Author: Sam

Stonyridge Vineyard Waiheke Island

Stonyridge Vineyard and restaurant

Perched about 20 minutes via car from the ferry at Waiheke is Stonyridge Vineyard. It is a magnificent looking vineyard and in summer boasts a vine wrapping all around the main building. It reminds me of a vineyard I once visited in Corsica.

I have been here before so going back was for the wine and ambiance.

What we discovered is that most vineyards on Waiheke charge (what I would call, a small fortune) to do a taste sampling. Some charge $10 for 3, others $15 for 3 premium. Guard your wallet because whilst they are guarding their cellar door so you don’t drink down their vats for free, you will be paying quite a lot more for the privilege of drinking a Waiheke grown wine.

On this day we are very fortunate to have Nathan as our bar tasting man. Entertaining and a whizz at wines we learn a lot about the local wines as well as New Zealand wines.

The wines here, like everywhere else on Waiheke, are expensive.  But you have to expect it… don’t be surprised. 

After sampling some wines we settle on a nice crisp Riesling and venture into the restaurant for lunch. In summer the outdoor area pumps. It’s referred to as the yoga deck which is kinda suitable as it has views spanning over the vineyard and to be honest I don’t know if they do yoga there or not, but it would be a perfect venue. 

The restaurant is fine. Vineyard style, with a good menu but rich prices. We chose to share two entrees and a main. 

Our entrees prawns and fish cerviche are good and our main is rib eye fillet, with mashed and jus.

We love our food so don’t want to put it down but it feel short somehow. As I type I feel bad writing. It was OK – to great but just not spectacular. 

Obviously it is better than cafe food and a pub meal but when you pay $44 for steak I think one should expect 6 star.

I would give the experience this time 3.5/5. The food 4/10, the wine tasting with Nathan 5/5 but the service unfortunately only 3/5. 

Mudbrick Winery, Waiheke

Mudbrick winery Waiheke

Situated on Waiheke Island – a 45 minute ferry ride from Auckland – is Mudbrick Wineries, just past Jurrasic Ridge.

It is one of the closest to the ferry terminal and this makes for a great day-time lunch venue. They even have transport (ferry) and two course meal specials in summer. Find out more here. 

It’s a short cab ride from the ferry, approximately 10 minutes. Or you can walk from the ferry through the beautiful countryside and this will take you approximately 30 minutes. 

We wander in and have a $10 taster which is good. The lady knows here wines and happy to chat.

After our tasting we slide into the restaurant area and have a nice glass of wine by the fire side. It is too early for lunch so this serves as a pause stop.

The food is meant to be remarkable. 

The service is good. And the location delightful.

My two favourite things are the edible garden on the way in, and the couches by the log fire side. Let’s face it who can pass up a great wine by the fire side? 

I did find it quite pricey if I am honest but the whole of the island is pretty expensive. Go for the experience not as a budget holiday.

Ponsoby, Food Central Auckland

Coming back from the airport and eager to eat we stop into the very popular and funky suburb of Auckland called Ponsoby. 

Right on the fringe of the CBD this food and inner city precinct has a great vibe. 

There are many restaurants, cafes and designer shops to explore. It is late at night and city traffic is hectic so we go straight to the Collective. Here you will find many styles and types of eateries. 

We go straight to an Argentinian Restaurant at the back called El Sizzling Chorizo. 

It’s a flame grilled BBQ – what Argentineans are famous for.

We order the mix grilled and it is amazing. Three styles of meat, lamb, pork, beef all BBQ to perfection. It is served with a fresh yummy side salad and a delicious Malbec red.

I highly recommend this one. 

Waiheke Island – Friday Nights

Discovery is the key to great adventures and unveiling the best restaurant, vineyard or bay on the island!  

It’s a Friday night in Waiheke and after a fabulous happy hour at the chirpy and happy Arcadia in Palm Beach we were looking for a fun vibe and great food. 

Arcadia is a cool little establishment in Palm Beach that offers breakfast, lunch, happy hour and nibbles and dinner. 

Rebecca and Daniel took over from the last owners a year ago and gave the old fish and chip take away place a face lift. The food is good, the location amazing and the staff very friendly.

On this afternoon it is raining outside and we’re after a chill and some tunes.

Happy hour is 3-6pm and we venture in to check things out.

The champagne is awesome and so much cheaper than anywhere else on Waiheke that you feel like it is home. 

With no rush to leave we play Jenga and Uno while people stream in and stream out. The owners are awesome and happy to chat and shoot the breeze. I would highly recommend even if you are not staying in Palm Beach just to get away from the mainstream of Waiheke.

After this we pop home and taxi to Oneroa. A previous favourite of mine, Aperitivo bar is wonderful on a Friday and Saturday nights. 

Cosy and warm, you’ll find a guy playing some great tunes and a real buzz. The wines are sensational and on this night we are served by Chris who is very friendly and explains the wine list and nibbles. We settle on a pre-dinner of citrus olives and the Obesidan red. It was a winery that we didn’t make during the day but one we wanted to go to.

After our yummy pre-dinners we head in search of dinner. 

There are many choices in town but it’s getting on for 9pm and many of the trendy places like Thai and Oyster Bar have a low key vibe. 

We venture down off the road and discover The Courtyard. 

What a find.

Great red wines (we chose an Argentinian wine) and great vibe. People are chatting and the staff are European world-class. 

Matt from Belgium, our waiter helps us decide as the menu is tantalising and exciting.

We choose Canadain scallops and cauliflower mash, and with a side of potato gratin.

OMG – the food is amazing. The price is perfect and the food dazzling. 

I’m giving this restaurant 4.9/5 for food, service and location. The only reason, the only reason it drops a 0.1 is because the views are not over the ocean. But truly you don’t need to look outward, if the company is good, then they will take care of the rest. 

Five things to do in Rotorua on a budget

Rotorua is an absolute must if you are visiting the north island of New Zealand. It’s a 3 hour drive from Auckland and offers many natural things to see, as well as adventures to part-take in.

You can spend a stack of money and try to do it all, or you can be selective and do many things for free.

This is what we got up to but is in no means exhaustive.

  1. Visit the mud pools

On the way to Wai-O-Tea the thermogeographic springs are two sites that are free and definitely worth visiting. You can go into the tourist park for $32 per adult and walk around and see the colourful springs and geothermal marvels.

On the way to the tourist centre is a geyser (where Mother Nature lets of some steam in a long vertical “spit”). Called Lady Knox Geyser, this one sprays at 10.15am every day. But only once a day.

Another marvel is the mud pools on the way in. It’s barely a detour and worth getting out and witnessing mother earth as she let’s off some steam. The clay mud is used in beauty treatments and facial masks/moisturisers and of course for anti-ageing. You can purchase most of these at all the tourist shops but don’t be surprised to fork out a lot of dough in exchange for a dollop of mud!

  • Visit the Polynesian Spa

We arrive into town late from Auckland and are very happy to discover that the Polynesian Spa is open until 11pm.

With multiple hot tubs (more like pools) littered throughout the grounds and idealytically located on the rim of Lake Rotorua, it is the perfect place to relax and unwind.

The hot springs are straight from the earth subterran and are steaming hot and very smelly.

Bob around the various pools to find your temperature and don’t be spa rookies like us and find the “hottest” corner and nearly pass out from over heating.

You can take your own supplies in, so make the most of it.

There is another spa near Wai O Tea which is cheaper and apparently nicer according to a local, but I really like being able to sit on the rim of the lake.

  • Visit the Redwood Forest

A little out of town is the majestic Redwood Forest.

There’s a bit to do here and a great place to defrag from life.

You can catch a shuttle to the top and ride a mountain bike through one of it’s many trails, or you can walk along the forest floor without paying an admission fee.

If you would like to experience the trees at a higher height, you can purchase a pass along the sky walk, or after hours you can walk through the forest top to an illuminated light show. It is actually very pretty and worth the visit.

  • Visit the thermal springs in town

If you are after something a little closer to town, or don’t have wheels, check out the Kuirau Park right in town. It is a large park with many geo active ponds and steaming creeks to give you an idea of the uniqueness of the area.

On Saturday mornings there is a modest food market and is nice to stroll around.

  • Visit Kerosene Creek

Out side of town is Kerosene Creek. It is definitely worth the effort and will take about 20 minutes to get there from the centre of town.

A slippery path weaves along side the warm creek and offers many places for you to enter and bath in the warm waters of the creek. It is only  warm and can get quite busy but we venture all the way to the end of the trail and discover an absolute treat. A private part of the creek where there are no people and the creek bed is steamy hot. Relaxing in the waters in the middle of nature is truly amazing.

Unfortunately the down side is the human foot print – beware of broken glass and bottles that people have left behind and thieves working the car park!

There really are many things to do and the skyline is also a must. On the sky line hill there are activities such as mountain biking, luge,

A minimum 2 night stay if you are going to Rotorua.

Alpha Street Kitchen and Bar

Hading down to Rotorua can be a slightly long drive. The looping gentle knolls are truly stunning and there are a few river crossings and lovely sites but I would recommend a stopover in Cambridge.

A little town south of Hamilton with a BIG pride and the home of an absolute find of a restaurant, Alpha 1.

We swung into town not expecting much but eager to find a place for lunch.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a statute older style looking pub. Pub grub crossed my mind and certainly would have filled the bill.

We decided to venture into town a little more. A very clean and colourful town.

A vineyard nearby and of course Alpha 1.

Somehow the parking angels parked us directly infront of this gem.

Walking in we are greeted by the French Maitre D.

A warm fire size welcomes us and a very understated menu. Not overly inspired by the menu. The Maitre d’ fills us on in the oyster special. Well you could have blown us over with a feather.

The oyster dish was a signature dish to celebrate Mauri Week.

We asked him to run over some of the other dishes and by the end of two we are salivating.

We order the oysters, the pulled pork belly and fish and chips.

The parred wines are also winners – esp the Malabec.

The menu is here.

VR Rotorua Lake Resort

Accommodation in Rotorua is tricky.

At one end you have dorm style back packer and at the higher end you have some boutique resorts.

Finding something in between is a challenge and weekends are particularly challenging (and a bit pricey). If you have the option plan ahead or do what we did and stay a little bit out of town.

The VR Rotorua Lake Resort is a family friendly hotel about 15 minutes outside of Rotorua on it’s own lake. Lake

The friendly staff are really helpful and the facilities whilst a little older are just fine!

Our room has quite a romantic feel with a spa tub that opens onto the main room. The main room opens on the grassed area infront of the lake giving us direct access to the jetty and vast lawns. It is a really tranquil and beautiful spot.

We arrive late so head straight for a hot tub and sauna. Both are delightful. The pool is a 28 degrees.

In the morning we get to use the kayaks free of charge and have a quick paddle on the lake. The lake is actually a series of locked lakes that cover a wide part of the country side.

We don’t eat at the resort but the restaurant serves until late and breakfast can be purchased additional to the room. There are tennis courts for those keen for a hit. All in all, we decide we will be back and might even bring the kids.

The Pig and Whistle Rotorua

Rotorua can get cold and when it is you will want a big hearty feed and a fire side. The Pig and Whistle offers both and a very friendly vibe. We arrive for the tail end of lunch and it is packed. The meals look incredible as we enter and the staff greet us and let us know upfront how long the wait for meals will be.

Over to the fireside and a leisurely beer and New Zealand wine.

It is really relaxing watching the flames and people enjoy themselves then our lunches arrive.

I order the brisket and it is delicious, cooked to perfection and a meal I will have flashbacks to for years. The way brisket should be cooked.

brisket

My partner has the pork schnitzel, also a very generous serving and equally as yummy. I definitely would recommend stopping by for a meal and drink. Apparently they have a dance floor on the weekends

Pork Schnitzel

Volcano Winery Rotorua

It’s a dramatically cooling off day in Rotorua and a must-do is the skyline hill. There are a swag of activities to part take in, including wine tasting.

We head out to the Skyline and purchase the gondola ride (which is actually really worth it and reminds me of Switzerland) and 3 luge passes. The costings and options are here.

The wines are NZ wines and if you are not planning on going to a specific wine region this is the next best thing.

It’s actually quite an OK deal if you are traveling with children.

So off the gondola to the top. The ride takes you over the international Mons Extreme sports track which is stunning. We spot a herd of deers happily munching on the slops and as the climb continues draw breath at the quite spectacular views.

Once at the top, the clouds open up! Like teaming rain.

We decide to take shelter in Volcanic Hills Winery.

So we figure a wine is a good pause, especially as we are about to challenge ourselves to luge.

The staff at the winery are extremely friendly and feel like old friends. Even Georgia who assures us she is an introvert.

Delightfully indulged with wines (very approachable wines I might add), chit chasing with Johnny about his life and him inquiring about our, we whittle away a lazy few hours taking in the views of Rotorua.

It’s a wonderful incidental side trip.

OH – we decide not to luge as it was really cold and raining and very nicely they staff extended our expiring on the luge so we can revisit in a few weeks and use the passes then.

Highly recommend.

Pooleys Vineyard Tasmania

For years I have been traveling to Richmond just outside of Hobart and have passed by the Pooleys Wine Sign. I was pleasantly surprised to find a world class facility offering world class wines when I ventured in the other day.

The vineyard has been around for years and the grapes are sourced from 2 of their vineyards.

On the wall by the tasting bar is a cool cross section of the terraine of the different properties which are vastly different even though they are only 20 minutes away.

The wines themselves are great – pricey but worth it.

I particularly like the subtle flavours of the reisling and chardonnay.

Tastings are $5 pp but if you purchase a wine this is waivered. I highly recommend popping in on the way into or out of Richmond and if you go on the weekends they can be very busy with their woodfire cafe outside.