When we set out to reflect on our time in New Zealand, it gave us better context to our visit and allowed us to summarize the favorite aspects as a resource to others. This included the best hikes we did, favorite hot springs, and top wine regions. While we have continued to grow our wine knowledge in places like Argentina and Australia, we were very impressed with the New Zealand wineries. In particular their Pinot Noir in the Central Otago region and Sauvignon Blanc in the Marlborough region stood out. While the majority of the wine produced in New Zealand is exported due to their world class reputation, there are plenty of opportunities to sample at the wineries themselves. The sommeliers are highly knowledgeable but present everything in an approachable way that makes it an enjoyable experience for all levels of wine drinkers. While these two regions are on the South Island, there are plenty of popular regions on the North Island as well. Hawke’s Bay is a favorite of Kiwis looking for a wine weekend getaway, and Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf is easily accessible from Auckland for a fun day trip.
Besides the great wineries we had the opportunity to enjoy the culinary scene all throughout the country. New Zealand’s food is interesting because it has historical influences from the British as well as the Māori Polynesian cultures. Some of the dishes, like fish and chips or meat pies, were already familiar to us with from other countries. That didn’t stop us from enjoying them in New Zealand, especially when the pies were filled with New Zealand specialties such as lamb or Hāngī. What is Hāngī exactly? Well it is a traditional earth style cooking that is popular in Polynesian culture. In New Zealand, this dish includes chicken, pork, lamb, pumpkin, potatoes, and kumara (sweet potato). We participated in a Māori Hāngī dinner in Rotorua, which was a special opportunity for us to learn more about the local culture. One of the favorite new foods we tried in New Zealand was creamed pāua (mollusks) with fry bread, another Māori delicacy.
For most of our time in New Zealand, the weather was great for outdoor activities, and we soon realized clean water for swimming was very accessible all around the country. In almost every national park, we were encouraged by Kiwis to hop in the water after a hike to cool down. Even in cities like Wellington or Auckland, there were always people swimming in the harbors or practicing their Manu bombs to see who could get the biggest splash. One of our favorite experiences was swimming in Milford Sound after hiking a portion of the Milford Track. While a chilly temperature, it was a unique vantage point to take in the surrounding peaks of the fiord. In addition to the free swimming, many places around New Zealand had hot spring facilities which were great for our aching bodies after all of the hiking. Our favorite was the Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa outside of Taupo, famous for the silica terraces that provide the healing minerals to the geothermal water. As we prepared to leave New Zealand, we felt energized for our next adventure in a new region of the world ahead.
