A 110-year-old woman in the UK credits a nightly glass of Famous Grouse for her long life. Her doctor agrees. I needed no further convincing — off to the Jefferson we went.
Northland is the warmest, least populated, and most underrated region in New Zealand. It has the country’s oldest building, its most sacred kauri tree, a beach that’s officially a highway, and sand dunes you can surf. I’ve only been once and I’m already in love.
Wellington’s Garage Project started in a derelict petrol station in Aro Valley in 2011, brewing 24 different beers in 24 weeks just to see what would happen. It worked out.
A hāngī is a pit, a cooking method, and a meal all at once. It’s also one of the most distinctly Māori experiences you can have in New Zealand — and you don’t need to wait for a family invitation to try it.
My partner scoffed when Starbucks “introduced” the Flat White in 2015. New Zealand had been drinking them since before I was paying attention to coffee. Here’s the story — and the dispute.
Antarctica was still on my list — the only continent I hadn’t visited. Until I got there, Christchurch’s International Antarctic Centre turned out to be a pretty good consolation prize. A storm chamber that drops to -18°C, a Hagglund that makes a Hummer look timid, and my partner bear-hugging a man in a penguin suit. Not a bad afternoon.
Getting from the North Island to the South Island means crossing the Cook Strait — by ferry if you have a car, by plane if you don’t. The ferry takes three hours. The strait can get rough. It’s worth it.
600 people came to pay their respects when Atu the kiwi passed away. I wasn’t surprised. She was tiny, fearless, and absolutely unforgettable.
n New Zealand a meal is a “feed”. This is my running list of favourite feeds in Auckland — the places I went back to, dragged family to, and still think about.
Rude as. Bugger. Togs. Speedo. Part 2 of How to Talk Like a Kiwi — including the Toyota commercial that made ‘bugger’ famous and the one that explains the difference between togs and underwear. Yes, really.