Friday, 16 July 2010
The New Zealand Diary of Mr & Mrs Rosendale
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!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Martin & Bernie
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
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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!
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Not beating the ash cloud
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
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
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
A bit of All White!!
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!
Monday, 14 June 2010
Beating the ash cloud
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
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
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
Thursday, 29 April 2010
More food porn
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.
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
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!
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