New Zealand Gourmet Cuisine

To explore epicurean experiences in New Zealand Antipodean Luxury Travel will design a seasonal culinary tour to delight the senses. From an Autumnal 7-day trip detailed below, set for April-May taking in the main food regions of New Zealand in the crisp beauty of the changing season, or a Spring journey through farm and orchard enjoying the freshest produce from farm to plate.

Arrive into New Zealand the beautiful alpine resort town Queenstown, where you will transfer to your luxury 5* accommodation, Eichardt’s Private Hotel.

You will then be whisked away by helicopter for a Wild Food Experience where you will head to an altitude of 2000ft to the otherwise inaccessible Tutoko glacier. Then swoop down to Milford Sound where you land on a secluded beach and your host will dive for fish and crayfish straight from the water. You will then be transported to a special place for locally produced sparkling rosé, some of the best in the world – your barbecued crayfish will be partnered with wild-caught venison and New Zealand green-lipped mussels.

Then fly back to your hotel for an exclusive Mixology Session in Eichardt’s Parlour, accompanied by seasonal and famous New Zealand Bluff Oysters.

Dinner will be served at recently opened Eichardt’s Grille, headed by Executive Chef Will Eaglesfield. With unobstructed views of Lake Wakatipu, you will sample a tasting menu of dishes, where everything is homemade, locally sourced and prepared in-house.

Immerse yourself in a Wine Making Experience. Transfer to a Central Otago winery where you will get your hands dirty and be part of the harvest process. Get an appreciation for how the grapes are collected from the vines, transported and pressed in the processing sheds. Get a behind-the-scenes understanding of the making of wine. You will have lunch in the cellars with the winemaker when he will describe the entire fermentation process, the choices around ageing and bottling of the wine in more detail.

Spend the evening with VIP reservations at one of Queenstown’s finest restaurants.

Fly from Queenstown to Christchurch and transfer to historical and private luxury lodge, Otahuna where you’ll be meet by your hosts, Miles Refo and Hall Cannon. Surrounded by 30 acres of Botanical gardens, where around 140 different fruits, vegetables and nuts are harvested each year. After you’ve settled in and enjoyed a delicious lunch, you’ll head out into the gardens to harvest seasonal porcini mushrooms from the roots of the Oak trees.

Take your crop of mushrooms into the lodge’s kitchens for a cooking class under the expert guidance of Executive Chef Jimmy McIntyre where you’ll learn new dishes that incorporate your delicate porcini.

In the evening you will dine on a 5 course meal at the Lodge, with the chefs personally presenting each course to discuss where it has been sourced on the property. Each course is matched with a different glass of New Zealand wine from a range of grape varieties and regions across the country.

Fly to Hawke’s Bay in the North Island, widely known as the “Fruit Bowl of New Zealand”. En-route to your beautiful luxury lodge you will stop off at a local winery to bottle your own Port.

On arrival at your luxury lodge, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, you can choose from a Vegetable Garden Tour with its abundance of vegetables, berries and prolific herbs. Then head out on a Farm Tour and learn about the lodge’s philosophy on farm-to-plate and sustainable farming.

Dine tonight at the lodge either with your fellow guests or in one of the private rooms with pre-dinner drinks, canapés and dinner all made where possible onsite with as much locally sourced farm-to-plate produce as possible.

Start the day off visiting local cheese, chocolate and coffee producers getting a closer look into artisanal food production. Stop off on your tour at local orchards and pick your own fruit to enjoy.

Afterwards, experience one of the highlights of your trip, authentic Maori culture in the Vines. Be welcomed into the vines of one of Hawke’s Bay’s award-winning wineries by a traditional Maori greeting. Spend the afternoon sampling local produce and wine tasting while meeting local Maori leaders and listening to their stories of their ancestors and traditions. A truly memorable experience.

Transfer by road or helicopter to one of the world’s best lodges where you will be stunned by the river side setting and sumptuous surroundings. After touring Huka Lodge’s Queen Bee breeding program, learning about the care of the bees and hives, and sampling some of New Zealand’s premium honey, a wilderness guide will take you downstream to try your hand at catch and release trout fishing. You will be able to stand on the lawn at Huka Lodge and cast a line for trophy sized rainbow and brown trout.

After a three course lunch you will then transfer for a helicopter tour over Mt. Tauhara and the impressive natural thermal springs, where you will take in amazing aerial views of the Craters of the Moon, the northern shores of Lake Taupo and the magnificent Maori Rock Carvings. Your scenic flight ends over the mighty Huka Falls before landing on the lawn at Huka Lodge.

Finish the day with a pre-dinner cocktail overlooking Waikato River, while your personal chef prepares a gourmet five-course dinner at the lodge including petit-fours and local cheese.