New Zealand In Depth

The New Zealand Diary of Mr & Mrs Rosendale

2010-07-16T16:14:00.000+01:00

Steve & Nicky (see blog post) have very kindly allowed us to publish their holiday diary which has lots of detail and more great photos - http://www.newzealand-indepth.co.uk/rosendale.pdf. Happy reading!

Martin & Bernie

2010-07-08T14:38:00.002+01:00

Paul,

Good to speak to you last week and here's the feedback I promised.................

The holiday was magnificent - we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and think that your booking of flights, seats, motels, car hire, was, in the main, exactly the standard which we expected (or more probably 'needed' given the hectic schedule we set ourselves).

All in all we were delighted with the trip you planned for us - we particularly appreciated being pampered with the limo at Kerikeri, and Rose, the driver, couldn't have been more helpful.

Thanks for everything,

Regards,

Martin and Bernie Beckett

The footbridge to Haruru Falls, Bay of Islands

Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula

Warm and sunny at Lake Taupo...

...and cold and grey on Fox Glacier!

Not beating the ash cloud

2010-06-29T13:43:00.003+01:00

Unfortunately Steve and Helen were not as fortunate as Steve and Nicky and were stranded in Auckland. They arrived to check-in for their Emirates flight at Auckland having heard nothing about the Iceland eruption and its effects and were told that UK airspace was closed because of the volcanic eruption. "What volcano!" was Steve's understandably horrified response, no doubt picturing Stoke-on-Trent being devoured by basaltic lava.

As well as the great feedback below, we have some brilliant photographs which are much appreciated Steve and Helen.

Dear Paul

Just a quick not to say that Helen and I are now safely back at home and it will be interesting to see how long it takes us to re-adjust to UK time.

We would both like to say a big "thank you" to both you and Rebecca for your help, firstly with the holiday and secondly for our additional 2 weeks of volcano delay. The accomodation you arranged for us was ideal from a comfort and location point of view and allowed us plenty of freedom to do what we wanted, when we wanted. The activities that you arranged for us all went well and in addition to this we managed to add quite a few first for us as well. The weather was really kind to us and didn't stop us from doing anything.

As an additional bit of information that you may not be aware of is that The Church in Hahe is up for sale. Also, apparently the beach level at hot water beach has changed recently and the tide doesn't go out as far as it used to. This leaves a smaller area of beach in the hot water area, but it's still a lovely beach.

Thanks again

Steve Nuthall

On the neve above Franz Josef Glacier

Fox Glacier on a typical West Coast day!

Cruising on Milford Sound

Morning mist on Lake Tekapo

Kaikoura Peninsula

Dusky dolphins off the Kaikoura coast

Sunrise over Queen Charlotte Sound

High in Tongariro National Park

Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula

Auckland's Sky Tower on a bit of a grim day...

..but Russell makes up for it

A bit of All White!!

2010-06-15T14:28:00.000+01:00

Great result for New Zealand, 1-1 against Slovakia. As it stands, the All Whites basically have the same chance of winning the World Cup as France, Italy and England. Most importantly though, they actually have a better chance of winning the tournament than Australia!

Beating the ash cloud

2010-06-14T23:05:00.001+01:00

Steve and Nicky first contacted us back in April 2009 to ask us to help with their plan to travel to New Zealand to get married. We therefore had time to plan everything perfectly and, despite a Singapore Airlines schedule change in September presenting us with some challenges, all was looking good and we were set to go. In steps Eyjafjallajökul.

Of course the volcano caused disruption to many, many people and we had some clients who were stranded In New Zealand and others who had to cancel their holidays. For Steve and Nicky this was much more than a holiday though.

They could do nothing other than watch the crisis deepen as their departure date approached and I felt so sorry for them, especially as I could do nothing to make them feel better other than assure them that we would do everything we could to help.

Then, just as it looked as though there was no hope, the wind changed and airspace reopened. In case of any doubt, the photos below prove that they got to the church on time!

Hi Paul

Now the dust has settled and reality has set back, being back at work etc, I thought I'd email you some wedding photos. I'll also send off the feedback form over the weekend. Also, when we got back to Christchurch we were expecting a 'normal' room, however, we ended up in a three bedroom, split level suite! A fine way to end our stay in New Zealand. We've already said we'll go back for our 5th anniversary! Time to start saving.

We had a most memorable trip, stayed in some amazing places (Maison De La Mer and Adrift deserve special mentions), done so much that we wanted to, but there is still so much left to see and do.

I know it's a cliche to say it was the holiday of a lifetime, but for us it really was. Your organasition etc certainly helped make it so and our thanks go to you.

Regards

Steve & Nicky Rosendale

More food porn

2010-04-29T23:08:00.005+01:00

I have been accused on a number of occasions, unfairly of course, to be inordinately interested in food and wine, and in particular the consumption thereof. For the record, I would like to correct the inaccurate nature of this perception and point out that my ongoing research is solely in the interests of disseminating good advice to friends and clients alike. In an earlier life I'm quite sure I was the guy who tested the monarch's food for poison. I regard what I do now in a similar vein, albeit slightly less hazardous.

That settled, I'd like to relate a very recent experience which will be filed in my top drawer of dining experiences.

I have eaten at Meredith's in Auckland on three previous occasions and have had wonderful experiences each time, so naturally expectations were high but I had a slight nagging feeling that I was setting myself up for disappointment. That was allayed almost immediately by the warmth of the welcome and the swift appearance of the champagne I seemed to have inadvertently ordered instead of saying hello to the waitress. The restaurant, although small and with no outlook, is a very pleasant place to be with subdued decor, lighting and music and happily plush carpeting which seems to keep noise at the right level.

Our waitress was friendly without any fawning and was extremely well-informed on both the wine list and the menu. The menu is reasonably short but has a very good range of seasonal flavours, but its length served to leave both my wife and me in the happy position of wanting to order every single dish, they sounded so good. After a couple of questions, our waitress was able to steer us both in what turned out to be the correct direction. She picked my wife would enjoy subtle flavour combinations whilst she had me pegged in an instant as a sybarite and glutton. Suffice to say, the smoked eel with scallops and jamon, and the quail with peanut, enoki and paua were inspired starters and I again began to worry, how could the mains live up to such a great entree (By the way if you have the chance to taste New Zealand smoked eel, take it immediately, I think it should be established a national flagbearer dish).

Happily, if anything, the mains were another step up. I had the sous vide beef with oxtail ravioli, chlorophyll and snails , my wife the chicken breast with crayfish tail. I won't prattle on save to say that both were extraordinary dishes in their balance, depth of flavour, contrast of textures and sheer cooking expertise. But follow my advice, don't try these at home. My real measure of a restaurant, as a keen cook myself, is to have confirmed that I wouldn't have a hope of replicating what I have just been served. Meredith's is firmly in that category. Also, as a wine loser of some pretension, I have been known to try to show up the sommelier or waiter with my superior knowledge. Out of luck Palmer; I was steered in directions outside my experience and the score eneded up something like Meredith's ten, Palmer nil.

As far as my limited means permit, I am gradually trying to work my way through experiencing as many of Restaurant Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants of the World as I can manage. Whilst Meredith's does not (yet) feature on this list, take my word, it belongs there. Fabulous.

Anne & Peter Haywood part 2

2010-04-29T01:15:00.007+01:00

Anne & Peter (http://newzealand-indepth.blogspot.com/2010/03/anne-peter-haywood.html) have sent us a big photo update with some fabulous images that deserve to be published!

From Worcestershire on the day they left...

...to arriving on the Coromandel Peninsula

Close to Kuaotunu Bay, Coromandel Peninsula

Queen Charlotte Sound

Mounts Tasman and Cook reflected in Lake Matheson

West Coast rainforest at Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki

Cabbage tree, Lake Hawea

Lake Wakatipu sunset

Daylight fades over Lake Wakatipu

Where Doubtful Sound meets the Tasman Sea

Doubtful rainbow

Doubtful Sound at dusk

One of my favourite ever pictures of Milford Sound

Te Anau sunset

Mount Cook from Lake Pukaki

Lake Tekapo really is that colour!

First sight of Akaroa

The Giant's House in Akaroa - whacky is the word!

Eileen & Paul Varetto

2010-03-30T16:05:00.010+01:00

Well this is the longest testimonial and trip report I have ever received. The fact that you have put so much time and thought into this says a lot Eileen and I am so grateful. We have everything here readers - fancy dress, lost luggage, G&Ts on the beach, helpful Kiwi bobbies and Jeremy Palmer saving the day, sort of like Champion the Wonder Horse but with two legs and a phone.

Paul & Eileen all dressed up in Napier,

fortunately with somewhere to go

Our second NZ trip came about as a result of an invitation from friends to visit them there whilst they were staying with their daughter who lives north of Auckland. Paul Carberry organised some cut rate flights via Singapore for a 6 week holiday and we decided to spend 3 of those weeks travelling independently with our friends exploring Auckland and the areas north and east of the city. We then followed the well trodden tourist routes round the Coromandel Peninsula to Rotorua and Lake Taupo before ending up in the Art Deco town of Napier built in this style after the original town was destroyed in the 1931. On Paul C’s advice we timed our visit there to coincide with the Festival weekend – a not so serious celebration of the Art Deco style.

Paul C managed to get us a friendly homestay cottage at a very busy time and so, as nearly everyone seems to dress the part, we decided to enter into the spirit of things as you can see. Whilst having a delicious meal at the Masonic Hotel on the front we watched the vintage cars arrive on Friday night and soaked up the atmosphere. Saturday was the big parade of cars and people with pipe bands and a flying display and in the evening there were jazz bands and dancing. On Sunday we made our salmon and cucumber sandwiches and took a few bottles of bubbly to the Gatsby picnic on the front where everyone else was doing the same thing to a lesser or greater extent. Everyone visited each others picnic and admired dresses and antiques and listened to the bands and the barbershop choir. It was such an all inclusive friendly weekend and I have to say it cost us very little as the main events were free – in fact I think it cost a feather boa and a pair of braces!

A pensive Paul at Whangamata Beach

on the Coromandel Peninsula

At this point we left our friends and for the next 3 weeks were guided by New Zealand In Depth. We had a memorable weekend in Wellington which was hosting the Arts Festival. We went to the Circa Theatre, watched dragon racing in the harbour, ate extremely well at Shed 5 (delicious oysters) and Paul managed to shake Vladimir Ashkenazy’s hand which made his weekend complete.

Gannet colony at Muriwai Beach

The next move was a flight from Wellington to Nelson in South Island from where we were driving to Golden Bay near Abel Tasman Park to stay for a week. Having checked in we discovered that I had left Paul’s hand luggage in the taxi (Yes apparently that’s the way it works – I was in charge of it whilst Paul paid the driver!). Panic ensued and that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know you’ve been a plonker! We got in touch with ID Tours (New Zealand In Depth’s partner in Auckland) since all our vouchers, flight tickets home and, most important, our medication were in the hand luggage. They assured us we could carry on without the vouchers and they would sort them out and so we took the flight and made our way to Pohara in Golden Bay where our accommodation was overlooking a spectacular beach. From our balcony we could watch the surf and the oystercatchers and also the locals sand surfing - all whilst sinking a G & T!

A phone call from Jeremy at ID Tours at about 4.30pm brightened up our day even more when he told us that the bag had been handed in by the taxi driver to the police in Lower Hutt. The police couldn’t have been more helpful and arranged for the bag to be couriered to us the next day. So we picked it up from Takaka (5km away) and inside it, absolutely everything was there – including tickets, iPod and medication. This saved us so much hassle and we were very impressed by the honesty of the driver and the speed with which the police returned the bag to us. I have to say, I did wonder if the same would happen to a tourist in the UK.

Indiana Jones still at large in Abel Tasman National Park?

A few days in Picton followed exploring the Marlborough wine region and Queen Charlotte Sound. Then we took the Interislander ferry back to Wellington – a stunning trip - and drove up the western side of the island. Not quite so touristy but I loved seeing Mount Taranaki and New Plymouth itself with its 7km coastal walkway. Our final stop at Otorohanga was really memorable. Kamahi Cottage was absolutely delightful and catered for our every need. An inspired choice Paul! Liz cooked us some wonderful meals and we left feeling we had made a friend. Sadly Auckland and the long flight home beckoned but, once again, New Zealand In Depth had delivered a memorable holiday.

Mark & Alan

2010-03-26T14:54:00.008Z

Thank you Mark and Alan for your great feedback and some excellent pics selected from the 4000 you took!

Mark & Alan by the Buller River

Hi Paul

We had a fantastic time on the South Island (despite the snow and freezing accommodation on the Catlins – however Fergus and Mary’s hospitality certainly made up for that, they are really lovely people). Probably the only thing we would do differently in retrospect would have been to skip Wellington (didn’t like it there much) and probably the Cook Islands too, which although lovely and a great chill out, we would probably have enjoyed the time more in NZ.

Quite a view from Fergus and Mary's

place in the Catlins

We loved Dunedin (especially the railway journey and Olveston House stand out in my memory) and Christchurch (and would have really liked a couple more nights there), the glow worm caves Alan still mentions often as an amazing experience. We loved the accommodation at Arrowtown – an amazing place to stay, and although Queenstown didn’t blow us away, we really liked Arrowtown. The lupins on the beach at lake Tekapo were another highlight – an extraordinarily beautiful place.

Lupins, Lake Tekapo

Probably the highlights were the cruises on Milford and Doubtful Sounds which were very, very special. We managed to take over 4000 photographs over the month, which are going to take a while to sort out! All the arrangements went smoothly and we were very impressed by the quality of most of the restaurants we tried.

The last few days in Golden bay we thoroughly enjoyed – we visited a fantastic private garden, possibly the finest ‘English’ garden we’ve ever visited in private ownership and once again the accommodation was great. The Mussel Inn is fantastic – very very sociable and great food – we enjoyed both a poetry evening and an Irish folk music evening there. Sadly the very last full day was very very wet – but even so it is a lovely part of the world.

Anyway Paul, we are very grateful for your efforts in making the trip truly wonderful – the most extravagant holiday we’ve ever had! I have on my return, and out of interest, filled in the online immigration qualification form however sadly I don’t have enough points, probably too old!

Best wishes

Mark & Alan

Rarotonga

Anne & Peter Haywood

2010-03-26T14:34:00.005Z

Many thanks Anne & Peter and well done with that weather in the Southern Alps!!

Hi there Paul

Well here we are returned from our epic journey. We absolutely loved NZ and its people. We had the time of our lives. The holiday not only came up to expectation but really exceeded it so thank you very much for your hard work. We certainly spread your name around in a positive way while we were there.

Anne & Peter

The Tathams

2010-03-25T15:06:00.011Z

Many thanks to Judy, Peter, Amy and Jimmy for some great words and photos.

Just to let you know that we have had the most amazing time and thank you so much for all your help and for planning such a wonderful trip. Everything went very smoothly and I will send you the feedback form about the motels shortly.

You started us off magnificently at the Commodores Lodge in Russell, we loved being on the waterfront.

Sunset from Commodores Lodge

Hokianga Harbour

We enjoyed our experience in Stewart Island and the guided tour of Ulva Island with Furhana was fantastic, it makes such a difference when someone explains about the wildlife and trees amd mosses etc. we saw so much more than if we had been walking around on our own. I have to say that the boat trip over was pretty rough and I was sick, despite my vast experience of ferries and taking medication!! So I was quite relieved to be flying back.......the plane was pretty small though, but it only took 15minutes!

The Awatea Beach house was rather large for us, but I think that was because it was late booking....we did find it a bit cold though as there was no heating, but we managed to get the stove going in the living room. I think we are not as tough as the Stewart Islanders!!

Amy and Jimmy also thoroughly enjoyed their week away with us and the cruise on Doubtful Sound was so good, they went out in the kayaks and even went swimming in the rather chilly water afterwards, mind you they had brought their wet suits! The cruise was really worth doing, the staff were so friendly and helpful and the food was amazing. We met all sorts of people (including another set of your clients from Beaconsfield!). We saw dolphins and seals and Amy and Jimmy even got to drive the Navigator on the way back!!

Amy & Jimmy kayaking on Doubtful Sound

We followed the itinerary, except we did a couple of hikes and didn't do the glowworm caves at Te Anau as Amy doesn't like caves!

The internal flights with Air New Zealand were so easy, and we had a great stopover in Singapore with Singapore Airlines (talking to people, it seems to be the best way to get out there).

Lake Marian, Fiordland

All in all we've had some amazing experiences and it will take us a while to come back down to earth and to sort out our hundreds of photos!

Thanks again Paul

New Zealand Family Harrison 2

2010-02-01T16:57:00.004Z

And here are Sue's very kind words to go with the photos. Thank you Sue, it is such a nice feeling to know that we have played our part in creating some wonderful memories.

New Zealand was everything we had hoped it would be and so much more. We had an unbelievably good time and much of the credit for that lies with Paul at New Zealand In Depth.

Paul took the time to listen carefully to what it was we wanted out of our holiday, he presented a number of options and over the months that preceded our holiday helped us refine the details. It was his attention to detail and local knowledge that ensured this holiday exceeded all our expectations... although I guess the fabulous weather helped.

It is difficult to pick favourites but we have a few. We loved the adventure Queenstown provided, our most memorable experience being body surfing down the Kawarau River. Phil and I are still feeling pretty impressed we did not balk from launching ourselves into the river and remain grateful to the ‘Hand of God’ and his colleagues for rescuing us on many occasions! Swimming with Dolphins was truly special and will stay with us forever. Phil’s favourite place was Doubtful sound whilst mine was the Bay of Islands, although Kaikoura with its glorious scenery is a close rival.

In terms of accommodation Paul got everything just right, particularly Commonage Villas and Hapuku Lodge for Christmas and New Year but we also loved the tranquillity, incredible hospitality and personal attention shown to us by Mark and Pam at The Hollows in Te Anau.

The whole holiday came to an end on Phil' s 50th birthday, New Zealand In Depth liaised with Air NZ to make the day really special, there were treats all the way home...

Thanks for all your help Paul…

New Zealand Family Harrison

2010-01-30T13:58:00.005Z

A photo testimonial here from Sue, Phil, James and Eleanor. We did get some words as well including "great holiday", "fabulous time" and "time to save for the next trip to NZ because we loved it there so much" but the pictures tell their story pretty well.

Happy clients - Minthia von Wiarda

2010-01-11T09:45:00.006Z

From the first time I contacted Paul through the New Zealand In Depth website, I received personal, efficient and knowledgeable service. It was an invaluable help for me to be able to rely on Paul's expertise, as I was going to travel on my own.

Paul was very patient in perfecting my itinerary and incorporating all my wishes and did not even flinch when I unexpectedly fell pregnant and required further last minute changes! The holiday was absolutely amazing and Paul's day-by-day itinerary was an invaluable guide.

Whilst I'd love to go back to NZ, it's great to hear that New Zealand In Depth will be expanding to other countries also.….it means I will definitely be back to plan my next dream holiday!

Minthia meets Milford Sound meets the Tasman Sea

Happy clients - Steve and Joe-Anne Nuttall

2010-01-10T14:41:00.006Z

Steve and Joe-Anne's enjoyment of their holiday is what makes the job so satisfying...

We’ve been back from New Zealand for a few days now, and some sense of normality is beginning to return, so I thought I’d drop you a quick line to thank you for helping us put together the holiday of a lifetime.

The whole trip was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed every part of the itinerary. You don’t need me to tell you what a great country it is, I was expecting a lot but it exceeded expectations. The combination of mountains, lakes, forest, glaciers and beaches is stunning. People were all very friendly and driving was a dream.

It is hard to pick our highlights when there were so many great moments, but truly special moments were the Tongariro Crossing (our guide actually took us to Tongariro summit), Fox Glacier heli-hike, Routeburn Track, and the fiords and forests of South Island generally. The best place to stay (by a short head from the Wilderness Lodges) was Adrift in Golden Bay – as close to perfection as any place I have stayed - but the rest were pretty good too.

The stop-offs in San Francisco, Syndey and Hong Kong were an excellent way to top and tail the main event, and broke up the journey nicely.

We had a slight hiccup for the Tongariro Crossing in that they claimed they did not have details of us when we called them the day before, but Rebecca sorted them out pretty quickly and they discovered we had been misfiled. They delivered a great experience on the day though.

The programme as a whole ticked all the boxes for us, and it all went very smoothly. Air New Zealand have also become my favourite airline, it is a shame I won’t be using them more often. Having said that, we’ll definitely be going back one day.

Thanks again for helping us with this Paul, your ideas and organization certainly created an experience which we will remember for a long time to come. Much appreciated.

All the best

Steve and Joe-Anne

Happy clients - Judy & Peter Farren

2010-01-09T12:12:00.010Z

Judy and Peter contacted us on return from their holiday in December...

Mount Cook across Lake Pukaki

New Zealand was fabulous, it far exceeded our expectations, warm and sunny everyday but two – even in Doubtful Sound where it was unusually hot, sunny and clear.

Your accommodation choices were spot on, they were all so different, it was very difficult to pick a favourite! The itinerary and particularly the directions you gave were excellent, they took the pressure off even long driving days and we were able to find all of the hotels pretty easily. Occasionally we went ‘off piste’ but swiftly returned to the main highways.

Unfortunately the weather prevented the Mount Cook flight taking off however we did manage the glacier flight which we were really pleased about – landing on and taking off from the glacier was so surreal!

As a finale, Akaroa was a fantastic choice for a wind down at the end of the trip.
Thank you again for the superb itinerary and organisation.

Kind regards

Judy & Peter Farren

Special meals in Auckland

2009-11-12T22:11:00.004Z

As we slide inexorably in to yet another festive season, I thought it might be diverting to record each big lunch enjoyed, if not for the quality of food and wine consumed, at least for the entertainment value provided by inevitable over-indulgence.

First up, Kermadec Restaurant in the Viaduct Basin, on a lovely Spring day. And fortunately an experience which promised much both in terms of the venue, food, winelist (which I had thoroughly researched in advance) and the quality of the company; my colleagues Carol and Debbie.

The occasion: to thank them both for their fantastic contributions to ID Tours before each departs; Carol to motherhood (note to self; renew contraceptives in office water supply) and Debbie to love in Australia (but fear not readers: not with an actual Aussie). Fortunately, both still plan to stay with us, Carol is being granted 3 days maternity leave and Debbie will represent both ID Tours and our new Australian operation.

This was my third visit to Kermadec this year and the new standards established by Peter Thornley and his team have been maintained.

Time and space don't allow me to list all the courses consumed, save to say there were no lowlights and surprisingly, for a seafood specialist restaurant, the star main course was the slow cooked perendale lamb shoulder with lamb cutlet with fresh goats cheese sandwich and fennel puree. I know everyone is getting bored with sous vide cooking but the lamb shoulder was peerless. It frustrates me that it is impossible for the normal punter to source the quality of meat restaurants like Kermadec do.

As for the wine: Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2007, rich and mouthfilling without being over-oaked, Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir 2007, just a knockout from a brilliant Central Otago vintage and de Bortoli Noble One 2006, as good as it always is.

After a repast of some 5 hours we retired to the nearby Bubble Bar for palate cleansing Mumms. I don't normally break the "stays on tour rule", but someone may have done an unplanned back flip off the couch they were perched on, and no, it wasn't me.

Happy clients - Ian & June Kilshaw

2009-09-09T12:58:00.008+01:00

Another really satisfying testimonial here. Many thanks Ian and June!

It all started with a challenge to Paul!

We had decided that to mark our Golden Wedding Anniversary, we would go to New Zealand for a five-week trip to see what the country could offer. The challenge was to allow the following parameters:

1. To see the magnificent scenery that New Zealand had to offer
2. To be able to experience the Pacific Rim of Fire and to
3. Give full opportunity to see wildlife and nature at its best.

Paul met the challenge admirably.

The trip was organised so that we were able to see the differences between the North Island and the South Island, to visit White Island, the active volcanic island and to be able to see what birds and mammals exist in New Zealand. From Whale Watch in Kaikoura, where we saw Sperm Whales and Dusky Dolphins to a visit to Stewart Island and Ulva Island where we saw so many rare and beautiful birds and to Papatowai where we saw Yellow Eyed Penguins among many other wonderful sights in nature. The trips to Milford Sound and the 24-hour cruise on Doubtful Sound were a real highlight.

The trip allowed sufficient spare time for us to be able to do what we chose on a number of days and we were able to see Hector’s Dolphins on a cruise from Akaroa.

A photo is included which was taken on the White Island trip.

Best wishes

June & Ian

Happy clients - Sean Rice

2009-09-04T21:57:00.010+01:00

Here is a note from Sean Rice who has recently returned from his New Zealand holiday. Receiving messages like this are why I just love working in travel and I was touched by the comment about larger tour companies. I couldn't have put it better myself!

Hi Paul

Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed my holiday. I orignally regarded it as the holiday of a lifetime but feel sure now that I will repeat it.

The arrangements you made were superb and everything fell into place without a hitch. I would like to thank NZID for a truly outstanding service which I feel far exceeded anything a large tour company could provide.

I enjoyed every part of the trip but would specially note Wilderness Lodge as a magical experience. All the hotels were excellent and the B&B's exceeded my best expectations. May I make special note of Wanaka where Jo was also particularly kind and hospitable. Of course all the other venues were excellent as well particularly Te Anau and Akaroa.

My grateful thanks to everyone.

Best wishes

Sean

PS If I return I would certainly stay at Wilderness Lodge again. I imagine there is still much yet to see!

Many thanks for your kind words Sean and for some fantastic photos.

A piece in defence of things Australian....

2009-08-31T00:41:00.006+01:00

No, not a title for a blog I thought I'd ever write. However, having just been in Australia immediately after the Baggy Greens had lost the Ashes and the Wobblies lost at home to the All Blacks, I was in a more charitable mood than usual. Well, what gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair was witnessed - it was wonderful.

However, nothwithstanding the current tarnish on the Aussie's international sporting efforts, what good realm of their endeavour shall we find to comment on?

The food and wine if you could not guess! I'll cut directly to the highlight of several exceptional meals - that a colleague and I enjoyed at Sepia, a new restaurant in the Darling Park complex in Sydney. I had read about it in Gourmet Traveller (in my humble view the best wine and food magazine in the world) and was caught by the fact that the chef, Martin Benn, used to head the kitchen at Tetsuya's.

I began with the Tuna Tartare with avocado cream, soy and wasabi Jelly and was reduced to licking the inside of the beautiful glass bowl it was served in. I had only been able to decide on this entree at the direction of our fine waiter, simply because of my complete inability to choose from the list of 8 choices. Then to the main; so often in fantastic new restaurants, for whatever reason, the mains don't live up to the strength of the entrees. Not here, I can assure you. Once again, a difficult choice but I opted for the Butter-poached West Australian Marrons. I was presented with 4 plump sweet tails, with the meat of the claws sauteed with enokitake mushrooms. Divine. The only slight blemish on the evening was that my colleague had chosen her main even better than I did: Roast Loin of Gippsland Lamb, Crisp Lamb Belly, Braised Daikon, Jerusalem Artichoke and mushroom infusion. I confess I have never eaten sweeter, more tender or better cooked lamb anywhere (and this from a Kiwi!). The mushroom infusion came in a separate glass beaker and was poured over the lamb at the table. It was exquiste. How do I know, because I ate half my colleague's meal of course.

Got lost in the impressive wine list, was hugely impressed to find a good selection by the half bottle (wish all restaurants did this) and we were over the moon with our '06 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay and the '04 Faively Gevrey Chambertin.

We skipped the deserts - a travesty - but will venture there next time, soon!!!!

Nice day for a heli flight

2009-08-19T00:05:00.005+01:00

En route by Helicopter from Paradise, after the Dart River Jet experience, to Walter Peak. Need I say more....

More from the North American Incentive Buyers Famil.....

2009-08-18T23:15:00.010+01:00

As promised, fellow gastronomes, more culinary highlights from this July trip when we hosted 10 incentive buyers from the US and Canada....

Day three had us arrive into Queenstown, where cloud and snow (it is winter after all!) saw us postpone our Milford flight and head for the Kawarau Bungy Centre. Of course your fearless correspondent stepped up to the plate to "take one for the team" and blaze a trail for the Bungy virgins...

An impressive 50% of our guests took up the challenge and even more impressively there was a 0% "baulk" rate.

Of course near death experiences tend to stimulate atavistic urges but lacking the appropriate facilities we had to settle for eating rather than sating other pressing urges...

Henry Van Asch, in addition to running the Bungy operation, also owns and operates the Winehouse & Kitchen, a lovely restored farmhouse adjacent to and overlooking the bungy bridge. Henry, as is his wont, has established a very talented team around him, and gave us a very memorable experience.

There is a very tempting a la carte menu, but take my advice, choose the platters. Themed for wine varieties there are three to choose from - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We of course chose all three. All were fabulous but I have to say, given the wintry day, the Pinot Platter with its Confit Lamb Shoulder on paparadelle, Seared Lamb Shank Terrine and Sweet Briar Merino Lamb Pie (with swede and mint jelly) was the standout. Washed down with some wonderful Van Asch pinot, our North American friends were left well-satisfied.

NZ Sporting News (in advance)

2009-08-18T22:32:00.003+01:00

Sydney, Saturday 22 August - Bledisloe Cup

McAlister to wave Giteau through inside the first five minutes…

McAlister to throw an intercept to Barnes around the 20 minute mark….

McAlister to suffer a recurrence of his back spasms and leave the field after 25 minutes. Donald comes on at first five, Carter to 2nd and Donald promptly kicks out on the full. Wallabies drive the lineout ball for their third try.

AB’s stage second half revival but only convert one (by Carter) of their many breaks. Carter kicks 6 penalties and no conversions from 10 attempts.

Final Score: Wobblies 25 Carter 23.

Crossing now to Sri Lanka, where the home team declares at 600 – 6. Unbelievably NZ batsmen fail to pick the doosra out of the hand and are forced to follow on. Black Caps lose by an innings and 320 runs.

Hawke's Bay is very tasty indeed - Saturday teatime

2009-08-02T11:55:00.005+01:00

I am writing this from my mum's house in Spain looking forward to a Sunday lunch of pulpo a la gallega (boiled octopus garnished with paprika, olive oil and salt) followed by a great big paella. All this thought of food inspired me to finish off the second chapter in my Hawke's Bay wine and food odyssey.

We left Clearview with a half bottle of the noble Chardonnay each and I also grabbed a dessert wine called Sea Red which is a fortified blend of Merlot and Malbec. This is a great wine to finish a meal and is initially sweet but then has a lovely dry finish. The excellent winery restaurant (Jeremy has eaten there of course) looked and smelled very inviting but I couldn't really justify a snack just an hour after lunch. Anyway, we were late for our accommodation for the night.

There was no rush to get to my bed but a pressing concern was that the cellar door at Craggy Range closed at 5. We made it by ten to and were still treated to a full tour of this beautifully designed and situated winery followed by a tasting of some sensational wines. Amongst them was a really surprising Sauvignon Blanc. Neither Jeremy nor I get the Sav thing - it is just dry, dry acid with no fruit and does weird and unpleasant things to the back of my tongue. This one was different though being more aromatic and fruity but I'd still go for Chardonnay most of the time.

Our berth for the night was a really well appointed cottage set amongst the vines and looking up at Te Mata Peak. They have the smaller Vineyard Cottage with one bedroom and we were in the Cellar Master's Cottage with two ensuite bedrooms and an open plan living area. I eventually got the wood burner going which was a painful struggle (although this cannot be seen as any reflection on my masculinity as the wood was damp, honestly) and we waited for the highlight of the day.

Terroir is Craggy Range's restaurant and is rustic in style and has a nice relaxed atmosphere. We looked at the menu with another cleansing ale and the starter was obvious - crispy pig’s cheek, quince, black pudding Charlotte & sage. The main was a challenge and I was tempted by the sous vide lamb but in the end had to go with the more rustic confit stuffed rabbit leg with pancetta, pearl barley risotto, sautéed liver & chestnuts. We went to our table with a glass of superb “Les Beaux Cailloux” Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay and ordered a bottle Craggy Range's world class Syrah "Le Sol".

The pig's cheek was delicious and was followed by an amuse-bouche of a seared scallop on a puree of red pepper. My main was brilliant and although Jeremy enjoyed his trio plate of guinea fowl, duck confit ravioli and braised lamb shoulder, he had at least two good mouthfuls of my rabbit leg and kicked himself that he didn't have a full plate.

That was it for me. Too much food and alcohol and too little sleep in the last 48 hours meant that I was just about ready to crash and burn.

Rumble in the jungle

2009-07-28T22:40:00.003+01:00

Strictly speaking, I am sort of a qualified geologist, not that it has done me much good. It has never got me any upgrades on flights, free meals or entry into a gentlemen's club. That said, it did allow me to spend too many years studying two of my favourite things - volcanoes and earthquakes.

New Zealand is a great spot for both and the volcano chapter will follow later. The big story at the moment though is earthquakes. Look at the earthquake scene on the right which is how the coast off Fiordland on the South Island looks at the moment. A few little shivers in the last week and certainly nothing exciting.

However, if we go back 10 days then the picture is very different. The big yellow square in the background is a huge earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 7.8 that struck at 9:22 pm NZ time on 15 July. Around it is a swarm of aftershocks and some of these were pretty big with a number measuring upwards of 5.5 and one coming in at 6.1.

A tsunami warning was issued immediately. There were fears for the south and west coast of the South Island of course but there was real concern for the coastlines of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales in Australia considering the greater population density there. Lord Howe Island out in the Tasman Sea was at the highest level of alert but fortunately the wave that was generated was less than 20 cm high.

Some of our friends down on the south coast of the South Island felt the quake and I have to admit to being a little bit envious as I have felt the odd tremor here in the UK but have always wanted to experience a big rumble (as well as a hurricane and a tornado but that's a different story).

Mary Sutherland of Catlins Wildlife Trackers in Papatowai said "It was a big quake and went on for some time. It was enough for me to get under the door frame. No problems though, and even the jars of preserves stayed put on the shelf (I do have an earthquake measure in place though, I have curtain wire stretched across to keep the jars on the shelf and it worked!)."

Jenny Twaddle of Bay Motel right down south on Stewart Island reported that "We did feel the big quake and didn't know whether to be excited or frightened when a few ornaments fell off the shelves. The cat flew out the window, the dog and I stood in a doorway and my husband stayed in bed."

Scary stuff but exciting all the same. Like being an England or New Zealand cricket fan!

Thanks to the USGS for the earthquake maps and their website is a must have in your bookmarks. For New Zealand based tectonic fun and games then keep your eyes on Geonet.

Culinary and vinous delights...

2009-07-26T23:55:00.005+01:00

Just spent 5 eventful days with a group of North American Incentive buyers. Delighted to find a higher than normal proportion of foodies (and winos) in their ranks and we had several memorable meals together in both Auckland and Queenstown. Dine at the Sky Grand in Auckland was an absolute standout. I thought of Von (and indeed all vegetarians) as I hoovered down my entree of twice-cooked crispy Pork Belly with Grilled Ox Tongue. How could one deny oneself such a treat? The contrast in textures between the pork and ox tongue was a highlight as much as the fantastic flavours. Unusually for me I had the beef as a main - 300-day grain-fed Angus fillet on a roast Artichoke puree with roast portabello mushrooms. The beef, which came exactly as ordered (horns cut off and bum wiped), was simply the best piece of fillet I have ever tasted (I'm normally a rib-eye fan by preference). Dinner had been preceded by a tutored wine-tasting. There were no ordinary wines in the line-up but the truly stellar were the '04 Vinoptima Gewurtztraminer Reserve, the '02 Stoneyridge Larose and the very rare '05 Providence Syrah. I've been priveleged to drink a reasonable amount of first growth Bordeaux in my time and the best the Rhone has to offer and these wines are right up there (at a fraction of the Froggies' cost). More on my palates adventure to come....

Now this is not in the spirit of the game Ricky

2009-07-16T13:55:00.003+01:00

Just after lunch and England are 136 without loss? That isn't anywhere in the rule book is it Richard? This matter should be investigated by the ICC as a matter of urgency.

Of course all Strauss and Cook are doing is setting up the innings so that the inevitable collapse to 197 all out will be as dramatic and harrowing as possible.

Have you heard yourself Ricky?

2009-07-15T23:28:00.003+01:00

JP, I trust that all our Kiwi brothers and sisters will be monitoring the cricket over the next few days to support us in our righteous crusade against Australian tyranny?

Abysmal English performance in Cardiff but at least there is some pleasure to be had in getting up Ponting's nose. Playing within the laws and spirit of the game? Richard (I know his real name is in fact Ricky but that's another story), Richard, Richard. May I suggest you go to YouTube and type "underarm incident"? Please feel free to leave a comment to tell me what you found there.

I know insufferable is a word you like Jeremy and there are a few words I could tag on to that but this is a family show so I'll keep it clean.

Hawke's Bay is very tasty indeed - Saturday lunchtime

2009-07-06T00:40:00.023+01:00

Well this is my first blog entry so of course it is completely appropriate to start with my most recent trip to New Zealand last month.

I was down there for a big annual tourism conference in Auckland and always like to see or do something new so Jeremy came up with a great idea to help me get over the jetlag. After 40 hours without sleep and 32 hours of travelling from my start point of Manchester Airport, he decided that the only possible solution was to take me on an intensive course in eating and drinking in Hawke's Bay.

I was allowed a shower, change and coffee at Auckland Airport and we then flew over to Napier to collect a hire car. As I was not feeling tip-top and as the car was a slightly embarrassing blue boy racer mobile with a spoiler, I let JP drive and we went straight to Elephant Hill winery for lunch.

Things were looking up after a couple of cleansing ales followed by the lamb fry (lamb's liver with a trio of onions) and some Pinot Noir. Jeremy had chicken livers so I had some of this too before we headed off down the road to Clearview Estate for a wine tasting. Well we went down the road some time later after first going a couple of miles up the road in the wrong direction courtesy of Jeremy's notoriously bad sense of direction.

Clearview introduced me to an unbelievably good Noble Harvest Chardonnay. There was no way I was paying £25 for a half bottle of wine but after tasting it I caved in immediately and broke out the credit card. The challenge now is to resist the temptation to open it during the next 5 years as the winemaker Tim Turvey was on hand to promise that it just gets better and better. Of course I hope it gets better and better. If I open it in 5 years and it tastes average or just plain rubbish then I will have to accept that my judgement was disastrously impaired by a lack of sleep combined with the euphoria of lunchtime drinking!