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Food From the Source: Eating Local in New Zealand



New Zealand is famed for its extraordinary cuisine – think from gate to plate, sea to pan, market stall to salad bowl. Visitors to the country come home raving about what they ate, and not just from meals in upscale restaurants. You don’t have to go out of your way to experience astonishingly fresh and flavourful foods in the land of the long white cloud – even if you are just visiting the country.

Buy Local at Farmers’ Markets

Increasingly fashionable, farmers’ markets keep the food miles low and quality high. Paihia, in the historic Bay of Islands on the North Island, hosts a pop-up market every Thursday afternoon on the Village Green. With smoked fish, cheeses, artisan breads, eggs and vine-ripened tomatoes, this is the perfect picnic stock-up spot. Many of the same stallholders head to nearby Kerikeri on Saturday mornings. On Sunday mornings in rural Waikato, Hamilton’s Te Rapa Racecourse turns itself over to baked goods, fruit and vegetables, meat, coffee and entertainment while picturesque Clevedon, south of Auckland, has fresh local oysters, among other delicacies. Be sure to travel with a cooler (called a chilly bin in New Zealand), utensils and napkins to make the most of eating well on the road.

Pick Your Own Fresh Fruit

Across New Zealand, many farmers welcome genuine, respectful gatherers to pick their own produce. Bag berries in West Auckland, Nelson and Waikato or try your hand at plucking nashi pears from Gary and Lynda’s Orchard on the outskirts of Christchurch. Coal Creek Farm in Roxburgh, on the South Island, has apricots and cherries, while Mrs. Jones’ Fruit Orchard, outside Cromwell, grows everything from cherries to apricots, plums, apples and pears.

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Always check for the times that farms are open for self-picking, as most are working farms.

Lodgings and Restaurants Focused on Food

Many boutique B&Bs and farm stays welcome visitors who are eager to experience rural life. Gather your own eggs at The Manse in Hawke’s Bay or enjoy a taste of rural living from the kitchen garden and orchard at Sherwood in Queenstown. Spend a night at Hapuku Treehouses and dive for paua (abalone) and crayfish fresh from the sea. Or simply enjoy bread, stock, ice cream and even peanut butter, all made in-house. Pay a visit to Roots Restaurant in Lyttelton, near Christchurch, where almost all the produce is grown or foraged for close to the restaurant.

Aquaculture is Alive and Well

At Huka Prawn Farm, a 10-minute drive north of Taupo and not far from the famous Huka Falls, guests can fish for their own prawns in freshwater ponds. Once you’ve bagged your fill, have the prawns cooked up in the riverside restaurant or take them home and do it yourself. If you book ahead, Mahurangi Oysters, north of Auckland near Warkworth, take oyster lovers out on their boat, the Shuckleferry. For a few hours, owners Andrew and Lisa teach all there is to know about oysters, while guests enjoy freshly shucked delicacies with local beer, wine and juice. Food lovers can savour fresh, locally-sourced produce, matched with delicious world-class wines. Kiwis love making people feel right at home, so whatever your experience, you’re sure to arrive as a guest, and leave as family. Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.ca) has direct non-stop flights from Vancouver to Auckland and offers flights from many other North American cities. For more information on New Zealand or to create your unique adventure, please visit: www.NewZealand.com and check out the “Wishlist” handy vacation planner.


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For more information on New Zealand, please visit: NewZealand.com. The site offers interactive planning tools, special travel deals, operator listings and information on New Zealand.


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