Kia Ora Sept Issue

AIR NEW ZEALAND INFLIGHT MAGAZINE 

SEPTEMBER 2017 

Game On 

The sporting 

guide to Boston 

Good for 

business 

The green 

building boom 

Auckland 

lights up 

Exploring the 

night markets 

Chef ’s 

table 

Josh Emmet’s food 

tour of Penang

Hot 

Cirque Du Soleil rolls 

out its new extravaganza 

this month. Toruk – The 

First Flight is inspired by 

James Cameron’s film 

Avatar. It’s on in 

Christchurch September 

1-10 and in Auckland 

September 15-24. 

cirquedusoleil.com/toruk 

 

20 

SHOPPING 

Inspiration for your 

home, wardrobe and 

weekend leisure time. 

26 

SHORTLISTED 

World of WearableArt, 

Midnight Oil, comedy and 

Māori Language Week. 

September 2017 19

Hot Shopping 

HOME & HEARTH 

Fun finds and practical pieces to make your home a haven. 

COMPILED BY JACQUI LOATES-HAVER 

 

Le Creuset Fleur 28cm 

signature shallow casserole 

dish, $690. 0800 526 974 

for stockists. 

 

Moooi Perch Light 

Branch, $7715. ecc.co.nz 

 

Redondo firewood 

holder, $590. 

thecleverdesignstore.com 

 

DESENT ILENT DERVE 

Dehicius daes igm ut exeriosse 

 

il erereped quo occullendio que 

Piha Lounger, $429. natqui veriam et ut aliquaectur 

icotraders.co.nz as 

qnatqui veriam 

 

Armidale table lamp 

in mahogany, $179. 

freedomfurniture.co.nz 

 

Kitten tea towel, $11. 

smithandcaugheys.co.nz 

 

Jan Constantine Fiesta 

Cactus cushion, $166. 

nz.amara.com 

 

Muskhane France 

felt bear rug, $339. 

teapea.co.nz 

20 Kia Ora

Hot Shopping 

BRIGHT IDEAS 

Add a pop of colour with bold shades for walls, floors and wardrobes. 

 

Tui clock by Reuben 

Price, $98.90. 

texanartschools.co.nz 

 

10.17 carat blue zircon and 

diamond ring, $23,500. 

partridgejewellers.com 

 

World Man Leopard 

polo shirt, $299. 

worldbrand.co.nz 

 

Smeg retro coffee 

machine, $649. 

kitchenthings.co.nz 

 

Deadly Ponies Boxette Rainbow 

bag, $510. deadlyponies.com 

 

Kate Sylvester Marisol 

Escobar pump, $499. 

katesylvester.com 

 

Richard Killeen moth rug, 

$4100. goodform.co.nz 

 

Kartell velvet Largo sofa, 

POA. kartell.co.nz 


Hot Shopping 

SATURDAY NIGHT, SUNDAY MORNING 

The weekend’s all yours – enjoy it with new toys, tech and accessories. 

 

Audi A6 sedan, from 

$99,990. audi.co.nz 

 

Takayama DT2 silver 

surfboard, $1755. 

nzboardstore.co.nz 

 

Herschel Albert cap, 75. 

airpointsstore.co.nz 

 

R.M. Williams Classic 

Cleanskin Rider jacket 

in bone, $319. 

rmwilliams.com 

 

Thorens TD309 

suspended turntable, 

$2999. thehifistore.co.nz 

 

Leica TL2 camera, from 

$2999. photowarehouse.co.nz 

 

Karen Walker Mini 

Bonnie bag in rouge, 

$390. karenwalker.com 

 

Miss Wilson Katherine trainer, 

$279. kathrynwilson.com 


Hot Events 

SHORTLISTED 

Our pick of the hottest events for the next six weeks. 

World of WearableArt 

Awards Show 

Why just create art when you can 

wear it too? The World of 

WearableArt Awards Show reveals 

the extraordinary wearable artworks 

created by designers from all 

backgrounds, and from across the 

globe for the internationally 

recognised competition. The show 

is a remarkable, multi-sensory 

theatrical event that combines 

theatre, art and fashion – with 

spectacular results. 

September 21 to October 8, TSB Bank 

Arena, Wellington. worldofwearableart.com 

Midnight Oil: 

The Great 

Circle Tour 

Sydney’s Midnight Oil, 

famed for one of the 

catchiest, best known, 

Australian political 

songs of all time, “Beds 

are Burning”, perform 

in Auckland and 

Christchurch as part of 

their global The Great 

Circle Tour. It’s the first 

time they have headlined 

shows in New Zealand 

since 1990. 

September 9, Spark Arena, 

Auckland and September 

11, Horncastle Arena, 

Christchurch. 

ticketmaster.co.nz and 

ticketek.co.nz 

Māori Language Week 

The theme for this year’s 

campaign is “Kia ora te reo 

Māori’, which celebrates our 

indigenous greeting. Since 

1975, the Māori Language 

Commission has been 

promoting the language, raising 

awareness and encouraging its 

everyday use through simple 

phrases every day, week and 

month of the year. 

September 11-17, tetaurawhiri.govt.nz 

Best Comedy Show on Earth 

Didn’t manage to get to the New Zealand Comedy Festival this 

year? Not to worry – a giggle of comedians from the festival 

is touring the country. Travelling to 13 cities, the Best Comedy 

Show on Earth promises lots of jokes and “delicious comedy 

flavours to suit everyone”. The line-up includes Brendhan 

Lovegrove, Melanie Bracewell and Dusty Rich (pictured). 

August 30 to September 24, nationwide. comedyfestival.co.nz 

FOR MORE 

EVENTS GO TO 

PAGE 135 


Travel 

 

 

 

30 

A NIGHT OF IT 

We visit Auckland’s bright, 

buzzing evening markets. 

38 

GAME ON 

Have a ball in Boston, 

where sport is the winner. 

46 

DAY IN THE LIFE 

Air New Zealand’s Londonbased 

general manager 

reveals her favourite spots. 

Chiang Mai lantern 

festival is just one of many 

events lighting up nights 

throughout Thailand 

in early November. 

tourismthailand.org 

MORE TO EXPLORE 

48 Paradise in the pines 

Heavenly Pacific hideaway. 

56 Riding the rails 

Darwin to Adelaide. 

64 A taste of Penang 

With Josh Emett’s Woo crew. 

72 My place: Christchurch 

Sophie Pascoe’s city. 

78 Pamper places 

Fiji, the Philippines and 

Auckland’s East Day Spa. 


Travel Auckland 

offers so much more than a variety of 

sizzling hot skewers of meat. 

Aucklanders are notorious for sticking 

to their own little “villages”, or gravitating 

towards established eating zones, never 

finding out how the other half eats. 

But the city’s population is growing and 

changing, fast. Why not get out there and 

explore it? Some markets are alcohol-free 

and all are family friendly: there’s no better 

place for travellers and locals to embrace 

the true cultural and ethnic diversity of 

21st-century Auckland. 

A night of it 

Spring is the perfect time to explore the incredible range of Auckland’s evening markets. 

EXPLORING THE NIGHT markets of 

Auckland quickly reveals two opposing 

street-food tribes. On one side are food 

trucks, those mobile gourmet kitchens that 

started popping up around the city at special 

events and music festivals about five years 

ago. Food truck customers don’t mind 

paying a little extra for their tacos or gong 

bao, so long as the chicken is free-range 

and the salad greens didn’t travel far. 

STORY BIANCA ZANDER PHOTOGRAPHS ADRIAN MALLOCH 

When these vehicles gather en masse 

you have a food truck stop, aka one of the 

inner-city night markets found at La Cigale 

in Parnell, Silo Park in the city (silopark. 

co.nz) or Mount Albert. 

On the other end of the spectrum are the 

official Auckland Night Markets 

(aucklandnightmarkets.co.nz), the popular 

street-food jamborees that take place in 

empty carparks every night of the week in 

suburbs such as Papatoetoe, Glenfield, 

Pakuranga and Henderson. Cheap, cheerful 

and a magnet for gaudy trinkets, these 

arguably offer a more authentic street food 

experience, but you’ll have to leave your 

farm-to-fork principles at home. 

The only free-range meat you’ll potentially 

find at these markets is curried goat. Be 

brave. Go vegetarian if you must. 

A visit to the Auckland night markets 

Mount Albert Market: 

Streetfood Station 

Organic wines and craft beers are served 

at the Mount Albert night market, which 

makes for a convivial atmosphere under 

fairy lights in what was once a petrol station 

forecourt. 

Trestle tables seat local families, travellers 

and yuppies on dates. Under almost every 

table, a cavoodle or dachshund, but what 

hound wouldn’t be hoping for a morsel of 

juicy Angus cheeseburger from the Little 

Yellow Food Truck, one of about six parked 

up for the night? 

The amusing thing about food trucks is 

they often serve just one or two basic menu 

items, such as hand-cut fries, and you might 

need to go to another truck for, say, 

burgers. This can make for a spendy night 

– especially if you’ve got kids. We grazed on 

a few beers, a couple of cheeseburgers with 

fries, a wood-fired margherita pizza from 

Napoli Central Pizza (which has a 

permanent wood-fired oven on-site) and a 

serving of beef-strip nachos from Taco Loco, 

This page and opposite: 

The Friday night market 

under fairy lights at 

Mount Albert. 

30 Kia Ora September 2017 31


This page: Families, 

couples and groups 

of friends sample the 

wares at Mount Albert. 

and then we succumbed to dessert from the 

Little French Pastry stall. 

Each week there is a different dessert 

cart, along with a rotating series of food 

trucks that includes Judge Bao, Akemi’s 

Gyoza dumplings and Coreano (an intriguing 

fusion of Korean and Mexican). Everything is 

fresh, free-range and delicious. 

FRIDAYS, 5PM TO 9PM, SPROUT CAFE CARPARK, 

847 NEW NORTH ROAD, MOUNT ALBERT. FARMERS’ 

MARKET, SATURDAYS, 9AM TO 1PM. 

Glenfield Night Market 

Glenfield Mall dominates the suburban 

North Shore landscape like a cruise liner and 

the night market underneath it – once you 

find it – is epic. 

With more than 50 food stalls, my advice is 

to join a queue and eat what’s popular 

before it sells out. 

The market is noisy and teeming with 

locals, and by 8pm they’ve cleaned out some 

delicacies. What are they scoffing? Skewered 

squid tentacles, three for $5, fresh off the 

teppanyaki grill at Taste of Japan. Pipinghot, 

peppery soup with hand-pulled noodles 

from Sichuan. Made-to-order okonomiyaki 

(Japanese pancakes) and baby castella, 

delightful egg-shaped cakes cooked in 

an intricate copper contraption. Roasted 

chestnuts, Hungarian fried bread, pork belly 

This page: The heaving 

Glenfield market where 

you have to be quick 

to snap up the most 

popular fare. 


Travel Night Markets 

gua bao, Dutch waffles, wiener sausages, 

Spanish churros, bubble tea. 

Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern, French... 

The biggest dilemma is the overwhelming 

selection. But it’s all so cheap you can afford 

to make mistakes, while the kids stuff their 

faces with dumplings. Was there ever a more 

perfect toddler food? Here they are five 

bucks for a dozen. 

Aside from street food, Glenfield market 

has an array of stalls selling everything from 

eco wraps and dream catchers to fresh kale, 

disposable clothing and ovine placenta eye 

cream. But there’s one stall worth making a 

special trip for. Tuli Pasifiks is a husbandand-wife 

team who sell a beautiful selection 

of South Island pounamu (greenstone) and 

whale bone pendants made by a master 

carver in Hokitika. 

SUNDAYS, 5.30PM TO 11PM, UNDER COUNTDOWN, 

GLENFIELD MALL. 

This page and 

opposite: The Botany 

Night market offers 

a variety of food 

experiences from 

around the world. 

Botany Night Market 

If you haven’t been to any of the official 

Auckland night markets, Botany is a great 

place to start. Small and contained, with a 

low-key vibe and live rock bands, it’s home 

to some of the best street food we sampled. 

The garlic, mayo, cheese karaage chicken – 

exactly what it says on the label – from 

Karappa Japanese Fried Chicken, is worth 

driving halfway across Auckland for. 

Next door, the mother and daughter team at 

Daddy’s Soul Fried BBQ tell me the sweet story 

of how their incredible tangy BBQ sauce is a 

loving tribute to the cooking of their Samoan 

and Californian parents and grandparents. 

At other night markets, the stallholders 

are too busy to chat, but the more relaxed 

pace of Botany leads to some interesting 

and educating conversations. 

At the Klasiq Sizzle South African food 

truck the Durban-Indian chef patiently 

demonstrates how to make “bunny chow” 

by cutting a loaf of crusty white bread into 

three equal cubes, which are then hollowed 

out and filled with curry. 

Another must-try, for the spectacle 

alone, is “DG knife-shaved noodles”. 

Watch as a robot, which some wag has 

provided with an Ironman helmet, slices 

noodle strings from a fresh dough block into 

a cauldron of steaming, fragrant and 

savoury soup. 

The usual array of toys and trinkets is 

on sale at other stalls, as well as services 

such as speedy manicures. 

WEDNESDAYS, 5PM TO 11PM, UNDER HOYTS, 

BOTANY TOWN CENTRE, 



This page: Fried 

chicken and fruit 

at the Papatoetoe 

market; under the light 

illumination at Silo 

Park market. 

Papatoetoe Night Market 

An episode of the television show Sidewalk 

Karaoke was being filmed at the market the 

night we went, and the excitement of the 

contest had us grinning like loons – alongside 

hundreds of other families and locals of all 

generations. Fun, inclusive and buzzing, 

Papatoetoe Night Market has an atmosphere 

all its own, and it’s a terrific place for travellers 

to sample Māori and Pasifika cuisine, 

alongside Kiwiana and Asian favourites. 

There’s a stall that sells hāngi – steaming 

piles of chicken, lamb, pork, kumara, potato, 

pumpkin, cabbage and stuffing, slow-cooked 

the traditional Māori way. 

Another offers rewena bread and a boil-up 

of pork bone, puha (a leafy green) and potato 

dough balls. There’s even a spot selling the 

humble bacon and egg roll. 

Kai moana (seafood) is well represented, 

with plenty of stalls offering Samoan-style 

raw fish salad alongside mussel, paua and 

whitebait fritters. Barbecued meat is cheap 

and plentiful at stalls with such charming 

names as “Hungry Islanders”. 

Many locals head straight for the Pasifika 

food stalls for a comforting taste of home 

– chop suey, pink potato salad, steak and 

mushroom sauce, hot doughnuts – while 

others run a mile, saying they can eat 

Island-style “any night of the week”. 

For an Asian spice kick I recommend the 

pork belly, pickled veges and crushed 

peanut bao from BAO. 

One bonus of the Papatoetoe market is a 

large range of stalls selling everything from 

socks, perfume and manicures, to fruit and 

veges, second-hand clothing and T-shirts 

emblazoned with Southside slogans. 

FRIDAYS, 5.30PM TO 12AM, UNDER KMART 

(HUNTERS PLAZA), GREAT SOUTH ROAD. 

Seasonal and occasional 

night markets 

Over the summer months, night markets and 

food truck stops pop up in almost every 

suburb of Auckland, from Green Bay to 

Te Atatu to Point Chevalier. 

Close to the central city, Parnell’s La Cigale 

French market runs an occasional food truck 

stop with offerings such as Judge Bao, The 

Rolling Pin (dumplings) and Guerrilla Grill. 

The Silo Markets run markets throughout 

the summer at the city’s Silo Park. 

There is a rotating roster of food trucks, 

plus stalls offering everything from secondhand 

books and records, to vintage and 

designer clothing – which is all too easy to 

buy after you’ve stopped by the all-important 

craft beer stall. 


Travel Boston 

GIt is home to America’s oldest 

baseball park, the Celtics 

basketball team and one of the 

world’s most celebrated 

marathons. Boston is a city where 

AME 

New England – and the world – 

comes to play. 

STORY CAMERON OFFICER 

O N 


Travel Boston 

BOSTONIANS ANNOUNCE THEIR love of 

sport long before you’ve even touched down 

on the Eastern Seaboard. When I boarded 

my flight from San Francisco, I was greeted 

by a sea of Red Sox baseball caps, Harvard 

Rowing sweatshirts and Celtics basketball 

singlets (it was summer after all). 

This town lives for sport, fielding national 

champions and internationally recognised 

franchises in a number of American codes. 

As much as the city is the focal point of 

American independence, Boston’s sports 

history – and its citizens’ undying love of 

contemporary battle on the court or field 

– is very much a part of its beating heart. 

Fenway Park (boston.redsox.mlb.com) is 

where these two sides of Boston collide. 

America’s oldest baseball ground, Fenway, is 

a museum; it’s just one that happens to 

resonate with the sound of feverish crowds 

several nights a week when Boston’s beloved 

Red Sox are playing at home. Oldest? It 

pre-dates Chicago’s Wrigley Field by two 

seasons. To give some context, the first 

game ever played there was on April 9, 1912. 

That’s five days before the Titanic hit an 

iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. 

Witnessing a home game against a worthy 

adversary here is unlike any other sporting 

occasion you’re likely to experience. Unless 

you’re a New York Yankees fan, of course. 

After defeating the Chicago Cubs in the 

1918 World Series, the Boston Red Sox were 

at the top of the heap, thanks to their 

legendary slugger, Babe Ruth. 

But in 1919 the Red Sox sold “the Bambino” 

to the New York Yankees and so began 

Boston’s fierce rivalry with their southern 

neighbours, and the so-called “Curse of the 

Bambino” – a superstition that evolved 

through the decades from the moment 

Ruth left Fenway Park until 2004, when 

the Red Sox finally broke an 86-year losing 

streak and won the World Series. 

I found out all this and much more on 

a walking tour of Fenway Park. 

While these hour-long visits don’t take you 

out onto the diamond itself, visitors are 

escorted almost everywhere else, from the 

best seats in the house (above the “Green 

Monster”, the 11.33m left-field wall that still 

houses the ballpark’s 1934-era scoreboard), to 

the media room high above the diamond, to 

the visiting teams’ changing room – a former 

supply cupboard where out-of-town 

opponents trip over each other in purposely 

designed compact solitude. Well, team sports 

are 90 percent psychology, right? 

Speaking of psychology, I’m not a runner. 

Various purchases of expensive “this time, 

—— 

As much as Boston is a 

focal point of American 

independence, its sports 

history – and its citizens’ 

undying love of battle on the 

court or field – is very much 

part of its beating heart. 

—— 

Clockwise from top: Fenway Park, home of the 

Boston Red Sox; the Red Sox in action; the start 

of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton; Baseball 

caps for sale in Quincy Market; and the Boston 

Sports Museum. 


Travel Boston 

—— 

Want to see Larry Bird’s 

number 33 Celtics vest, 

vintage posters from the 

New England Patriots’ 

storied past or learn about 

the goal that won the Stanley 

Cup in 1970? It’s all here. 

—— 

for sure” running shoes and roadside weeping 

sessions proved to me I just don’t have the 

mental fortitude for it. 

So, while I’m almost envious of the 

thousands who flock to Boston on the third 

Monday in April to take part in one of 

endurance running’s premier events – the 

Boston Marathon (baa.org)– I was 

perfectly content to trace the inner-city 

portion of the route at walking pace. 

The Boston Marathon begins in the rural 

New England town of Hopkinton. 

Runners traverse leafy Massachusetts 

settlements all the way into metropolitan 

Boston, before turning into Boylston Street 

and crossing the finishing line near the 

John Hancock Tower in Copley Square. 

In any other week of the year Boylston 

Street is a busy thoroughfare notable for 

the mammoth Boston Public Library and 

Trinity Church. 

In the third week of April, however, this 

stretch of urban tarmac is the scene of 

triumph and exhaustion. But mainly triumph. 

Triumph is writ large in the Boston Sports 

Museum (sportsmuseum.org)too. It is housed 

within the colossal TD Garden entertainment 

venue and showcases memorabilia from all 

the big local codes. 

Want to see Larry Bird’s number 33 

Celtics vest, vintage posters from the New 

England Patriots’ storied past or learn 

about Bobby Orr and the famous goal that 

won the Boston Bruins ice hockey team 

the Stanley Cup in 1970? It’s all here. 

This New England city isn’t just about 

organised spectator sports, though. 

Boston’s many parks, pedestrian paths 

and green spaces offer a variety of 

environments for a run, walk or bike ride. 

In fact, combine The Esplanade, which 

stretches from Beacon Hill down to Back 

Clockwise from top: Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial 

Bridge (Zakim Bridge) over the Charles River; 

Harvard University campus; Acorn Street, in the 

fancy neighbourhood of Beacon Hill; The Boston 

Public Library McKim building; charming Newbury 

Street is a dining and shopping hub. 


Travel Boston 

Bay alongside the Charles River, with the 

Dr Paul Dudley White Bike Path (named after 

a Harvard-educated pioneer cardiologist), 

and you have several kilometres of riverside 

riding and walking space. 

Here there are views aplenty of 

watercraft plying the river, although I was 

more fascinated by the red-brick mansions 

of Back Bay along Beacon Street, on the 

other side of the pathway. 

These historic homes chart the rise of 

Boston’s commercial aristocracy, although 

they were all built facing the street, rather 

than the river itself, providing strolling 

voyeurs like me with a great view of Back 

Bay’s backyards. 

With Boston’s heady mix of American 

social history and all that baseball and 

football action, you’d be forgiven for 

forgetting this is a harbour town. But 

boating is big in Boston, and I’m not just 

talking about the Tea Party ships 

(although you can get a feel for these at 

the interactive Boston Tea Party Museum 

bostonteapartyship.com). 

At the northern end of The Esplanade, 

past the instantly recognisable open-air 

dome of the Hatch Memorial Shell, little 

pink triangles start coming into view out 

on the river – sailboats from Community 

Boating Inc (community-boating.org), which 

is the United States’ oldest community 

sailing club. 

If you’re keen to get out on the river, 

Community Boating offers four- and fiveperson 

sailboats for hire, as well as kayaks, 

windsurfers and stand up paddleboards, 

although landlubbers need to prove prior 

experience to cast off in the yachts. 

All this activity... Forgive me, but I think 

I’ll head back to Fenway Park. The Red Sox 

are in town and there’s a beer and burger 

combo with my name on it. 

boston.gov 

Above: Yachting 

with Community 

Boating Inc. 

Eat 

REGINA PIZZERIA 

World famous in Boston, Regina 

Pizzeria, which has been serving 

slices since 1926. The family-owned 

restaurants with their brick ovens 

elevate pizzas above mere fast food. 

There’s a perfectly positioned Regina 

Pizzeria across from Fenway Park. So 

before encountering all the snack 

vendors on Yawkey Way outside the 

stadium, duck in for a slice of 

pomodoro formaggio or St Anthony 

sausage pizza and a cherry cola. 

reginapizzeria.com 

UNION OYSTER HOUSE 

As with any claim to being “first”, 

there are plenty of others who might 

issue a challenge. But Boston’s Union 

Oyster House certainly looks to be 

the real deal – the nation’s very first 

restaurant. Founded in 1826, this 

specialty seafood emporium is on the 

Freedom Trail right in the heart of the 

city. unionoysterhouse.com 

Sleep 

XV BEACON 

In the heart of historic Beacon Hill is 

the luxurious XV Beacon, a boutique 

establishment that has been the 

recipient of awards from a variety of 

travel publications. This inner-city 

hotel mixes olde-worlde pageantry 

with modernist interior design and the 

name of the XV’s restaurant – Mooo... 

– tells you exactly what sort of 

premium fare you can expect. 

xvbeacon.com 

THE VERB HOTEL 

If you want to soak up that Red Sox 

atmosphere, The Verb Hotel offers 

something completely different within 

sight of the light towers of Fenway 

Park. This low-lying modernist hotel 

Getting there 

Air New Zealand operates 

non-stop flights from Auckland 

to Los Angeles, San Francisco, 

and Houston, with ongoing 

connections to Boston. 

Holiday Packages 

0800 747 222 

Holidays Travel Brokers 

0800 737 767 

airnewzealand.co.nz 

was originally opened in 1959 (as the 

Fenway Motor Hotel) and in recent 

years has been painstakingly 

restored to its original design and 

given a suitably retro rock ‘n’ roll 

makeover, with a bit of an indie edge. 

It’s like a little slice of Route 66 

Americana smack-bang in the middle 

of Boston’s baseball boulevard. 

theverbhotel.com 

Play 

NEWBURY STREET 

Fancy a break from stadium seats 

and hot dogs? Head straight to 

Newbury Street in Back Bay, a 

well-heeled shopping street that’s 

home to all manner of coffee houses, 

independent retail gems and high-end 

chain stores. About the only thing you 

won’t find in abundance is sports 

paraphernalia. But believe me, there 

are plenty of other places in Boston 

for that. 

HARVARD UNIVERSITY 

From downtown, take the Metro red 

line across the river to Cambridge. It 

takes five short stops to arrive at that 

hallowed seat of Ivy League education, 

Harvard University. Alumni include 

Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill 

Gates, Kareena Kapoor, Rashida 

Jones and Matt Damon – and in terms 

of numbers, tourists seem to rival 

students. History seeps from the 

bricks and, if you fancy some 

education of your own, the Harvard 

Museum of Natural History is a 

must-see. hmnh.harvard.edu 

TRIDENT BOOKSELLERS 

AND CAFE 

Trident Booksellers and Cafe. is a 

haven for bookworms, and the cafe is 

such a popular breakfast stop. 

tridentbookscafe.com 

BOSTON 

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, GETTY 


Travel Isle of Pines 

Paradise 

in the Pines 

This page: The Le Méridien 

Isle of Pines at Oro Bay. 

Opposite: The lagoon 

known as the Piscine 

Naturelle (Natural Pool). 

If visitors to the Isle of Pines ever tire of gazing romantically into each other’s eyes, 

there are always the almost impossibly beautiful beaches and lagoons. 

STORY SHARON STEPHENSON 



THERE ISN’T MUCH to the Isle of Pines, 

a tiny speck on a part of the map without 

many specks. You can drive around the 

narrow, winding roads in 40 minutes, 

speed bumps included. There’s a bank, post 

office, pharmacy and an enormous 18thcentury 

church. But that’s kind of the point. 

This French overseas territory, a 

25-minute flight from the New Caledonia 

capital of Noumea, is where you come to 

wiggle your toes in icing-sugar sand and 

to get familiar with sun-protection factor 

30, a book and the insides of your eyelids. 

And, judging by the guests at the island’s 

largest hotel, Le Méridien, to breathe life 

into an existing relationship or celebrate a 

new one (beware the glint of those shiny 

new wedding bands). 

Sadly, my plus-one is back in Wellington, 

so I’m something of an oddity at the breakfast 

buffet – a woman with only her phone and 

a large stack of pancakes for company. 

“We wondered if you’d been stood up at 

the altar and decided to come on your 

honeymoon alone,” says Sara, not unkindly, 

after inviting me to join her and her 

husband one morning. 

The German couple has crossed nine 

time zones to spend a week in this slither 

of paradise. “That’s the secret to a happy 

marriage,” says Sara. “Find the most 

romantic destinations in the world and 

visit them often.” 

I can see why they picked the Isle of 

Pines. It might be just three hours from 

New Zealand, but this South Pacific idyll is 

so far removed from the tourist superhighway, 

you’re able to live out your 

loved-up Robinson Crusoe fantasies on 

deserted beaches. 

Plus, thanks to the French who showed 

up in the 1800s, you get to say bonjour (a lot) 

while scoffing fat, flaky croissants and 

deliciously gooey cheese. 

It’s as if a chunk of France broke off and got 

stuck half-way between Australia and Fiji. 

The indigenous people, the Kanaks, 

originally called their island Kunie. But 

Captain Cook, passing by in 1774 en route 

to New Zealand, spotted the araucaria pines 

which perforate the hillsides like a row of 

jagged teeth and, somewhat unimaginatively, 

christened it the Isle of Pines. 

Almost two centuries later, Japanese 

novelist Katsura Morimura wrote about 

“the island closest to paradise” and the 

phrase stuck, mainly because it’s true. 

Even the United Nations considers this 

island so special, it’s granted part of it 

UNESCO world heritage status. 

You have to wind your calendar back 

several decades when you arrive in the 

tiny settlement, population 2500. 

Ignore the four-wheel drives and the odd 

cellphone tower and it could be 1980. Or 

even 1950. Things don’t change much here. 

But that’s part of the attraction for my 

fellow guests, who alternate between 

staring at the gob-smacking views and 

into each other’s eyes. 

My guide, the smiling Zerena, tells me 

Le Méridien was built 20 years ago for the 

Japanese honeymoon market. 

The 48-room hotel, built on a century-old 

coconut grove in a bend of Oro Bay, has 

since flung open its doors to all-comers, 

including families, the retired and those 

well-heeled enough to be thinking about it. 

No matter who you are, this is pretty 

much how your days will go: wake up to the 

sound of lorikeets and kingfishers, eat the 

tastiest baguettes this side of Notre Dame, 

move from the sun-lounger to the pool, 

snorkel/swim/kayak, eat your bodyweight 

in the world’s sweetest mangoes, repeat. 

A 10-minute walk from the hotel is La 

Piscine Naturelle (the Natural Pool), a shallow 

enclosed lagoon boarded by limestone rocks 

and connected to the Pacific via a series of 

narrow caves. I run out of adjectives trying 

to describe the particular blue of the water 

as I wade among schools of tiny reef fish 

that brush against my feet, thinking I might 

be worth a nibble. 

The coral-filled natural pool, about 100m 

wide and separated from the reef by a 

sandbar, provides safe snorkelling, even 

for beginners, who are rewarded with the 

brilliantly hued marine life. It’s easy to 

spend the whole day here and if you ask 

nicely, the hotel will provide a picnic 

lunch, usually something involving a 

lobster plucked not too far from where 

you’re eating it. 

Brush Island, a short boat-ride away, looks 

like the backdrop to a Bounty Bar advert. 

There’s no one but us and a young 

Japanese couple who got married in Noumea 

three days ago. They’ve spent the morning 

snorkelling around this uninhabited island 

and are awaiting delivery of a picnic lunch. 

“A friend honeymooned on the island and 

Left: Kayaks on 

Kanumera Beach. 

Clockwise from top: 

A pine-lined inlet; 

Zerena’s cousin 

Daniel and his 

pirogue; escargot.. 

—— 

‘I run out of adjectives trying 

to describe the particular blue 

of the water as I wade among 

tiny reef fish that brush 

against my feet, thinking 

I might be worth a nibble.’ 

—— 

after seeing her photos, we knew nowhere 

else would do for our honeymoon,” they say. 

We leave them to it, strolling along the 

beach, while Zerena tells me what drew 

her back to the Isle of Pines after 10 years 

in London. 

“This island is like a magnet,” she says 

of her birthplace, which is 95 percent 

Kanak, with most of the remainder 

transplants from France. “So many of our 

young people go to Noumea or overseas, 

but they always come back.” 

Hilary Roots understands why. Nicknamed 

Cleo by the locals, who find her name 

hard to pronounce, the expat Kiwi came to 

the island for a five-day holiday in 1975. 

She’d been working as a political journalist 



in Sydney and was looking for a quieter pace. 

“On the first day Albert, a Swiss-German 

designer, who’d been running a dive business 

on the island, chatted me up,” she says. 

“My five days turned into 10 and I’ve 

pretty much lived here ever since. But look 

how beautiful it is,” she says, gesturing to 

the lush Kuto Bay property where she and 

Albert, who’s called Chichu (Jesus) by the 

locals because of his long hair, have carved 

out a low-key existence. 

Along with writing books about the island 

and welcoming cruise passengers, Roots 

screen prints T-shirts and sarongs she 

sells from a small shop at the front of the 

property. It all seems so romantic, I’m 

tempted to ask if she wants to swap lives. 

We drive around the island, stopping 

every few minutes for Zerena to yell a 

cheery bonjour to passersby. 

“That’s my brother/cousin/uncle,” is a 

refrain I hear numerous times during my 

two days here. “I’m pretty much related to 

everyone here,” she laughs. 

It’s hard to believe but not everyone was 

so enamoured with this sub-tropical slice 

of serenity. 

Inspired by the British models of 

deportation to Australia, in the 1800s 

French authorities decided prisoners could 

be reformed through work in the colonies. 

More than 3000 prisoners were plucked 

from the streets of Paris and exiled to a 

brick prison not far from the main port, 

Kuto Bay. 

We wander through the former settlement, 

where tangled vines sprout from crumbling 

walls and papaya trees grow where the roof 

once was. Zerena tells me the near constant 

sunshine was of little comfort to the prisoners: 

“Most of those who survived couldn’t wait to 

leave, fleeing mainly to Australia.” 

—— 

‘On the first day Albert 

chatted me up... My five 

days turned into 10 and I’ve 

pretty much lived here ever 

since. But look how 

beautiful it is.’ 

—— 

Clockwise from top 

left: Queen Hortense’s 

Grotto; a local 

performer; a profusion 

of flowers, including 

bougainvillea. 

Opposite: The lush 

Le Méridien gardens. 

Prisoners weren’t the only things the 

French brought with them. They also 

converted the locals to Catholicism. 

The whitewashed church at Vao aside, 

the most obvious example of this is the 

silvery statue of Saint Maurice which marks 

the spot where the island’s first Catholic 

service was held. 

Here, traditional religion and local 

Melanesian culture collide – the statue is 

surrounded by carved poles, gifts from the 

island’s eight different tribes. 

A full stomach is never a reason to forgo 

a meal here, so we head to Relais de 

Kuberka, a family-run gite which combines 

hut-style accommodation with a restaurant. 

Not being of the meat-eating persuasion, 

I say non to the local specialty, escargot 

(snails), opting instead for a hunk of fresh 

mullet with a side of ubiquitous roasted 

yam. Much larger than our kumara, these 

carb-heavy vegetables with bark-like skin 

are such a feature of island life, there’s an 

annual festival dedicated to them. 



Eat 

KUNIE KAA 

Bulimes, or escargots de l’le des 

Pins, are endemic to the island and 

are beloved by the locals. At Gite 

Nataiwatch’s Kunie Kaa restaurant, a 

plate of the lightly seasoned 

gastropods will set you back around 

$40. The restaurant is open for 

breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

nataiwatch.com 

KOU-BUGNY 

Try the local blue shrimp at Kuto 

Bay’s restaurant Kou-Bugny. 

They come crumbed and lightly 

pan-fried. This local specialty isn’t 

cheap but is worth every cent. 

kou-bugny.com 

Sleep 

LE MÉRIDIEN ILE DES PINES 

is the island’s only five-star resort. 

Situated on a natural lagoon, it 

features a range of rooms, suites 

and bungalows, including some 

overlooking the beach and lush 

coconut grove. There’s an infinity 

pool, gym, spa, restaurant, small gift 

shop and complimentary use of gear 

for snorkelling. Breakfast is included, 

while lunch and dinner feature a 

delicious mash-up of French and 

Kanak cuisine. 

lemeridieniledespins.com 

Play 

VANILLA PLANTATION 

Visit the vanilla field near Gadji for a 

fascinating look at how this expensive 

spice is grown. Tiphaine, a recent 

arrival from France, will give you a 

tour of the property and show you 

how she grows, dries and exports 

the fragrant vanilla pods. 

QUEEN HORTENSE’S GROTTO 

Check out Queen Hortense’s Grotto, 

an impressive cave hidden in the 

belly of limestone cliffs. The popular 

attraction gets its name from the 

island’s former queen who was forced 

to hide there for almost a year 

in1855, thanks to an uncle who 

objected to her ascending the throne. 

I’m awake the next morning before the 

mosquitoes to visit Pic Nga, a 45-minute 

thigh-curdling hike 262m to the island’s 

highest point. It’s worth it, though, for the 

views across the island, from Kuto Bay, 

where the cruise ships dock, to the rocky 

outcrop of Kanumera, which the locals 

consider sacred. 

In between are bright slashes of pink, 

spilled by the island’s many bougainvilleas. 

Zerena tells me I can’t leave the island 

without experiencing a pirogue, a 

traditional outrigger canoe with a single 

triangular sail. 

It just so happens that her shy, 

dreadlocked cousin Daniel owns one, so at 

the picturesque Baie de St Joseph we 

clamber aboard the vintage vessel. 

Gliding elegantly across the waters with 

no one else in sight, the only sound the salt 

water gently hitting the outrigger, we spot 

stingrays and green turtles, which play 

around the boat, diving like synchronised 

swimmers in search of food. 

The 90 minutes I spend on the pirogue 

does more for my stress levels than a week 

of downward dogs ever could. 

I run into my German breakfast 

companions several times during my stay 

(it’s a small island), and each time they look 

more blissfully in love. 

I tell them I’ll be back to the Isle of Pines, 

but next time with my husband in tow. 

newcaledonia.travel/nz 

Above: Carved poles 

at Saint Maurice Bay. 

Right: The church at 

Vao.Clo 

Getting there 


0800 747 222 


0800 737 767 


ISLE OF PINES 

Air New Zealand offers 

non-stop flights to 

Noumea from Auckland 

with connections from 

across the domestic 

network. 

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, GETTY, SHARON STEPHENSON 


Travel Australia 

RIDING 

THE 

The Ghan rumbles through the immense, parched Australian 

interior between Darwin and Adelaide, following in the tracks 

of pioneer railway builders and cameleers. 

STORY JENNY FARRELL 

RAILS 



unforgettable four-day, three-night journey 

from Darwin to Adelaide through Australia’s 

storied Red Centre, with stops for excursions 

(including the Uluru flight) to cater for the 

increasing numbers of travellers lining up to 

travel in the time-honoured fashion of last 

century, but with modern benefits. 

Our contingent of nearly 300 passengers 

assembled at Darwin railway station on the 

morning of departure. It was our first 

glimpse of the legendary train, which 

stretched far beyond the platform, its 

monogrammed carriages gleaming in the 

sun. The reaction of an Aussie bloke standing 

next to me summed it up: “Streuth, it’s 

bloody long!” Yep, 904m to be exact, from 

the last car to the two red locomotives up 

front, which, let me tell you, is quite a walk 

in the heat of the desert sun. 

WE’D BEEN FLYING south-west of Alice 

Springs over the vast red desert for nearly 

an hour before our destination hove into 

view: majestic, mysterious Uluru, its 

characteristic shape even from a distance 

quite unmistakable. From my seat in the 

tiny Cessna I watched, spellbound, as we 

approached until we were flying just 1500ft 

above it, the ridges and markings on its 

broad surface standing out like scars on 

the back of a giant prehistoric beast. 

We stared down in awed silence, amazed 

by the intensity of its colour, and at just how 

huge it is. At 348m above the ground, with 

another 2.5km below the desert surface, 

Uluru is the largest monolith in the world. 

Formed millions of years ago when much 

of the region was under water, Uluru has 

been a sacred site for Aboriginal tribes for 

more than 10,000 years. The rock art 

discovered there is testament to its cultural 

significance long before it was given its 

European name, Ayers Rock, in 1873. 

In the early days of tourism, little heed 

was paid to Uluru’s importance to the 

traditional land owners. Today, however, it 

is part of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 

jointly administered by the Anangu tribe 

and Parks Australia. Some particularly 

significant areas are off limits to tourists, 

Pilot Jim Wallace, an affable Kiwi with a 

dry sense of humour, has taken thousands of 

tourists out to “the Rock” in the five years 

he’s been flying with Northern Territory Air 

Services (ntas.com.au), and says it’s a sight 

he never tires of. “Depending on the light 

conditions, the cloud cover and the season, 

the rock always looks different,” he said. “To 

see it with waterfalls is pretty special.” One 

year, he told me, the locals reckoned it had 

snowed (“it was actually just sleet”) but it 

“was all painted white. The tourists loved it.” 

GREAT SOUTHERN JOURNEY 

The 724km trip from Alice Springs to Uluru 

was just one of the highlights of an epic 

journey from the top to the bottom of Australia. 

We were on the Ghan (greatsouthernrail. 

com.au), the 21st-century version of 

Australia’s historic passenger train named 

for the cameleers, erroneously believed to 

have come from Afghanistan, who laboured 

in the outback to build the first railway from 

Alice Springs to Adelaide. 

Great Southern Rail’s Ghan Expedition 

traces part of that original route on an 

Opposite, clockwise 

from top left: Views 

of Uluru; a cave in the 

giant red monolith; 

a crocodile in the 

Adelaide River, Darwin. 

This page, clockwise 

from top: The Katherine 

Gorge; rock art; and an 

Uluru story-teller. 

MAKING TRACKS 

The outskirts of Darwin fell away quickly, 

and we were soon heading towards Katherine, 

the train thundering across the miles of 

empty Northern Territory desert. It’s big 

country up there, flat and featureless, but 

strangely mesmerising. 

As I gazed out from our Gold Class cabin I 

counted a dozen different desert grasses and 

trees, and amused myself by thinking of names 

to describe their colours – chestnut, bark, 

wheat, caramel, flax – before the gentle 

swaying of the train sent me to sleep. 

Over lunch of buffalo curry washed down 

with Adelaide wine, served in the Queen 

Adelaide Restaurant, we met the first of 

our fellow travellers. Bob recalled a very 

different journey on the Ghan in the early 

1950s: “There weren’t any luxuries then,” he 

said, “and the trip took forever. The tracks 

used to warp in the heat and the progress 

was so slow, on some parts we’d get out to 

stretch our legs – you could walk faster.” 

—— 

During the dry season the 

river is regularly cleared 

of crocodiles – the giant 

saltwater crocs swim up 

during the wet season – to 

allow water sports... 

—— 

KATHERINE 

By mid-afternoon we were at Katherine, a 

small town on the Katherine River whose 

claim to fame is the beauty of the Nitmiluk 

National Park. We joined local guide Jason 

Gray for a sightseeing cruise. 

He told us about the rock formations in 

the deep gorges carved out by the river, and 

the history of the Jawoyn people, who are 

the traditional landowners. 

During the dry season, he told us, the 

river is regularly cleared of crocodiles – the 

giant saltwater crocs swim up during the 

wet season – to allow water sports such as 

swimming and kayaking. 

After hearing Jason’s jokes (“How do you 

tell if the croc coming towards you is a ‘salty’ 

or a ‘freshie’ if you fall in? If it’s a freshie it’ll 

swim away, but if it’s a salty, you’re done 

for”), we’ll pass on that, thanks. 

Jason manoeuvred his boat up the first 

gorge, pointing out the harmless freshwater 

crocodiles on the banks, and we craned our 

necks to see the walls towering high above. 

At the end of the first gorge, we got out 

and followed a boardwalk up to the second, 

a tranquil and utterly beautiful place filled 

with birdlife. It seemed completely at odds 

with its remote outback location. 

ALICE SPRINGS 

We were under way again by 6pm – next 

stop Alice Springs. In the Outback Explorer 

Lounge, over a beer before dinner, we met 

Canadian Maggie Mazankowski, the charming 

host of our section of the train. It didn’t take 

long to discover she’s a millennial version of 

a train spotter – she did a four-year stint on 

Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer train and since 



arriving in Australia has worked on both the 

Indian Pacific and the Ghan. 

Working on luxury trains and “seeing 

every country in the world before I’m 30”, 

she said, is her ultimate goal. “There’s 

something so romantic about train travel. 

I love the history behind rail, how it 

developed so many little communities. 

There are so many towns that wouldn’t be 

here today if it wasn’t for the trains.” 

Mazankowski’s enthusiasm for train travel 

was echoed by Great Southern Rail senior 

chef Joseph Cobiac, who cooks on board and 

devises the menus for the Ghan Expeditions. 

His innovative menus (think camel tagine, 

crocodile sausages, buffalo curry) meant 

mealtimes were a highlight. 

“The food is all regional, of the place and 

where we are,” he said. “The menu changes 

every day and it’s different for every train, 

which is really unique. I’m really proud to 

have the opportunity to be able to do that.” 

Day two dawned, and from my bunk I 

watched the early-morning sun warm the 

desert with a gorgeous display of colour as 

it climbed into the sky. 

Though the daytime temperatures in the 

desert can reach the 40s, they drop to single 

figures at night, so when we disembarked at 

Alice Springs, we were glad of the jackets we’d 

been advised to bring. The temperature was 

in the mid-30s when we arrived at Uluru, but 

by the time we were back for an outback 

dinner under the stars at historic Telegraph 

Hill in Alice Springs, the temperature had 

plummeted 25 degrees. Never mind. The 

winning combination of live music, great food 

and wine, convivial company, plus an excellent 

astronomy lesson, more than compensated 

for the chill. It was a memorable night. 

COOBER PEDY 

Our final day of sightseeing, at Coober Pedy, 

proved a stark contrast to the natural wonders 

of Katherine and Uluru. The opal mining 

capital of the world, Coober Pedy has a 

population of about 3000 souls, who hail from 

all over the globe and speak 45 languages. 

Some are transients trying their luck, others 

such as retired miner George, who we met at 

—— 

This page: An ANZAC 

tribute camel train near 

Alice Springs; aboard 

the Ghan. Opposite 

page, clockwise from 

top: Katherine Gorge; 

Alice Springs; the 

Ghan; an historic station 

in Alice Springs; an 

outback sunrise. 

‘There’s something so 

romantic about train travel. 

I love the history behind rail... 

There are so many towns 

that wouldn’t be here today 

if it wasn’t for the trains.’ 

—— 



the Umoona Opal Mine, are “lifers”. George 

followed his brother out from Greece to work 

in the mines when he was just a lad, “and 

somehow I just never left”, he said. 

Above ground, the dusty town looks forlorn, 

run down, but it’s another story underground, 

where the majority of the population live in 

subterranean homes hewn from the bedrock 

of an ancient sea. 

Enterprising ventilation systems ensure 

they’re cool, dry and free from the dust and the 

flies. There are churches, museums, shops, even 

a hotel, as well as tourist attractions such as 

Umoona Opal Mine and Museum 

(umoonaopalmine.com.au), which has guided 

tours, an underground lunch for the Ghan 

passengers and, of course, sells opals. 

Head chef Joe’s excellent catering skills 

were showcased again that evening at a 

farewell cocktail party in the desert at 

Manguri Siding, 42km from Coober Pedy. 

The final leg into Adelaide the next 

morning would complete this 2979km 

journey, but even though the air was rapidly 

cooling, we were in no hurry to leave the 

party. We stood, drinks in hand, swapping 

stories with newfound friends and watched 

as the sun disappeared behind the Ghan, 

the bright flames of the bonfire adding to 

the savage beauty of the outback setting. 

australia.com 

This page: Inside 

the mine tunnel at 

Coober Pedy. 

Eat 

SYDNEY 

Longrain’s menu is inspired by the 

communal eating philosophy of 

south-east Asia, and it’s spectacular. 

Whatever you order don’t miss the egg 

net, a fabulous concoction of bean 

sprouts, pork mince, peanuts and 

prawns, with a zingy dressing and 

cucumber relish. longrain.com 

Ester’s menu is a modern Australian 

take on much-loved classics including 

oysters, scallops, prawns, fish and 

steak. We ordered roasted oysters 

and raw kingfish with nori for starters, 

followed by steak tartare and Shark 

Bay snapper fillet cooked in a clay 

pot. Oh, and the “burnt pav”. It was all 

divine. Sigh. ester-restaurant.com.au 

ADELAIDE 

Chef Jock Zonfrillo showcases locally 

sourced native and wild ingredients 

on a menu that’s as innovative as it 

is interesting. At Restaurant 

Blackwood we ordered fire-pit 

yellow-fin tuna with couscous, karkalla 

and lilly pilly, because we liked the 

sound of the ingredients. We were 

wowed by the game pie, and a 

mushroom, goat’s curd and chestnut 

pasta. restaurantblackwood.com 

South Australian produce including 

veges and herbs from the nearby 

botanic gardens kitchen garden are 

on the menu at the award-winning 

Botanic Gardens Restaurant. 

botanicgardensrestaurant.com.au 

Sleep 

SYDNEY 

The Tank Stream hotel is within walking 

distance of the Opera House, the Royal 

Botanic Garden and the Rocks. Named 

after the Tank Stream, Sydney’s main 

water source in its early days of 

Getting there 

DARWIN 

Holiday Packages 

0800 747 222 

Holidays Travel Brokers 

0800 737 767 


settlement as a penal colony, the hotel 

is a cleverly reimagined 60s office 

block in the heart of the city. stgiles. 

com 

DARWIN 

The Darwin Hilton has recently had a 

$10million refurbishment, with 

stunning results. The rooms are large, 

comfortable and stylishly contemporary. 

There’s a rooftop pool and fitness 

centre and the lobby bar and Mitchell’s 

Grill mean you don’t have to go out 

into the heat to dine. hilton.com 

ADELAIDE 

The Adelaide Hilton’s large, 

comfortable rooms and well-stocked 

bathrooms were a delight after three 

days in a confined space on the 

Ghan. The sunken bar proved a great 

place to catch up with new friends 

from the train. hilton.com 

Play 

SYDNEY 

John Pastor’s Tank Stream Tour of 

the historic CBD provides insightful 

commentary on the Tank Stream, the 

water source for the indigenous 

Gadigal tribe for aeons, and for the 

new penal settlement of Sydney. The 

tour follows the route of the stream 

now buried beneath the pavement. 

golocaltours.com 

DARWIN 

The Defence of Darwin Experience 

provides an interactive, multimedia 

experience of the World War II 

Japanese bombing of the 

Northern Territory capital. 

defenceofdarwin.nt.gov.au 

ADELAIDE 

If you have even half a day to spare, 

do a Barossa Valley wine tour. Book 

through your hotel. 

Air New Zealand operates 

four weekly non-stop 

flights from Auckland to 

Adelaide. Travel to New 

Zealand from Darwin 

via Sydney with alliance 

partner Virgin Australia. 

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, GETTY 


Travel Penang 

A 

TASTE 

OF 

PENANG 

There is a wealth of culinary tradition to be explored in Penang. So when the people 

behind the Madam Woo and Rata restaurants, Josh Emett and Fleur Caulton, took 

some of their staff on a research trip to the Malaysian island, we tagged along. 

STORY ANNA KING SHAHAB 


Travel Penang 

WHEN YOU GO on tour with a group of 

hospitality professionals, it follows that 

your grazing prowess will be put to the test. 

In Penang, however, the constant eating 

doesn’t feel out of the ordinary – everywhere 

you go, people are enjoying food. 

They’re slurping bowls of steaming 

noodle soup, mopping up curry with puffy 

roti and digging into bowls of brightly 

coloured shaved ice. They’re usually dining 

with a friend or two, or in a big family group, 

so the perception of Penangites is that 

they’re always eating, chatting and 

generally having a great old time. 

Fleur Caulton and Josh Emett, the 

founders of the Mayfare Group that owns 

Rata and five Madam Woo restaurants, 

regularly travel to Malaysia and take some 

of their staff with them. 

Every trip is different because each part of 

Malaysia has its own culinary traditions, but 

Penang is special. It is considered by many 

to be one of the most exciting food 

destinations in the world. It also boasts a 

UNESCO World Heritage Site – George 

Town, which is awash with grand old British 

and Chinese-influenced architecture and a 

striking street-art precinct. 

In George Town, you could be sitting in a 

traditional kopitiam (coffee shop) breakfasting 

on kaya (coconut jam) toast, noodle soup 

and thick, sweet coffee while nearby, a 

blacksmith will be forging anchors in his 

foundry in 35-degree heat, a bicycle repair 

shop will be going about its business and 

an elderly woman will be weaving baskets. 

In Penang there’s not so much a sense 

of time standing still, but of tradition 

carrying on; of people working hard to keep 

family businesses going and in doing so, 

perfecting their craft. 

The Woo crew was here to learn about the 

—— 

There’s not so much a sense 

of time standing still, but of 

tradition carrying on; of 

people working to keep 

family businesses going and, 

in doing so, perfecting 

their craft. 

—— 

This page, from above: Fleur Caulton and Josh 

Emett at Ikan Bakar Din Malay fish restaurant; 

Opposite: A satay stall at the night markets. 


Travel Penang 

—— 

Nyonya cuisine isn’t merely 

a meeting of Chinese and 

Malay traditions, but a 

more nuanced hybrid. Every 

Nyonya household puts its 

own stamp on its food. 

—— 

This page, from top: A street stall in George 

Town’s Love Lane; Kek Lok Si Temple. 

Opposite page: a char kway teow street stall. 

best examples of classic dishes. We tasted 

them all over town – and across the bridge on 

the mainland. We tasted versions made in 

street carts, at night markets, in coffee shops, 

in restaurants and in homes. 

Penang’s cultural makeup is composed of 

a majority Chinese population, followed by 

Malay and Indian, as well as a significant 

Nyonya presence. Nyonya (also referred to as 

Peranakan) refers to the offspring of Malay 

and Chinese settlers and the culture dates 

back centuries. There’s also the influence 

of Portuguese, Dutch and British traders 

and colonists. 

The food scene in Penang follows suit. 

There’s a prevalence of Chinese culinary 

traditions from settlers’ home regions. 

You’ll see it in dishes such as Hainanese 

chicken rice, Teochew ais kaching, Hokkien 

noodles or Cantonese roast pork. 

Most of the Indian population traces its 

roots to the south, so there is roti and 

chapati, spicy curries and ghee-rich sweets. 

Indigenous Malay cooking features 

spice-laden pastes and sambals, belacan 

(fermented shrimp paste), local seafood 

(fresh and bountiful on this island) and rice. 

And Nyonya cuisine isn’t merely a meeting 

of Chinese and Malay traditions, but more 

a nuanced hybrid. Every Nyonya household 

puts its own stamp on its food. 

It’s hard to get a handle on Malaysian 

cuisine until you’ve visited the country. But 

four days of exploring Penang with the 

group – and their seemingly bottomless 

hunger for novel and defining experiences 

– had me feeling I’d gained a decent 

knowledge of the island’s food offerings. 

I’d also developed a strong desire to 

return for a second helping. 


Travel Penang 

Eat 

CHAR KUEY TEOW 

A good char kuey teow bears the telltale 

wok hei (breath of the wok), the 

aroma and taste of the flames having 

danced inside the wok. You won’t walk 

more than a few minutes in George 

Town without coming across a hawker 

selling char kuey teow, or head to Cecil 

Street Market or Gurney Drive Night 

Market to sample a few versions. 

PENANG LAKSA 

Challenge your taste buds with Penang 

laksa. Also known as asam laksa 

(asam is tamarind), this soup is made 

both thick and pungent with flaked 

mackerel, chilli and a good dose of nice, 

sour tamarind – hence the name. Our 

group was divided on this dish. One 

member had an endless craving for it, 

I was a willing convert and Emett and 

Caulton weren’t so enamoured. 

NYONYA CUISINE 

Eat in a Nyonya home. At Little 

Kitchen@Nyonya, we dined in the 

main living area of the proprietors’ 

home. Beneath us was a well-worn 

Dutch-tiled floor and around us were 

family photos; an elaborate carved 

wood and marble opium bed; jars 

housing fighting fish, with large 

leaves placed in between to quell 

tempers; herbs, spices and bird-nest 

delicacies and colourful plaster 

relief work depicting Chinese belief 

systems (bats, for instance, which 

represent prosperity and longevity). 

Our host Baba Ji told us the story of 

his Nyonya heritage, the family home 

and how it became renowned for fine 

food (it was his grandfather’s third wife 

who made the kitchen here famous). 

He served us a succession of dishes, 

but the highlight was the wonderfully 

fragrant and textural nasi ulam (herbed 

rice salad) he made at the table, 

slicing the large wad of fresh herbs 60 

times as tradition dictates. 

ROTI TISSUE 

At Kayu Nasi Kandar the roti dough 

is stretched out incredibly thin and 

cooked through on the hot plate 

before being doused with sweetened 

condensed milk, ghee and honey. It’s 

rolled into a cone more than a metre 

tall and presented to the table, then 

everyone digs in with their hands. 

Absolutely delicious. 

MALAY CUISINE 

Feast Malay-style. We drove over 

the bridge to Butterworth to eat at 

Ikan Bakar Din, a popular open-air 

restaurant full of feasting families. 

Cooking revolves round the charcoal 

grill and whole fish, huge prawns, 

lamb and chicken come off the grill 

smoky and succulent with flavours 

from complex spice paste marinades. 

Salads, rice and shellfish round out 

the menu and you order with your 

eyes (which are of course bigger than 

your stomach). You pay for what you 

take. It was utterly delicious; we ate 

like kings for around $10 per person. 

It was a halal eatery, so rather than 

wash it all this down with beer we 

sipped on wonderfully refreshing lime 

juice spiked with salted prunes. 

Getting there 

Air New Zealand offers non-stop 

flights from Auckland to Singapore, 

with ongoing connections to 

Penang. 


0800 747 222 


0800 737 767 


Sleep 

EASTERN & ORIENTAL HOTEL 

Arriving at the grand entrance of the 

Eastern & Oriental Hotel (eohotels. 

com) at the end of a hard day’s eating 

is a treat. Inside the Victory Annexe, 

built in 2013, the suites are luxuriously 

appointed yet reasonably priced, with 

calming views of the Straits, especially 

from the deck swimming pool. During 

cocktail and nibbles hour in Planters 

Lounge, you’ll find the most delicious 

peanuts. visitpenang.gov.my 

PHOTOGRAPHY DAZ CAULTON, GETTY 


Travel Christchurch 

The George hotel. We’ve had a couple of 

celebrations there. And, of course, I love a 

good roast lamb with my family around. 

There’s nothing better than everyone 

pitching in and making a meal together. 

My place 

Multiple gold medal-winning para-swimmer 

Sophie Pascoe explains why Christchurch remains 

the city she wants to live and train in. 

My favourite shops in Christchurch are 

home decor places. I feel very grown up 

now that I’ve bought a home, I’m buying 

things like new tables instead of clothes. 

I’m a big advocate of Ballantynes 

[department store]. I love the fact that it’s 

Christchurch-owned, and they’ve kept it 

modern and up to date, but they cater for 

the older generation too. 

I really like the shops around Merivale 

and Victoria Street. They’ve made them 

very trendy. And the Woolston shops. The 

Tannery has some funky shops too. 

I GREW UP HERE on a lifestyle block in 

Halswell. But really, I had two homes – I 

lived at my parents’ house and at QEII 

[Recreation and Sport Centre in North 

New Brighton]. 

I spent four hours a day training there, 

sometimes more, so people got to know me 

pretty well. I’ve always had the support of 

the community behind me. 

After the 2011 earthquake QEII was so 

damaged it had to be demolished. It was 

tough. I had made it my home, and then all 

of a sudden, my world was flipped upside 

down. Now I’m training at Jellie Park. It does 

the job, but it has been a lot of sacrifice. 

The earthquakes showed me how our 

community reacts when a disaster strikes, 

how close we really are and how we support 

one another. Christchurch is a really 

powerful place with strong people. When 

I say I’m a proud Cantabrian, there’s a lot 

more behind that than just the words. 

Before the earthquakes, I took Christchurch 

for granted and enjoyed spending time 

away, but nowadays it’s nice to be home. 

I appreciate it a lot more. 

When I’m away from Christchurch I miss 

doing things around my house – landscaping, 

picking out decor and making it my dream 

home. Last year, I spent eight months 

travelling, living out of a suitcase. I missed 

being able to walk around and interact 

with people I know. And I missed the 

luxury of having a good coffee in New 

Zealand. You can’t beat our baristas. 

I’ve got a real love for food and I’m 

constantly hungry because of training! 

My partner Tom and I go to Dux Dine on 

Riccarton Road for breakfast as our Sunday 

ritual. Mexicano’s is always enjoyable. It’s 

not your traditional Mexican – it has a 

twist. For fine dining, I enjoy Pescatore at 

When I get the weekend off Tom and I go 

to the Saturday markets in Riccarton. It’s 

always nice to get our fresh fruit and veges 

from there. We walk around the Botanic 

Gardens in Hagley Park at least once a 

month. And I had a great day recently at 

the Lyttelton Farmers Market. 

That’s what I like about Christchurch 

– there are so many different spots. We 

may not have the big towering 

skyscrapers, but we have a city and 

beautiful hills, beaches and countryside. 

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to 

enjoy yourself. 

For a romantic time we’ll plan a weekend 

break, because it’s hard to spend quality 

time together here in Christchurch – we 

get too distracted by friends and family. 

Opposite: Sophie 

Pascoe takes a 

break from training. 

Clockwise from top left: 

The Tannery shopping 

and restaurant complex; 

the George hotel; 

Riccarton House 

market; Akaroa Harbour. 


Travel Christchurch 

—— 

‘Before the earthquakes, 

I took Christchurch for 

granted and enjoyed 

spending time away, but 

nowadays it’s nice to be 

home. I appreciate 

it a lot more.’ 

—— 

We recently had a great day trip to Akaroa 

and the French market. It’s only an hour 

away from Christchurch. You’ve got the sea 

right there, and you can sit outside in the 

breeze and enjoy each other’s company. 

Hanmer Springs, which is about an 

hour and a half away, is a little more 

adventurous. You can have a relax in the 

hot pools and hang around the bach or do 

some four-wheel driving, jet-boating or 

bungy jumping. 

When I’m stressed out I go to the cinema 

in Sumner or the one in The Colombo 

mall. When I’m in a movie, my cellphone 

is turned off and I can get completely 

engrossed in a new world. It’s my way 

of relaxing. 

When it comes to my swimming career 

I don’t need to move anywhere else. I can’t 

fault what we have down here. The highperformance 

centres up in Auckland have a 

lot more people to cater for, and you tend 

to get a little lost. 

Here, we don’t have as many highperformance 

athletes. But don’t get me 

wrong – the sporting scene in Christchurch 

is definitely growing, because people are 

realising they can settle here and still 

be a world champion. 

Clockwise from left: 

poolside at Jellie Park; 

The Christchurch 

Botanic Gardens 

Visitor Centre; Hanmer 

Springs; Ballantynes 

department store. 

STORY INDIA LOPEZ PHOTOGRAPHY PETRA MINGNEAU, ALAMY, GETTY, ONESHOT 


Travel Stay 

Fiji 

Vomo Island Resort 

BY JACQUI LOATES-HAVER 

VOMO ISLAND RESORT is a private 

paradise 15 minutes by helicopter or 

seaplane from Nadi airport, or 75 minutes 

by boat from Denarau marina. Vomo is a 

91ha dot in Fiji’s Mamanuca Island group, 

but what an island it is. On arrival you’re 

greeted with smiles, fresh apple juice and 

a rendition of Bula Maleya, the island’s 

cheerful welcome song. 

The resort has 28 villas, all impressive. 

Some line the beachfront, seven are 

nestled into the hillside of Mt Vomo and 

afford additional privacy and spectacular 

views. There are beachfront retreats, which 

house larger groups, and four residences 

which come with a concierge butler service. 

Happily, the layout of the island has been so 

thoughtfully designed that sightings of other 

guests are relatively few and far between. 

Besides swimming, scuba diving and 

snorkelling safaris, you can play the nine-hole 

golf course or tennis, relax at the divine Kui 

Spa, work out at the gym or partake of a picnic 

on nearby Vomo Lailai (Little Vomo Island). 

Chef Nic Samaras serves a wonderful 

produce-driven menu at the resort’s two 

restaurants and before dinner it’s worth 

visiting the Rocks Bar for an evening 

cocktail to enjoy what is arguably the best 

sunset view anywhere. 

Vomo is the last word in luxury and, 

surprisingly, it’s also family friendly, with 

a kids’ village complete with attentive staff, 

a dedicated chef, baby butlers and a treasure 

trove of toys, games and dress-up costumes. 

vomofiji.com 

Clockwise from top: 

The Palms pool; a beach 

villa; and the main pool 

and pool-side bar. 


Travel Stay 

Philippines 

Amorita Resort 

BY SHARON STEPHENSON 

A RESORT WITH a name that means “little 

darling” was never going to be ordinary, and 

this hidden retreat on lush Panglao Island can 

definitely be filed under “special”. 

There are 96 suites, across four room types, 

including swanky villas with their own plunge 

pools. All look like the kind of minimalist 

industrial apartment your bachelor friend 

with good taste might own. 

They have concrete floors, mid-century 

modern furniture, muted colours and natural 

wood. It’s gorgeous, but not intimidating. 

I stayed in the Junior Suite, which is 

basically one large room, but the clever layout 

makes it feel like a well-sectioned unit. A plus: 

everything in the mini-bar is complimentary 

(other hotels, take note) and replenished 

twice daily, along with baked treats such 

as macaroons and brownies. 

There are two infinity pools, both with 

magnificent views over the nearby milky 

white Alona Beach, as well as Sea Tree Spa, 

which offers traditional massage therapies 

and treatments using home-grown essential 

oils. The two restaurants – the poolside 

Saffron, which serves a mixture of Filipino and 

international food, and the Tomar, a dinneronly 

restaurant specialising in tapas – mean 

you don’t have to go far to fill your belly. If 

you must leave the property, mountain bikes, 

kayaks and paddle boards can be rented. 

There are more restaurants and bars further 

down the beach, but development has been 

strictly controlled, so mercifully there are few 

tourists to ruin the view. 

amoritaresort.com 

Clockwise from 

top: The Amorita 

Resort pool; Saffron 

restaurant; and 

an ocean villa. 


Travel Spa 

Auckland 

East Day Spa 

BY JACQUI LOATES-HAVER 

EAST DAY SPA is a Balinese-inspired 

haven in the middle of Auckland’s CBD. 

The rooms are low-lit and pleasantly 

scented, the staff attentive and serene. 

There is music to soothe and, on arrival, 

fruit tea to refresh. It’s easy to see why East 

Day Spa won awards in the last two World 

Spa Awards (it has also been nominated 

in two categories for this year’s awards). 

The treatment menu offers many 

restorative ways to slough away the 

remnants of winter, including the 

signature Codage Paris Body Scrub, which 

is available with anti-ageing or intense 

hydration formulations. 

It is 45 minutes your body will thank you 

for – enjoy a full rub-down using a finely 

milled scrub of oils, sugar and rice particles 

to buff, boost and refine skin texture. 

After a warm shower, moisturiser is 

slathered on and massaged into the skin, 

and it leaves you feeling rather fantastic. 

It’s worth booking in for a Prêt-à-Porter 

facial, also using Codage products which 

the therapist will tailor to your skin type 

and needs. It’s 30 minutes which will 

restore your skin to its hydrated best. 

eastdayspa.com 

Clockwise from top left: The soothing environment 

at East Day Spa; a relaxing massage; the rooms are 

low-lit and pleasantly scented. 


Business 

Green buildings are 

the way of the future 

for residents, business 

tenants and landlords 

alike (see page 100). 

 

84 

CULINARY HEIGHTS 

The whirlwind life of Kiwi 

fusion cuisine pioneer, 

Peter Gordon. 

90 

DESIGN CENTRAL 

Ed Cruikshank’s furniture 

and the Otago factor. 

 

96 

BUSINESS BRIEFS 

News in a nutshell. 

100 

HOME TRUTHS 

Our green building boom 

and why it matters. 


Business Enterprise 

Culinary 

heights 

Peter Gordon is hailed as a fusion 

cuisine hero, but he refuses to rest 

on his laurels. He works hard to 

maintain his edge – and eateries 

on opposite sides of the globe. 

STORY SHELLEY HOWELLS 

PHOTOGRAPHY JOSH GRIGGS 

WE’RE ON TOP of the world, aka Peter 

Gordon’s Sugar Club restaurant up at the 

pointy end of Auckland’s SkyTower. A 

terrible place for an interview. The 

unrivalled eagle’s-eye view of the city and 

its twinkling, island-strewn Hauraki Gulf 

on a bright winter day is very distracting, 

especially when people in high-vis overalls 

start tottering past – outside – along the 

tower’s 1.2m-wide SkyWalk, a vertiginous 

192m above the ground. 

Gordon’s own balancing act is every bit as 

dizzying. The celebrated Whanganui-born, 

London-based chef pioneered and refined 

fusion, by cleverly combining ingredients 

from different cuisines. At the time – the 

late 80s and early 90s in the original Sugar 

Club restaurants in Wellington and London – 

Peter Gordon 

continues to ride high 

– and his Brompton 

folding bike. 



it was shocking, revolutionary; today 

we all put miso in our kumara mash. 

He has spent most of his working life 

juggling several projects, at least a couple 

of restaurants and various international 

time-zones. He runs top restaurants (The 

Providores and Tapa Room in London, and 

Auckland’s Bellota and The Sugar Club), is an 

Air New Zealand consultant chef, co-founder 

of London’s Crosstown Doughnuts, cookbook 

author, restaurant consultant, newspaper 

columnist, telly personality, in-demand chef, 

member of the UK’s Sustainable Restaurant 

Association, superior charity fundraiser and, 

by all accounts, top bloke. 

It’s a seven-day-a-week gig which might 

understandably leave many 50-somethings 

in shreds. But here he is, fresh as a daisy, 

and happy to take time out to have a chat, 

cheerfully endure a photo shoot and put 

up with us nosing around his kitchen. 

After more than three decades he is still 

at the top of his game. But it’s a punishing 

schedule, “a seven-day working week,” he 

says. “There’s a lot of time spent catching up 

on emails. At least a couple of hours every 

day on the computer on non-work days. 

“When I’m in New Zealand I’ll get up in 

the morning and check emails from London, 

then I’ll do Sugar Club stuff and then some 

Bellota work. Then there will be a meeting, 

a school visit or something. I might be in 

the kitchen, or out in the restaurant in the 

evening. When I get back to my room 

tonight, about 11pm, I’ll check emails from 

London. It’s constant.” 

How does he do it? “I have no idea,” he 

says, laughing. “I think I’m just used to it. 

I’ve been coming to New Zealand five or six 

times a year for the last 13 years. I have a lot 

of staff who don’t know what I’m like without 

jet lag. I’m often a bit dopey and I sort of 

flake out about 7pm for the first few days.” 

Maintaining success, he says, requires 

flexibility. “You always need to be willing 

to adapt and change – that’s key.” 

He cites the example of Auckland 

fine-dining restaurant, Dine by Peter 

Gordon, which made a big splash, back in 

the day. But as the Federal Street dining 

scene grew – ably shepherded by Gordon, 

who suggested adding Al Brown (Depot 

Eatery, Federal Delicatessen) and Nic Watt 

(Masu) to the scene – he noticed numbers 

at Dine thinning a bit. 

“That more formal style of dining was 

becoming less popular too. Dine’s heyday 

had gone, and I recognised that and moved 

on.” Besides, he’d always had his eye on a 

spot at the top of that tower… 

This page and 

opposite: Gordon 

working with 

colleagues at The 

Sugar Club restaurant, 

high up in Auckland’s 

SkyTower. 

“But mainly, it’s all about staffing and 

collaboration. You might have the big idea, 

but if you don’t have a great manager and 

a great head chef then you’re in trouble. 

“The way I’ve always run the kitchens is 

collaborative. ‘Peter Gordon’ is the name 

on the door, but there will be dishes that 

I’ve had 100 percent to do with, some I’ve 

collaborated on with the chefs and dishes 

that I’ve had nothing to do with. 

“In London it’s the same. We might give 

staff challenges like, ‘Let’s put on a clam dish 

– you’ve got a week to come up with some 

ideas’. I like that. There’s no way I could 

come up with every single dish on every 

menu with everything I’m involved in. 

“And likewise, in order to keep staff, 

from the cheffing point of view they want 

ownership of dishes as well. People are 

really proud to present their dishes.” 

He’s proactive too. Years ago, when asked 

to write his first cookbook, he figured he 

could use some practice so wrote to “all the 

magazines in New Zealand” to ask if he 

could write for them. NZ House & Garden 

took him on. “That became a 14-year 

relationship. Suddenly, I found myself 

writing for a magazine. Then I did some 

more books, a newspaper column. It was 

an organic thing, like most of my career.” 

That said, some things were clearly meant 

to be. Gordon’s 20-plus-year relationship 

with Air New Zealand goes back to his 

beginning – his birth – when he was named 

after his uncle Peter, who worked for the 

company. When he was 15 he applied for 

an apprenticeship with the airline. 

“I was flown from Whanganui to 

Wellington three times, for three different 

interviews,” he says, “but I didn’t get that 

apprenticeship.” Thank goodness. That 

disappointment eventually lead him to a 

job in a restaurant kitchen, and the rest is 

fusion cuisine history. 

Fast-forward to the mid-90s and Gordon, 

head chef at London’s legendary Sugar Club 

restaurant, is flying economy on Air New 

Zealand from Auckland to London, thinking, 

—— 

Gordon’s relationship with 

Air New Zealand goes back 

to his beginning – his birth 

– when he was named after 

his uncle Peter, who worked 

for the company. 

—— 

“the food’s not very nice”. 

Ever the self-starter, he wrote to the 

airline offering his services. By extraordinary 

coincidence, Air New Zealand had just 

written to him to suggest working on a 

project together – the letter arrived in the 

post that afternoon. “Spooky.” 

As an Air New Zealand consultant chef, 

Gordon helps create the dishes served in 

Premium Economy and Business. These days 

he shares the gig with renowned Auckland 

chef Michael Meredith. “We’ll be given a 

brief like, ‘We need a duck dish, Europeanstyle, 

for Beijing.’ Or, ‘We need a lamb dish, 

no polenta, from LA.’ It’s very specific. 

“We have a big meeting in Auckland two 

or three times a year, where we strategise, 

discuss any new routes, what’s working and 

what’s not. And then in London we have 

regular menu presentations at Heathrow. 

“We aim to provide food that’s really 

tasty, full of punchy flavour and texture. 

Moisture in the food is really good, because 

on a plane you might feel dehydrated. We 

try to be seasonal as well.” 

He agrees some airline food can have a bit 

of a bad reputation, but says it doesn’t have 

to be that way. “I fly all different airlines 

because I need to know what our competitors 

are up to and, yes, some of it is pretty bad. 

But I don’t think it needs to be. You can have 

restaurant quality food in the air. It’s all 

about how much the airline prioritises it. 

“Air New Zealand’s food and beverage 

offering is really important to them; it’s key. 

They invest a lot of time and resources in to it 

and we do really well. Considering the size of 

the airline, compared with some enormous 

ones, the number of food and beverage 

awards we’ve won over the years is huge.” 

For all his success, Gordon wasn’t able to 

dodge “a bit of a mid-life crisis” last year. 



Clockwise from left: 

Gordon has a laugh 

with the team; the jawdropping 

view from the 

restaurant; and Gordon 

on his Brompton bike. 

Looking back, he puts it down to exhaustion, 

after having fewer than four months to 

complete his book, Savour: Salads for all 

Seasons, during which he had two full-on 

working trips back to New Zealand. 

“It was the most stressful time. Chaos. 

Almost unbelievable. 

“As we shot the book’s last photo I was 

vomiting in the bathroom upstairs.” 

Then came the doubts. “A big mid-life 

crisis; a period where I thought, ‘Is Peter 

Gordon relevant on the food scene any 

more? Is my food really boring?’ In the old 

Sugar Club days I knew I was relevant. In the 

Dine days I knew I was relevant. But then I 

had a moment when I thought, ‘What is the 

point of me these days?’ It was quite healthy, 

but it was unexpected.” 

The cure, as is so often the case in life, 

was a great meal with old friends. To 

celebrate the 15th anniversary of The 

Providores and Tapa Room there was a 

get-together of some of the restaurants’ 

“alumni”, including impressive talent such 

as Brad Farmerie, the Michelin-starred 

executive chef of PUBLIC restaurant in 

New York; Kiwi Miles Kirby co-founder of 

London’s popular, award-winning 

restaurant group Caravan; Selin Kiazim, 

restaurateur, cookbook author and Great 

British Menu 2017 contestant; and Kiwi 

Anna Hansen, chef and owner of The 

Modern Pantry. 

“It turned out to be a big love-fest,” says 

Gordon. “We all cooked, and people talked 

about their time at The Providores, what it 

meant to them and how it helped them on 

their way. It was like a marker of many 

people’s careers.” 

—— 

‘In the old Sugar Club days 

I knew I was relevant. In the 

Dine days I knew I was 

relevant. But then I had a 

moment when I thought, 

“What is the point of me 

these days?” ’ 

—— 

And his new book was a triumph. “I’m really 

proud of the book. But I can’t believe I did it. 

The book, the alumni dinner, it was all lovely 

and it all suddenly seemed quite relevant.” 

As if to emphasise the point, recently 

Matt Tebbutt, the host of UK cooking show 

Saturday Kitchen had to publicly apologise 

for admiring Gordon. Newspapers reported 

that the show’s guest chef, Anna Hansen, 

declared Gordon the “godfather of fusion”. 

Tebbutt agreed, a bit too strongly for live 

television: “I think he’s a genius. I think 

he’s (expletive) brilliant.” 

Gordon grins when I mention the story. 

“That was quite good wasn’t it,” he says, 

with a wicked laugh. 

A couple of days later, during our photo 

shoot, the revered chef is acting the goat. 

He’s taken his cherished Brompton folding 

bicycle to the Sugar Club kitchen to show it 

to staff before opening. But that’s not quite 

enough. He climbs on and suddenly he’s 

whizzing through the upmarket restaurant, 

really rather close to impeccably dressed 

tables and fragile, expensive-looking objets 

d’art. Everyone’s falling about laughing and, 

of course, everyone has to have a go too. 

Fifteen minutes later, they’re all back in 

the kitchen, hard at work. 

It’s classic Peter Gordon fusion, be it in the 

kitchen, boardroom or on a bike: take a cool 

idea, put it in a new and unexpected context 

and get everybody on board for the ride. 


Business Briefs 

Q&A 

Debbie 

Humphrey 

FOUNDER OF SPRING 

The award-winning entrepreneur 

has been designing growth 

strategies for corporations and 

businesses for 16 years. 

KIWI ENTERPRISE 

News from the country’s shakers, movers and innovators. 

BY MATT PHILP 

What has experience taught you? 

Progress is 10 times slower than you’d 

like. There’s no such thing as an overnight 

success and no such thing as loss or 

failure – just a lesson. 

What makes New Zealand entrepreneurs 

stand out on the world stage? 

The consistent theme of 2010 research 

I was involved in is that New Zealand has 

striking levels of innovation that we 

don’t often appreciate. But where we are 

outstanding at innovation, we are weak 

in commercialisation. 

What’s the next big thing? 

Everything digital. There will be drastic 

changes in the application of technology 

to everyday lives and businesses. 

What stops people succeeding? 

Focus. There are often opportunities on 

the journey. The trick is to identify the 

ones that are aligned to success and the 

ones that are distractions. The biggest 

challenge is to say no. 

Who is your mentor? 

My husband. Mentor, cheerleader, 

counsel, friend and everything else 

required to support me in my passion. 

How do you achieve work-life balance? 

No business owner with passion to grow 

has “work-life balance”. We don’t see our 

business as work but as our passion, so 

there isn’t work, just life. Entrepreneurs 

shouldn’t apologise for having a mission. 

It’s what makes them who they are. 

spring.co.nz 

Pitch perfect 

They call it glamping, and for those who like their outdoor adventures less basic, it leaves 

camping for dust. Canopy Camping was set up in 2012 by Wellington friends Liz Henderson 

and Sonia Minnaar to connect holidaymakers with hand-picked, quirky-but-comfy hideaways 

around the country. “You feel immersed in nature and connected to the outdoors, but at 

the same time it’s easy and comfortable – and a little bit luxurious,” says Henderson. 

canopycamping.co.nz 

IN THE GAME 

If you think the days of board games are over, you 

haven’t heard Shem Phillips’ story. The Kapiti Coastbased 

designer behind Garphill Games has launched 

a string of popular titles into the international board 

game market since 2007. They include the muchlauded 

Viking-themed Raiders of the North Sea. 

Raiders was nominated for the prestigious Spiel des 

Jahres awards, the Oscars of board games. 

garphill.com 

Suits you Barkers has released a limited-edition business travel suit, 

which is made from a 70 percent woollen-blend fabric that’s water, 

stain and wrinkle resistant. The suit, which is slim-fit and currently 

only available in navy, features 10 internal “organisational” pockets, 

including a hidden mobile phone pocket with a headphone jack 

keyhole. Jacket, $499.99; trousers, $199.99. 

barkersonline.co.nz 


Business Briefs 

WASTE NOT 

A Lake Wakatipu development will be New 

Zealand’s first zero-net-energy campground. 

Camp Glenorchy, due to be completed this year, 

will have optimally insulated cabins, low-energy 

lighting, rainwater and grey-water collection, 

and composting toilets. The vision of 

philanthropists Debbi and Paul Brainerd, the 

camp will also be educational. Using in-room 

control panels, guests can track their heating 

and water use. theheadwaters.co.nz 

In the bag What parent doesn’t want a hand? Enter My Baby 

Bag, a new website-based service from baby supplies delivery 

firm The Baby Bag. Place your order just once for the nappies, 

food and other bits and pieces you need for baby, and the 

service then adapts subsequent deliveries according to 

baby’s age and stage. Founder Jessie Jarvie (above, centre) says 

the response has been overwhelming. “We’re so chuffed to be 

making a difference to the lives of busy parents.” thebabybag.co.nz 

FESTIVAL ON DEMAND 

A selection of local movies shown at the New 

Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) 

can now be rented through a NZIFF video-ondemand 

platform. The service, in partnership 

with video technology outfit SHIFT72, already 

has films from Florian Habicht, Summer 

Agnew and Adam Luxton, Jeremy Dumble, 

Simon Ogston and Rebecca Tansley. There are 

also plans to release more titles, as well as 

screen NZIFF premieres simultaneously online 

and on screen. nziff.co.nz 

Taste of success 

No robots. That’s one of the secrets 

behind Pure Delish, says Karen Staples, 

founder of the gourmet cereal and 

baked-goods company that turns 20 this 

year: “We truly believe our products are 

better because they’re made by people, 

not machines.” 

It has been a topsy-turvy ride for 

Pure Delish, which has grown from a 

small Christmas-cake venture into a 

multi-million-dollar brand, pioneering 

the local premium breakfast cereal 

market. There have been plenty of 

challenges, not least convincing 

supermarkets that shoppers would pay 

extra for handmade cereals, snack bars, 

slabs and cookies. The advent of gourmet 

retailers such as Farro Fresh has helped. 

How does she feel about the 20-year 

milestone? “Incredibly gratified. To see 

something grow from the seed of an idea 

into a recognised brand is nothing short 

of amazing.” puredelish.co.nz 

New Zealand film On an Unknown Beach 

by Adam Luxton and Summer Agnew. 


Culture 

Wellington’s Nobel Rot 

Wine Bar has more 

than 400 wines on offer, 

more than 40 of which 

you can buy by the 

glass (see page 114). 

 

110 

THE GARDEN PATH 

Tamsin Wilson’s business 

growing edible flowers 

and herbs is flourishing. 

114 

CITY ON A PLATE 

Wellington serves up a 

top selection of eateries, 

bars and sweet treats. 

118 

NEW AND INTERESTING 

118 Food, wine and beer 

Fresh from producers. 

124 Toys and motoring 

Tech triumphs and an SUV. 

126 Wear it, do it 

Fashion, beauty, wellness. 


Culture Food 

The Garden Path 

It has taken a few years and some tough on-the-job learning, but Tamsin Wilson’s rural 

Auckland business growing edible blooms, garnish leaves and herbs is flourishing. 

STORY SHELLEY HOWELLS PHOTOGRAPHY TODD EYRE 

This page: Tamsin Wilson 

in her Secret Garden. 

Opposite: The property in 

Auckland’s south is also 

home to ducks; Wilson 

helps with the picking. 

GROWING EDIBLE FLOWERS looks and 

sounds like a charming, idyllic kind of job. 

A lifestyle of bright, dew-dappled mornings 

filled with armfuls of fragrant blooms, 

perhaps occasionally plucking at an errant 

weed or two… 

The reality, of course, is a bit different. 

More dirt-under-the fingernails, slugsquashing 

hard graft than days spent 

frolicking in meadows. 

But Tamsin Wilson of The Secret Garden 

wouldn’t have it any other way. A keen 

gardener since she was a child in England, 

Wilson studied agriculture at university and 

went on to a career working for NGOs and 

charities around south-east Asia, and 

consulting in the UK. 

Then she and her Kiwi husband Pete, a 

forester, had their first baby and decided to 

move to New Zealand. They settled on a nice 

bit of land with a “freezing, draughty old 

cottage” in Patumahoe, a rural community 

in southern Auckland. 

The Secret Garden specialises in growing 

edible blooms, garnish leaves and unusual 

produce, largely for the high-end restaurant 

market. It also offers greens – think 

dandelion leaves, wood sorrel, swine cress 

and yarrow – foraged from around the 

neighbourhood. Talk about on trend. 

“It was a friend who had the idea to grow 

edible flowers,” says Wilson, from the 

comfort of the now renovated cottage on 

the lifestyle block that’s home to her 

business, dairy goats, ducks, chickens, sheep 

and children, Lena, 12, and Callum, 10. 

“I thought it was a crazy idea. And then 

I just came around to it over time.” 

That was five years ago. The first year she 

grew only edible flowers and baby radishes. 

There was no money in it, but Wilson saw 

the potential, despite the challenges. 

The aim to be as sustainable as possible 

by using no artificial fertilisers and 

pesticides made growing on a commercial 

scale more difficult. 

The vagaries of the Kiwi climate, choosing 

the right plants to grow in a fickle market 

and not really knowing a lot about making it 

all work were also challenges. Suffice to say 

there was a lot of on-the-job learning. 


Culture Food 

Clockwise from top left: Wilson with some of her 

colourful harvest and “the secret ladies”, who check 

every leaf and petal for imperfections and bugs. 

—— 

It’s labour-intensive work. 

Everything is hand-sown, 

hand-picked and sorted 

by a crack team of local 

employees known as 

the ‘secret ladies’. 

—— 

“At the beginning I was doing huge 

hours and definitely not getting enough 

sleep. I realised that I had to get to a scale 

where it would be worth the time I had 

put into it,” she says. 

But the time was right and early on 

leading chefs such as Ben Bayly (The Grove, 

Baduzzi, television’s My Kitchen Rules) and 

Nic Watt (Masu) were, and still are, keen 

customers. 

Each year the garden beds and poly tunnels 

increased in size – “pretty much doubled 

year-on-year” – and the range increased. 

“Two years ago I decided to have a go at 

growing mixed boxes of garnish leaves and 

the business really took off from there.” 

The leaves get them through winter, when 

flowers are not so abundant. “As a business 

that has saved us. If we didn’t have them it 

would have been a really tough winter.” 

It’s labour-intensive work. Everything is 

hand-sown, hand-picked and sorted by a 

crack team of local employees, known as the 

“secret ladies”, who check each leaf and petal 

to ensure perfection (and no rogue bugs). 

It’s amazing what you can eat. Begonias, 

for example. They taste tart and the young 

leaves have a pleasing crunch. Pine needles 

are foraged for infusions and some chefs 

love lichen. Trend alert – succulents are so 

hot right now, on your plate as well as on 

your windowsill. (Health and safety check: 

obviously you need to know what you are 

doing. You can’t just run around munching 

on random bits of greenery without risk of 

poisoning yourself.) 

Other edibles the Secret Garden grows 

include myoga ginger (the flower buds are 

edible and are often pickled) and horseradish 

(adds delicious heat when grated on a steak. 

It grows like a weed but its tap root is 

fiendishly reluctant to release its grip). 

Also, Chinese artichokes, root vegetables 

that look pleasingly like a row of little white 

beads (but only after the secret ladies have 

completed the unbelievably laborious job of 

cleaning them). These were seen on plates at 

Peter Gordon’s The Sugar Club in Auckland 

this year. Other leading customers include 

Seafarers Members Club, Hilton, Clooney, 

Soul, Huka Lodge and, as of last year, 

high-end restaurants in Hong Kong. 

But these are not just for fancy 

restaurants. Home cooks can get their 

hands on punnets of The Secret Garden’s 

edible flowers – polyanthus, pansies, violas, 

dianthus, rosemary, chrysanthemums, 

cornflowers and more – at Moore Wilson’s 

in Wellington and Auckland’s Farro Fresh. 

Wilson’s favourite way to use them is to 

mix them through cream cheese or butter: 

“Do a garlicky butter with some lemon zest 

and salt and pepper, chop up some flowers 

and mix them in. It looks really pretty.” 

Happily, now the worst of the growing 

pains of the young business are over, Wilson 

has more time to stop and smell the roses – 

and perhaps toss a few into a salad. 

secretgarden.co.nz 


Culture Food and Drink 

CITY ON A PLATE 

Wellington 

New Zealand’s capital is a 

culinary mecca – a land of great 

coffee, world-beating craft 

brews and an ever-changing 

array of eateries and bars. 

Here are some favourites. 

STORY SHARON STEPHENSON 

Eat 

THE BOTANIST 

219 Onepu Rd. Open seven days 9am-10pm 

If you enjoy plant-based kai, try this seaside 

vegetarian/vegan cafe. The vege fry-up 

features the surprisingly tasty “facon” (fake 

bacon) while the sake and miso aubergine 

with pan-fried satay bok choy is like a kiss 

from an angel. thebotanistlyallbay.co.nz 

SWEET BAKERY & CAKERY, 

CUBA STREET 

268 Cuba St. Open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm (8pm 

Fri), Sun 10am-6pm 

The younger sister of the Karori store 

opened last October and has quickly proved 

to be a hit. Owner Grace Kreft, who left a 

career in law to follow her sweet tooth, has 

dreamed up new delights, including salted 

caramel popcorn cupcakes. For something 

truly decadent, try an Oreo hot chocolate. 

sweetbakery.co.nz 

MR GO’S 

59 Taranaki St. Mon-Sat 11.30am-late 

This Kiwi take on an Asian hawker market 

has everything from classic duck pancakes 

to Taiwanese popcorn chicken. mrgos.co.nz 

Clockwise from top 

left: Shepherd; Mr 

Go’s; the team behind 

Rita (Matt Hawkes, 

Kelda Hains and 

Paul Schrader); The 

Botanist; Botanist coowners, 

sisters Lydia 

Suggate and Maria 

Boyle; and Grace Kreft 

at Sweet Bakery 

& Cakery, Cuba Street. 

R ITA 

89 Aro St, Open Tue-Sat from 5.30pm 

The team behind Nikau Café has opened an 

intimate new eating house on Aro St. Rita 

offers a three-course set dinner menu of 

simple, seasonal favourites from Tuesday 

to Saturday. rita.co.nz 

SHEPHERD RESTAURANT 

1/5 Eva St. Open Wed-Sun 5.30pm-late 

A restaurant opened by two of Wellington’s 

hospo stalwarts should be good, right? And 

it is. This collaboration between Shepherd 

Elliott and Sean Golding offers modern-day 

Kiwi cuisine. shepherdrestaurant.co.nz 


Culture Food and Drink 

Drink 

HUGO’S WHISKY LOUNGE 

14 Courtenay Pl. Open Tue-Thu 5pm-2am, 

Fri 3pm-3am, Sat 5pm-3am 

Wellington’s only dedicated whisky and 

cigar bar opened in February and provides 

a welcome escape from the noise of the 

capital’s party strip. With 150 whiskies 

on offer, you’ll never get bored. 

TOKEYO IZAKAYA DEN 

19 Edward St. Open Tue-Sat 5pm-late People 

of a certain age will remember this spot 

as the legendary Mexican Cantina. Now 

it’s a slither of Japan dropped into the hip 

backstreets of Wellington. Tokeyo, inspired 

by Japan’s underground izakaya bars, has 

a varied drinks list, including six different 

sakes. whg.co.nz/tokeyo 

NOBLE ROT WINE BAR 

6 Swan Ln. Open seven days 4pm-late 

With more than 400 wines, including 40- 

plus offerings by the glass, this is a welcome 

addition in a city that has long hogged the 

headlines for craft beer. noblerot.co.nz 

Shop 

V1 VEGAN STORE 

207 Cuba St. Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm 

This cruelty-free store is chocka with 

tasty food, ingredients and treats including 

locally baked cupcakes and “chicken” and 

mushroom pies. There are even vegan pickand-mix 

lollies. v1vegan.com 

From top: Noble Rot; Hugo’s Whisky Bar; 

V1 Vegan Store owners Manda Grubner and 

Russell Holder; and Tokeyo Izakaya Den. 

PHOTOGRAPHY JEFF MCEWEN, JAMES GRIFFIN, JAMES PHILLIPS 


Culture Food News 

EAT, DRINK, COOK 

Fresh news from the New Zealand cuisine scene. 

COMPILED BY SHELLEY HOWELLS 

Dining Out 

DOWN YONDER 

Yonder is a new Queenstown 

cafe, bar and restaurant, in 

historic McNeill’s Cottage. 

Created by the team behind 

World Bar (next door), Yonder 

is open from breakfast time to 

party time. yonderqt.co.nz 

Game changer Gathered Game makes premium, 

naturally cured wild venison salami and deer 

sticks. Priced from $9.95, these are made by 

family artisans using natural ingredients, 

starting with wild organic red deer from licensed, 

sustainable sources. gatheredgame.co.nz 

Crunch time 

From the I Love Pies 

team comes I Love 

Baking cookies, $5. 

Ingredients include 

butter, unrefined 

sugar, date puree (to 

reduce the amount 

of sugar used) 

and wholegrain oats. ilovebaking.co.nz 

DRINKING CHOCOLATE 

There’s dark beer with chocolate aromas, 

such as Boundary Road Brewery’s Chocolate 

Moose, $5.99 for 500ml, which has been 

re-released. And there’s 

dark beer made with real 

chocolate, such as Mac’s 

limited-edition Sweet 

Disposition Chocolate 

Stout ($14.99 per four 

pack), created in 

collaboration with 

Wellington Chocolate 

Factory. We vote try both. 

brb.co.nz and macs.co.nz 

HEAR ME RAW 

Lively Desserts, by 

raw food chef Lauren 

Glucina, are creamily 

indulgent treats 

made with organic, 

ingredients. The 

desserts, $17.99, are 

also vegan and made 

without common 

allergens. 

ascensionkitchen.com 

Stellar start to the day 

Baby oats, a little organic coconut 

sugar, Heilala vanilla, organic chia 

seeds and a probiotic add up to 

a fast, delicious way to start to 

the day. Blue Frog Probiotic 

Porridge comes in individual 

serving sachets ($12.99 for a 

box of eight 40g pockets). 

bluefrogbreakfast.co.nz 

FERIZA’S KITCHEN 

Wynyard Quarter in Auckland is 

home to Feriza’s Kitchen, offering 

traditional and contemporary 

takes on shared mezze dishes 

inspired by the cuisines of 

Turkey, Greece and across the 

Ottoman Empire. ferizas.co.nz 

THE GEORGE HOTEL 

Chef Ryan Henley has returned 

to Christchurch’s The George 

Hotel as chef de cuisine for 

Pescatore restaurant, where he’s 

introduced a new seasonal 

menu. “We are committed to 

using the best, freshest 

ingredients on our doorstep.” 

thegeorge.com/pescatore 


Culture Wine 

1—— 

VILLA MARIA 

2010 Reserve Library 

Release Cabernet 

Sauvignon, Hawkes 

Bay, $69.99 

This seven-year-old 

cabernet sauvignon has 

been carefully cellared at 

Villa Maria and released 

after the tannins have begun 

to mellow and savoury 

bottle-age characters have 

emerged. It’s a special 

occasion wine that certainly 

justifies its premium price. 

Try it with lamb shanks. 

BOB CAMPBELL 

Mr Big 

Lovingly age your cabernet 

sauvignon, but if you can’t 

wait, whip off the screw cap 

straight away and enjoy it 

with roast lamb. 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON CAN make you 

seem like a viticulture expert. The grapevine 

has distinctive leaves that overlap 

themselves giving the appearance of holes. 

So, if you are being escorted through a 

vineyard and spot these leaves, casually 

remark, “I see those are cabernet sauvignon 

vines” and impress your guide. 

Cabernet sauvignon is the “Mr Big” of the 

wine world. It is a grape with thick skin that 

stores colour, flavour and tannins. The wine 

typically has a deep colour, plenty of flavour 

and is quite “grippy” or astringent. 

Tannins (which give the wine grip) are 

nature’s preservative. Red wines with more 

tannin, such as cabernet sauvignon, can 

be aged for longer than softer, lowertannin 

reds such as pinot noir. If, for 

example, you want to buy a wine for 

a newborn and would like it to be 

delicious for their 21st birthday, cabernet 

sauvignon is a good choice. I’d choose one 

with a screw cap. In my experience these 

can more than double the life of a wine and 

cope with imperfect storage conditions 

better than corks. 

Cabernet sauvignon is believed to have 

originated in Bordeaux, the region many 

(including me) believe produces the 

world’s best examples, although these are 

almost always blended with the other red 

grape varieties – merlot, cabernet franc, 

malbec and petit verdot. 

In New Zealand, cabernet sauvignon 

is often the last red harvested. It’s also a 

survivor, thanks to that thick skin which 

helps it resist disease. 

Records show the variety was 

established in New Zealand in 1903, but 

it was almost certainly here before then. 

Winemaking pioneer Tom McDonald put 

the variety on the map with his stylish 

Hawke’s Bay-grown wines in the 60s and 

70s. Today cabernet sauvignon rarely flies 

solo and is often partnered with merlot 

and other Bordeaux varieties to help tame 

its sometimes exuberant astringency. 

Hawke’s Bay and Waiheke Island are our 

“sweet spots”. It’s no coincidence that their 

climates are similar to that of Bordeaux. 

To get the best out of cabernet 

sauvignon (or cabernet sauvignon/merlot 

blends) I recommend you either age 

them in a cool, dark spot for a decade 

or more, or enjoy them with their 

soulmate, roast lamb. 

3—— 

MILLS REEF 

2015 Elspeth Cabernet 

Sauvignon, Hawkes 

Bay, $49.95 

Find a cool, dark spot 

for this supremely 

elegant red and it 

should still be deliciously 

drinkable in a couple of 

decades. Fine-boned 

cabernet sauvignon with 

blackberry/cassis, cigar 

box and very subtle fresh 

herb flavours. 

2—— 

STONECROFT 

2015 Gimblett Gravels 

Cabernet Sauvignon, 

Hawke’s Bay, $47 

A youthful cabernet 

sauvignon that’s begging 

to be lovingly aged for 

at least five years. 

Alternatively, you 

can fire up the barbecue 

and cook a butterflied 

leg of lamb, my favourite 

match for young 

cabernet sauvignon. 


Culture Beer 

1 

—— 

ALICE GALLETLY 

Kingsland, we 

have lift-off 

Out with the elf ears and in with 

the craft beers… Auckland’s hip 

new brewery Urbanaut has 

landed in a space once occupied 

by a costume-hire business. 

WHEN I FIRST moved to Auckland, in 2010, 

I flatted in the inner-city suburb of Kingsland. 

Conveniently, since my friends were going 

through a dress-up party phase at the time, 

the flat was just around the corner from 

New Zealand’s biggest prop and costume 

hire shop, First Scene. Every other weekend, 

my flatmates and I would be in there, trying 

on wigs and elf ears and debating things like 

whether it was possible to score in a medieval 

jester costume (it wasn’t). 

Seven years later, First Scene has moved 

to a larger space in Avondale and a new 

brewery has taken over the premises. In the 

warehouse once piled high with polystyrene 

gravestones and Egyptian mummies, steel 

fermenter tanks hold gallons of fresh pilsner 

and pale ale. 

Like most breweries, it would be an 

unexciting place to visit, except that this 

one has an off-licence. You can taste the 

beers, chat with the team and then walk 

away with a fresh rigger or cans. 

Urbanaut Brewing Co, launched in May, 

is the shared dream of three friends from 

Rangitikei College: Bruce Turner, Thomas 

Rowe and Simon Watson. Unlike many new 

brewers who make the leap from home set-ups 

to commercial beer with zero formal 

training, head brewer Turner has been 

working towards this for a decade. 

The trained engineer and avid snowboarder 

spent 14 years living in the UK, 10 working 

in packaging and production roles at 

heavyweight London breweries Fuller’s and 

Meantime. He also has two formal brewing 

qualifications from the Institute of Brewing 

and Distilling under his belt, and has been 

working with Tuatara here. In other words, 

the man knows what he’s doing. 

“We haven’t come into this game lightly, 

by chance or to just have a crack at making 

beer,” he says. “I only wanted to start Urbanaut 

after honing my skills and knowledge, which 

is why it has been 10 years in the planning.” 

His patience has paid off. I tried the full 

range of beers, each of which is named after 

a hip urban suburb from around the globe. 

There’s Williamsburg IPA, Brixton Pale 

Ale, Gastown Red IPA and Shimokita Lager, 

as well as the flagship beer, Kingsland 

Pilsner. The pilsner and the pale ale were my 

favourites, but without exception the beers 

were clean, well-balanced and flavourful. 

So, while I’ll miss having a place nearby 

where I can pick up a skeleton at short 

notice, Urbanaut is undoubtedly a brilliant 

addition to Auckland’s beer scene. If this is 

how the beers taste at lift-off, I’m excited 

about what happens once they reach orbit. 

urbanautbrewing.co.nz 

UBERNAUT 

Gastown Red IPA 

A brilliant 

ruby-coloured 

IPA, Gastown 

combines 

the citrus, 

grapefruit 

and lychee 

notes of an 

American IPA 

with a rich, malty backbone of toffee, 

caramel and roast. 

2 

—— 

UBERNAUT 

Brixton Pale Ale 

A wellbalanced, 

full-bodied 

pale ale 

brewed with 

a mix of Kiwi 

and American hops. Expect fresh 

tropical fruits on the nose, fruity and 

spicy notes on the palate and a 

subtle bitterness. 

3 

—— 

UBERNAUT 

Kingsland 

Pilsner 

Highly 

effervescent 

with a firm 

head, tight 

bubbles and a 

brilliant pale-golden glow, this is 

a clean pilsner brewed with both 

local and German hops. 


Culture Toys & Motoring 

TOP GEAR 

Cool tech, things for pets and this month’s hottest wheels. 

TOYS JENNY FARRELL MOTORING CAMERON OFFICER 

PET SMART 

Keep tabs on pets while you’re 

away from home with an appcontrolled 

flap. The Microchip 

Pet Door Connect, designed for 

cats and small dogs, uses an app 

and the SureFlap Hub to monitor 

and control your pet’s movements 

in and out of the house. It also 

keeps out intruder animals – 

the flap only unlocks when it 

recognises your pet’s microchip. 

The door and hub together 

cost $360, and the app is free. 

sureflap.com/connect 

A mover and a shaker 

This handsome cocktail tote from New 

York-based W&P Design is the perfect 

gift for the person who has everything. 

The hand-crafted canvas and leather 

carry bag includes all the essentials 

for making cocktails on the 

go, including a shaker, 

muddler and jigger. 

Sewn-in sleeves keep 

bottles and shaker 

upright and secure 

while you’re on 

the move. 

wandpdesign.com 

LIKE A SHOT 

Sony has come out with its most 

technologically advanced and 

innovative digital camera, the new a9, 

$4499. It’s an impressive piece of kit 

– the full-frame mirrorless a9 

combines speed and versatility 

with ease of use. sony.com 

Subaru XV 2.0i 

In a crowded market, this 

Subaru SUV stands out for 

all the right reasons. 

If compact crossover SUVs are where the Kiwi 

market is at, then Subaru must be confident in 

having a sure thing. The new Subaru XV had 

me with its “symmetrical all-wheel drive” 

(an increasing rarity in a market dominated 

by 2WD sales), but there are plenty more 

chocolates in this particular box. 

Subaru New Zealand has come out 

swinging in a competitive market – $39,990 

for the 2.0i Premium ($34,990 for the 2.0i 

Sport). For the amount of standard kit these 

cars arrive with, those are very good 

window stickers. 

The Premium XV comes with 18-inch alloy 

wheels, chrome accents, silver roof rails, a 

sunroof, TomTom satellite navigation (over 

and above standard Apple CarPlay and 

Android Auto phone mirroring systems 

already in the car) and leather-accented seats. 

There’s also a Vision Assist package with 

equipment such as blind-spot monitoring, 

high beam assist, rear cross-traffic alert and 

a new addition – reverse automatic braking, 

to stop you hitting that low wall as you back up. 

The symmetrical all-wheel drive puts this 

car into a different bracket from its more 

urban-style competitors – that of a driver’s 

car, regardless of the surface under the tyres. 

Take cover 

The Velosock Indoor Bike Cover, $74, is the 

solution for those who need to store bikes 

inside or cart them around 

in the car. Made of stretchy 

polyester and spandex, the 

Velosock protects your 

floors, car and most 

importantly, your bike. 

There are 17 cover 

designs on offer and 

even a sock for kids’ bikes. 

velosock.com 

ENGINE: 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer 

TRANSMISSION: Seven-stage Lineartronic automatic 

POWER: 115kW 

TORQUE: 196Nm 

FUEL ECONOMY: 7.0L/100km 

EMISSIONS: 159g/km 

PRICE: $39,990 


Culture Style 

PRETTY IN PASTEL 

Pastels are versatile enough to wear on their own or layered with other shades 

and textures. For an evening look wear a floral print and a detailed heel. 

BY LOUISE HILSZ 

The light fantastic 

Accessorise neutral 

outfits with pastels to 

add a blush of colour. 

1 3 

Prada Etiquette bag, $3350. 

prada.com 

2 

Kathryn Wilson Challis heel, 

$349. kathrynwilson.com 

5 

Deadly Ponies Poucher, 

$119. deadlyponies.com 

4 

6 

1. Lonely Folded top, $225. lonelylabel.com 2. Trelise Cooper Waltz On The Weekend dress, 

$899. trelisecooperonline.com 3. Self Portrait 3D floral mini dress, $695. museboutique.co.nz 

4. World Jeremiah jean, $379. worldbrand.co.nz 5. Twenty-seven Names Waterfall top, $330. 

twentysevennames.co.nz 6. Isaac + Lulu Tiffany dress, $389. sills-and-co.com 

Le Specs Enchantress 

sunglasses, $99.95. lespecs.com 


Culture Style 

BOYS IN BLUE 

Classic denim never goes out of style. Accent it with white and brown to keep your look 

light and fresh and don’t be afraid to mix different shades of the fabric in the same outfit. 

Cool accent 

When plain denim is 

the key component of 

an outift, accessories are 

key to lifting the look. 

2 3 

Dior Homme navy blue 

grained calfskin briefcase, 

$5100. dior.com 

1 

4 

Armani Jeans Squares belt, 

$199. smithandcaugheys.co.nz 

6 

Merchant1948 Georges boot, 

$259.90. merchant1948.co.nz 

5 

7 

1. Working Style dark denim tapered jean, $249. workingstyle.co.nz 2. I Love Ugly tapered denim aged 

jean, $219. iloveugly.co.nz 3. Stolen Girlfriends Club Smith jean, $239. stolengirlfriendsclub.com 

4. Superette Denim Pocket shirt, $199. superette.co.nz 5. Topman washed denim jacket, $95. topman. 

com 6. Huffer Stello jean, $159.90 huffer.co.nz 7. Neuw Rebel skinny jean, $ 189.99. neuwdenim.com 

Calvin Klein City 

watch, $665. 

calvinkleininc.com 


Culture Wellness 

WELL & GOOD 

Hot tips, heavenly scents and sun-smart advice for the new season. 

BY BRONTE CHAPERON 

HEAVEN SCENT 

Relax and unwind with a warm bath and soy 

candle from Ecoya’s new range: Cedarwood 

& Leather, invigorating Spiced Ginger & 

Musk and refreshing Blue Cypress & Amber. 

$52.95 each. ecoya.com. 

IN SEASON 

Kiwifruit are now plentiful, so make the 

most of the juicy, fuzzy-skinned fruit 

that is rich in vitamin C and has good 

levels of fibre and vitamin E, an 

antioxidant. Kiwifruit also contain 

potassium, which can help maintain 

healthy blood pressure; and vitamin A, 

which is important for maintaining 

vision and boosting immunity. 

TRAVEL RIGHT 

Have an important 

meeting after your 

flight and need to 

stay fresh? Aerospace 

Medical Association 

recommends drinking 

about 250ml of water for 

each hour of your flight. 

Hot stuff 

If it still feels a bit chilly for 

outside exercise, try hot 

yoga. Rise Hot Yoga and 

Pilates studio in Auckland 

(risestudio.co.nz) offers 

classes in comfortable 27- to 

30-degree rooms. Founder 

Alexandra Stafford, says 

by using infrared heat, the 

body’s muscles are able to 

relax into postures. “Pairing 

heat with movement 

stimulates blood flow, 

decreases inflammation 

and encourages cellular 

detoxification,” she says. 

SMART SUN MOVES 

New Zealand has the highest rate of 

melanoma in the world, so make time this 

month to review your skin health. Stock up 

on sunblock and book in for an annual skin 

check-up. Dr Maria DS Reeves, founder of 

skin cancer clinic Claris Group (claris.co.nz) 

advises wearing sunblock year round, having 

regular professional check ups, as well as selfchecking 

your skin each month. “Remember, 

you are the owner of your skin, so look after 

it. We do a lot to moisturise and beautify our 

skin, so make regular checks part of your 

skincare routine.” 

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY, ONESHOT

Kia Ora Sept Issue

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