IT’S KAI TIME

Eat and drink your way around Aotearoa on these culinary adventures

Seasonal local produce bursting with goodness, talented artisan makers, freshly caught kaimoana, world- class wine and beer - - New Zealand has it all when it comes to incredible foodie experiences. From Northland to Southland, here are some of the must- eats to look out for when you’re tripping around Aotearoa on your next holiday.

1 NORTHLAND

It ’s almost impossible to find lessthan- delicious fish ’n’ chips anywhere in New Zealand, but one of the most iconic places to sit back with an ic y beverage and rip open that steaming hot parcel of succulent fish and crunchy chips is at the historic Northland fishing village of Mangonui. Local fishing boats deliver the day’s line- caught fish to it s famous over- water Mangonui Fish Shop and your feast is cooked up while you’re admiring the area’s marine life from it s deck — this can include stingrays, kingfish, bronze whaler sharks and sometimes even a pod of orca. Mangonuifishshop. com

Tasty mention: There are few better spots for a pub meal than at Russell’s waterfront Duke of Marlborough Hotel, one of New Zealand’s oldest establishments. Theduke. co. nz

2 AUCKLAND

You could spend a week exploring Auckland’s neighbourhood dining precinc t s and never get bored; whether you’re enjoying the water f ront ac tion at t he Viaduc t Harbour, or hanging out with the cit y’s most f abulous along Ponsonby and Karangahape Rd. During t he day, you will want to hit t he shops at Commercial Bay - Auckland’s l atest retail, hospitalit y and commercial hotspot. For a cultural experience, exploring one of the ethnic quar ters such as Sandringham f or I ndian, Dominion Rd for Chinese or t he central cit y for Korean. Heartofthecity. co. nz/dining

Tasty mention: Set a day aside to explore t he gastronomic delights of Waiheke I sland, j ust half an hour by f err y f rom downtown Auckland. As well as beaches that are gorgeous at any ti me of year, a relaxed vibe and scenic coastal views f rom almost ever y t wist and t urn, Waiheke i s home to f antastic wineries and some great restaurants and cafes too. Tourismwaiheke. co. nz/ taste

3 THE COROMANDEL

You haven’t li ved until you’ve taken on the Kuaotunu Killer i cecream, available year- round at the Kuaotunu Store in this lovely par t of the Coromandel. For $ 9 you’ll get seven or eight scoops of up to five flavours ser ved i n one, ver y sturdy cone. Our tip? Get a couple of f riends or round up your whole f amily to tackle this yummy beast. 16 Black Jack Rd, Kuaotunu

Tasty mention: Locals and visitors alike love the wood- fired pizza and other goodies at Kuaotunu’s Luke’s Kitchen ( Lukeskitchen. co. nz) and the Coromandel is also famous for its scallops.

4 HAWKE’S BAY

One of New Zealand’s finest wine regions, Hawke’s Bay does a fine line in winery dining too, all of which have stunning locations to add to the ambience. One of the most famous is Mission Estate Winery’s Mission Restaurant, which is set in a restored historic seminary building in the Taradale Hills with wide- ranging views of Napier and it s coastline. The restaurant uses seasonal local produce on it s menu offering contemporary fine dining with a European influence, and is open seven days for lunch and dinner. Hawkesbaynz. com/eat- and- drink/ eat/ winery- dining Missionestate. co. nz

Tasty mention: There are some great farmers’ markets in the region, with the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market the oldest of it s kind in New Zealand. Hawkesbaynz. com/eat- and- drink /eat/markets

5 WELLINGTON

The world’ s coolest little capital is also New Zealand’ s home of craft beer, with dozens of boutique breweries dotted throughout the greater Wellington region. One of the best known is Garage Project which began brewing in a rundown garage in 2011; these days its beer is exported around the world. Check out the brewery’s Taproom in Wellington’s Aro Valley where you can sample 18 revolving taps of brews( and try its wine too) alongside bar snacks made using the wares of local producers. Garageproject.co.nz

Tasty mention: Wellington is awash with great places to eat and drink so it ’s hard to single any out, but for a quintessential Welly experience you can’t go past the Maranui Cafe overlooking often wild Lyall Bay near the airport, or one of it s sister eateries, Seashore Cabaret, on the Petone foreshore. Maranuicafe.co.nz; Facebook.com/SeashoreCabaret

6 KAIKŌURA

In te reo Māori, Kaikōura literally means “food/eat” and “crayfish”, and fans of this yummy crustacean would be remiss if they didn’t stop by the legendary blue and white Nin’s Bin caravan on the coastal road between Pic ton and Christchurch for some of the finest koura in the country. Facebook. com/ninsbin Tasty mention:

Seafood abounds in this pretty part of the South Island — if you fancy something other than crayfish, you can swap it out for grouper, cod, mussels, paua, oysters, scallops or whitebait. Kaikoura. co. nz

7 MOERAKI

For a truly memorable dining experience, drive along the eastern coast between Christchurch and Dunedin to find Fleur’s Place, a waterfront restaurant, cafe and bar set on a former early whaling station site at Moeraki. Owner Fleur Sullivan is known for her creative menus that feature kaimoana direct from local fishermen, heritage vegetables, and titi (muttonbird), a delicacy from the Titi Islands near Stewart Island known for it s strong, unusual taste. Fleursplace. com

Tasty mention: Another deep south delicacy you’ll find all over this part of the country is the humble cheese roll — think slices of bread covered with grated cheese and rolled into tubes, then toasted. Yum.

8 BLUFF

There are some people in New Zealand that would drive it s length without question to get their hands on a feed of Bluffies -- Bluff oysters

-- the plump, full- of- flavour shellfish dredged up from the depths of Foveaux Strait between March and August each year. Of course, you can find them all over New Zealand during the oyster season — at a premium price of course — but there’s nothing like enjoying a freshly shucked Bluffie just af ter it has emerged from the ocean. The annual Bluff Oyster Festival was postponed this year because of Covid-19, but you can bet it ’ll be back and better than ever for 2021. Bluffoysterfest. co. nz Southlandnz. com/ bluff/ bluff- oysters

Tasty mention: The Stewart Island battered blue cod on the menu at Oban’s South Sea Hotel ($ 26) is so good you might order it t wo days in a row. Or maybe even three. Southseahotel.co. nz