We picked up this "Works Burger" at the only place to eat (literally) in a sleepy fishing village called Ngawi at the southern tip of the North Island near Cape Palliser. It contains, from bottom to top: bacon, tuna steak, ham, burger, chicken patty, onion ring, fried egg, and trimmings. It cost NZ$12 (about 7 bucks). Big N ate the entire thing, without dropping a single topping. Talented. He tells me it was delicious, but my hands were too small to hold the thing together so I had to take his word for it.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
New Zealand Footnote: Tallest. Burger. Ever.
New Zealand Part 3: Our Best Day
Fisherman everywhere flock to NZ's lakes and streams searching for the biggest trout in the world. It's the fly fisherman's Mecca because the fish are huge but challenging to catch. The waters are so clear they can see you coming from a mile away. Big N and I had been practicing for weeks on our fly casting. We were ready.
Most of the trip we spent wine tasting, bike riding, hunting for restaurants, visiting quaint sleepy towns, enjoying the expansive vistas, hiking in the bush on "tracks" as the kiwis like to call them, and just enjoying the gorgeous scenery. But our best day by far was the day we chartered a helicopter (a Eurocopter/Aerospatiale AS350 or a "squirrel", which I know well as Eurocopter was a former client) for some heli-fishing.
We hooked up with our guide, Simon, a kiwi with intimate knowledge of the local streams and the local trout. He picked us up from our B&B and whisked us off to the heliport to meet our pilot, Carrey. There the adventure began. We put on our waders, then took the helicopter to our first stream.
Simon would spot the fish ("got a fish, got a fish, got a fish"), then Big N would carefully stalk the fish upstream and cast to it at Simon's direction. Keeping his line tight and even, the fish would do one of three things: nothing (not hungry), bite, or spook and swim upstream. Throughout the day we had a few bites, but the crafty fish would wiggle off Big N's hook. So the helicopter would pick us up and we'd press on, looking for the next stream and the next big trout, often spotting our prey from the air.
During our trip we saw some of the most beautiful terrain on this earth, including hanging glaciers and turquoise tarns (or small lakes made from glacial waters). We ate lunch at a tarn only accessible by helicopter and dined on delicious sandwiches, homemade breads and chocolates, and of course, sauvignon blanc, supplied by Simon and his wife, and then made a final stop at a breathtaking glacial waterfall.
It was a gorgeous day. And, while I didn't catch my giant trout, Big N caught a majestic 4 1/2 pound beauty on the fly on the Greenstone River. The fish put up a nice fight, and was rewarded for his efforts when we let him go. I've never seen Big N happier. He was downright giddy. Thanks to Simon and Carrey, it was a day we will never forget.
Tight lines my friends, tight lines.
(Check out the quick video, below).
New Zealand Part 2: Foodie and Wino Heaven
So what about the food and wine you ask? During our trip we visited 4 major wine regions (Auckland/Waiheke for Bordeaux varietals, Martinborough for Pinot and Sauv Blanc, Marlborough for Sauv Blanc and some Pinot, and Central Otago for mostly Pinot) and tasted until our teeth were purple. We dined on freshly picked produce from local farms, freshly caught fish from nearby seas, and freshly slaughtered lamb from neighboring ranches (they're cute but too delicious to pass up, I make no bones about being a carnivore). We splurged and ordered the decadent tasting menus with regionalized wine pairings at nearly every restaurant in which we dined. And best of all, we did this all at $.53 to the dollar thanks to the delightful exchange rate these days. What could be better?!?
I must admit I had low foodie expectations thanks to Big N's stories about the awful food he ate a decade ago on a trip to Australia. Thankfully, we were dead wrong. New Zealand food is awesome, wine too, which is good because NZ wine is all you're getting there so you best enjoy it. We found wonderful and unique restaurants in every city we visited. Here were a few highlights:
Lamb three ways (below left) and pork belly with blood sausage and grilled peaches (below right) at Mudbrick Restaurant on Waiheke Island
The favorite wine pairing menu was at the Tirohana Vineyard restaurant in Martinborough.
As for wineries we visited, the favorite cellar doors were:
Ata Rangi in Martinborough, for having the best overall portfolio, especially Pinot and even a fantastic Chardonnay, plus very friendly service (below, right)
and Te Whare Ra in Marlborough for being a daring husband and wife team and staying true to their ideals on just 25 acres, plus the awesome wine, of course, especially the aromatics
And the favorite bottles:
Tirohana Pinot, Martinborough, 2006
Ata Rangi Chardonnay, Martinborough, 2006
Te Whare Ra Gewurstztraminer, Marlborough, 2008
Huia Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 2008
Chard Farm Sauvignon Blanc, Central Otago, 2007
Friday, March 27, 2009
New Zealand Part 1: Breathtaking Country
It's difficut to summarize how amazing New Zealand is with just a few photos and a blog post, but I feel compelled to try. From the moment we stepped off the plane we knew there was something special about the land, the people, and the culture that make up New Zealand. Auckland is a bustling but pristine city filled with kiwis anxious to introduce you to newly crowned knights (we met a "Sir") while insisting that you join them for a pint at the pub. Just a short ferry ride away sits Waiheke Island with its up and coming warm weather vines and amazing restaurants and scenery. 
(Mudbrick Restaurant and Vineyard on Waiheke above at left; looking back at Auckland from Waiheke at right; click to enlarge)
Martinborough was our second stop, just inland off the eastern shore of the North Island. A sleepy town with world class pinot vines and wine country restaurants, we stayed in a lovely bungalow at Parehua in between cow pasture and vineyards, and rode our bikes from winery to winery filling our baskets with the best of new world pinots. 
(Riding bikes outside Parehua in Martinborough above left; view from our bungalow above right).
After that we drove (on the left side of the road mind you) to Cape Palliser, at the southern tip of the North Island, getting stuck behind a flock of a hundred of New Zealand's 40 million strong sheep, and spent a quick night in Wellington, the capital. 
We then took a ferry to the South Island where New Zealand really shines. Our first night was spent in the Bay of Many Coves located within the Marlborough Sounds. The Sounds are hundreds of coves, inlets, and peninsulas within the Cook Strait between the South Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. 
The Bay of Many Coves Resort was remote as can be, it only accommodates 34 guests and is accessible only by a 30 minute water taxi ride. Our villa was hidden within the bush but still on the crystal waters that make up the coves. See here for YouTube travel video.
Another short drive (keep left) to Marlborough, which produces Sauvignon Blanc that rivals Bordeaux. Here we stayed at Old Saint Mary's Convent, a lovely Victorian convent turned B&B with its own chapel and vineyard. More wine tasting (see Part 2) and bike riding among the vineyards.
(Convent, below)
Finally it was off to Queenstown in the Central Otago region, which is arguably NZ's most beautiful area, nestled between glaciers, crystal turquoise lakes, streams containing massive 10 pound trout, more vines, and yes, several Lord of the Rings filming locations. Here we stayed at our favorite place, Pencarrow B&B, owned by a Texan husband and wife team who once travelled the world as the personal pilot and flight attendant for Prince Al-Waleed, the Saudi Arabian Warren Buffet. They were warm, gracious, and generous, and we spent most of our days marvelling at the sights and our nights sitting drinking wine and listening to the stories of our hosts.
(View from our room at Pencarrow of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, below left; and hand feeding fallow deer on Lord of the Rings film site [Two Towers, Rohan battle scenes for your nerds out there], below right)
Our trip was nothing short of epic. I wish I wrote down the name of our cabbie in Bermuda from five years ago so I could thank him for planting the seed to travel to this glorious country. New Zealand is the last place on earth that we humans populated and in this case the cliche about saving the best for last is very much true.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
New Zealand Adventure
On our first trip as a couple nearly five years ago, Big N and I visited Bermuda and while there we encountered a very cool local cabbie who had traveled the world and visited over 100 countries. We asked him which trip was his favorite and he responded unequivocally and without hesitation, "New Zealand" (in a cool British/Caribbean type accent). Ever since then Big N and I have planned to go down under to kiwi land and tomorrow we're finally going to where the sun rises (it's in the first time zone after the international date line).
We start our trip in Auckland on the North Island, then head to Martinborough to taste New Zealand's finest pinots, and hit up the capital city of Wellington. After that it's off to the South Island to take in the majestic sights of Marlborough Sounds, ride our bikes through the vineyards of Marlborough where they make primo Sauvignon Blanc, then head south to New Zealand's adventure capital, Queenstown, where a helicopter will drop us off in nature heaven for some fly fishing action. I've been practicing my fly casting on our pool so I'll be prepared to catch the 6 pound trouts, naturally.
All that separates us from this amazing adventure is the longest airplane ride imaginable. Do you still need a prescription for Ambien?
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