Somewhere special to eat

Pippa Coombes is all about the WOW. When she sends her dishes out from the kitchen into the Surf Shack, that's the sound she waits for and is rewarded with. “WOW - that looks gorgeous,” is generally followed by, “WOW that is HUGE”. In 2015 Pippa and wife Jo took over what was a pancake house and turned it into the 2017 Café of the Year People's Choice Award winner. Lonely Planet rated them as having possibly the burgers in NZ and hungry patrons have been left in raptures with their eclectic menu mixing street food with good old home cooking. Not bad for two former enforcement officers with no hospitality experience.

Pippa and Jo came to Waihi Beach in search of a cruisy retirement (they chuckle fondly at such naive bliss!). Instead they've found themselves at the helm of one of Waihi Beach's favourite spots. Pippa, a self-taught home cook, is the master of dishes that have gained a national reputation – her Pork Belly and Blue Cheese Salad is legendary – and when she hears the whir of a helicopter landing at the airfield next door, she braces herself; after all, flights have been chartered from Auckland with the sole intention of one of her burgers for lunch. The Surf Shack also has a reputation for doing good – every year they use special menu items to support charities including Canteen and The Surf Life Saving Club, and in 2018, they collected bras to donate to women in need. 123 Emerton Road, Waihi Beach. (07) 863 4353, surfshackcafe.co.nz