In (very wet and windy) Taupo
Over the last couple of days, we’ve covered a fair bit of ground, driving from Martinborough to Napier (4’ish hours) and then on to Taupo (2’ish hours). In Perth, driving this much would probably seem like more of a chore than a joy, but there’s just something about the Kiwi landscape that I love.
Initially I always thought the North Island was a far more “civilised” place than the ruggedness of the South Island (admittedly, this was due to comparisons between busy, bustling Auckland and the slower pace of Christchurch which I always felt was more like Perth whereas Auckland was closer to Sydney) but this trip has proven how wrong I was.
Without going into too much detail as I’ve just finished some writing for work (yes even on holiday us dedicated journos are still on the grind and I’m even going to be interviewing people while I’m in NZ and Melbourne – something for you to think about as you enjoy the summer edition of Scoop), we’ve been eating at some places of note the last couple of days, the highlight being Chambers Restaurant which is part of the County Hotel in Napier.
Normally we research our destinations pretty good and assemble a hit-list of places we want to eat at, but the last couple of weeks have been horribly rushed so it’s been a matter of doing our legwork once we get there. After drawing relative blanks using the current edition of Cuisine we picked up at Melbourne airport and the wonders of Google, a quick stroll around Taupo and Marie’s eagle eye proved that there’s no substitution for pounding the pavement. According to the billboard outside the restaurant, not only did Chambers get the nod of approval from some reliable sources (Conde Naste, Cuisine) but it was also open on a Monday – quite a feat in Napier apparently! The food was bang on, the service as good as any I’ve experienced in NZ or Australia yet still retained that laidback country charm and the wine list pretty good with a heavy focus on Hawke’s Bay wine, particularly when it came to by-the-glass options – good news for out of towners like me.
Today during the two hour drive between Napier and Taupo, stopped by the Rangitaika Tavern for a good old fashioned country pub meal. Steak and egg burger and a handle of Tui FTW. I’m a big fan of pubs and pub dining, especially when you stumble across a watering hole with stacks of character.
If you hadn’t heard, horrible weather is battering the North Island and we were lucky that we got on State Highway 2 before it was closed. Unfortunately, bad weather seems to be moving up from Wellington (where flights were canned and delayed) to Auckland where we have to be by Friday for the APPT Auckland, so here’s hoping our run doesn’t get halted!
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