GOING PLACES
Claire experiences a few luxurious delights that were the tip of the iceberg in what is already a nature-filled journey through stunning South Island scenery in the Jaguar E-PACE
It’s been said that the purpose of poetry is to describe that which defies all description. I’m no poet but I’m now tasked with trying to describe a place and a feeling that is instantly minimised once you try to attach mere words to them.
Anyone who’s spent time roaming Aotearoa will, I hope, have had the experience of feeling humbled within our landscape. In one glorious weekend I drove the 2021 Jaguar E-PACE from Queenstown through the Crown Range to Wanaka, from its quieter neighbour Lake Hāwea down through the stunning Kawerau gorge to Bannockburn, and back again. I felt poetic, even if I couldn’t find the right words.
The one thing you cannot do in this lake district is ignore the environment. It envelops and dwarfs you. As far as custodians who are trying to shape a better picture for future generations of this land, you can’t get very more exemplary right now than Geoff and Justine Ross and their team at Lake Hāwea Station.
After only two and a half years they have turned their 6,500 hectare station into New Zealand’s first carbon clear merino wool and Angus beef producing farm. Their proudly displayed logo and carbon clear certification means that as a working farm, they are now sequestering more carbon than they emit. Their livestock graze and thrive in regenerating biodiverse paddocks, their high- end merino wool production processes are fully traceable and tracked, they’ve planted over 16,000 native trees in two years and have a mandate to reach 100,000 in 10 years and they are on a mission to show and teach others that farming can be the solution to many of the problems our country faces, while also being a profitable and productive opportunity for all the people behind it.
Justine’s innate sense of style has helped make adjusting to farming life look effortlessly glamorous from
the outside, but she’s quick to point out that’s just good marketing. The sweat and tears have been very real. But one dreamy night staying in their bespoke shepherding cottages was enough to bring all my Mcleod’s Daughters dreams to the fore and lull me into believing I too might have the mettle. Well, I had the hats at least. Waking to the serenity of silence, staring across glassy Lake Hāwea to the majestic mountains that wrap around you, sipping tea by the stoked outdoor fire and how exactly am I supposed to go back to city life from this?
When they offered to let me take my stead into one of their regen paddocks with the help of farm manager Jack and his trusty sheep dog Tom, I wanted to make sure my sleek beast would stand out for all the right reasons, not just it’s sassy good looks. Jaguar as a world- leading luxury brand has a mandate to produce entirely electric vehicles by 2025 and sister brand Land Rover will welcome six pure electric variants in the next five years. My mild- hybrid E-PACE helps me monitor my energy output as I drive, a consciously mastered element that adds to the appeal of the E-PACE. It is worth noting here that Jaguar’s flagship all- electric I-PACE has won World Green Car of The Year, World Car of The Year and NZ Car of The Year, this brand knows the ingredients for building excellent performing electric vehicles, holistic synergies with the ethos of the station we found ourselves on.
I had one more mission in mind while down here and I chose my next journeyman for his affinity for good tyres, good taste and his sense of smell.
Chef Matt Lambert achieved his Michelin- star dreams at his NYC restaurant The Musket Room over eight years ago, but it was being back amongst those ‘ remarkable’ ranges i n Queenstown that lured him home for good. He’s transplanted his family back to Auckland and splits his time between the two locations of Rodd & Gunn’s signature restaurant, The Lodge Bar.
As a self- described westie, Matt and I had loads of car chat to fizz over as we swung our E- PACE along the winding roads towards Bannockburn, debating whether it was the car’s i ndiscernible power or the symphonic sound system we were more i mpressed by. But we were also left speechless more than once as we rounded corners to see those grandiose, snowcapped mountain ranges and the hidden goldmines tucked away i n the Kawerau gorge. We were hunting for our own gold i n these hills. Truffle gold that i s.
Mirani and Rod Keillor from Black Quail Estate have owned the vineyard for twenty years but have more recently added truffle farm to their repertoire along with their award- winning Pinot Noir.
Matt and I were introduced to their fluffy Italian fur- baby, Nico, and his ferocious nose. He did not disappoint as we scoured beneath the hazelnut trees for that black gold. Eureka! We hit pay dirt! Truffles the size of golf balls.
I learnt from Matt that when you’ve dug up your own like that you can afford to be overtly generous when it comes to grating it all over your buttery pasta. We basically ate a plate of truffle, with a little linguini on the side, as we toasted our success back in the warmth of the Lodge Bar.
While I was lucky enough to experience all these luxurious delights on my travels, the true takeaway from a trip like that is always the mystical effect that nature has on the soul. Little problems vanish when in the presence of such greatness. Bigger issues, like our climate, our environment, and protecting our most valuable resources from this whenua become paramount. Asking ourselves “What can we do today to help protect tomorrow?” is a good start if we all want to continue enjoying the riches our country can offer us.