson region was prime hops growing territory, they began cultivating the plant that would be key ingredient in seeing them through tough pioneer times.
They weren’t all that imaginative, though; the sole offerings being mass-produced domestic brews with names such as Red, Green, Brown and Double
Brown. The McCashin family changed the game when they set up Mac’s Gold, in an old cider factory and began producing bolder beers using traditional batch-brewing techniques, effectively starting New Zealand’s craft beer revolution.
Download the Nelson Craft Beer Trail for guidance, making sure to hit up McCashin’s, which brews under the Stoke brand in the old cider factory, hosts tours and tastings and serves up hangover-preventing-sized meals in its kitchen and bar.
Other stops include the Free House, a wooden church turned bar; the Sprig & Fern taverns helmed by ‘‘the Mother of New Zealand brewing’’ Tracy Banner, and Moutere Inn, one of Aotearoa’s oldest pubs.
For a Belgian-style experience, head to The Mussel Inn for a bowl of steaming crustaceans with chips (or should that be frites?) The beer is pure New Zealand, though. Inspired by a brew Captain James Cook was said to have made from tea and native tree leaves, the all-malt ‘‘Captain Cooker’’, created with locally grown organic hops, is given extra pep by manuka tips.
Instead of Beijing, try Auckland
We can’t promise you an ancient walled capital shaped by three imperial dynasties or restaurants and markets where you chow down on snakes and bugs if you dare.
But we can point you in the direction of some pretty amazing dim sum, Chinese spa treatments, tai chi and Chinese language classes.
For the full yum cha experience, you can’t go wrong with either Grand Harbour Chinese Restaurant in the CBD or Grand Park Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Epsom. A favourite with Chinese Aucklanders for more than two decades, the Grand Harbour offers more than 80 dishes on its yum cha menu, from fresh and deep-fried dumplings and prawn toast and rice rolls to pork siu mai, stuffed capsicums, chicken feet, fried taro cake and Macau-style custard tarts.
At the Grand Harbour, as the name suggests, seafood is the name of the game. Think lobster sashimi, shark’s fin soup, wokbaked crab with spicy imperial sauce, crayfish and noodles with ginger and spring onion and fresh abalone braised in oyster sauce.
Strangely for a city of its size with a large Chinese community, Auckland has no official Chinatown but cheap, authentic eats can still be found at the likes of Barilla Dumpling at the University of Auckland and on Dominion Road and the Old Fashion Hot Pot in Albany, where diners add their choice of meat, veggies and noodles to steaming pot of secret-recipe broth.
While Auckland isn’t exactly known for its outstanding Chinese architecture (you do have to see the Forbidden City and Summer Palace for yourself one day), Fo Guang Shan temple is a fine example of the Tang Dynasty style.
Set on four bucolic hectares in the otherwise nondescript suburb of Flat Bush, it’s the largest Buddhist temple in the country – complete with a Chinese-style garden, art gallery, tea house serving up healthy vegetarian fare, giant Buddha statue, and a two-tonne bell.
As a bonus, Water Drop Vegetarian Cafe, offering up arguably the best Chinese veggie fare in town, is just down the road (if by some miracle you still happen to be hungry).
Chances are you’ll be feeling pretty zen right now but, to take things to another level, head to a tai chi class (not-for profit Taoist Tai Chi is one of the many organisations offering free classes) or treat yourself to a Chinese-style spa treatment.
The upscale Chuan Spa at the Langham Hotel does its best to return you to peak physical and mental health with traditional therapies and treatments.
Each session begins with a ‘‘tri-bathing’’ ritual incorporating a muscle-loosening ‘‘snail shower’’, circulation-boosting ‘‘ice experience’’ and herbal steam bath.