About a year ago Robyn (well Robyn) and I decided to plan a holiday down south along the lines of “Don’t leave home till you’ve seen the country”,  as if we were going anywhere! 
“Where” I said, not really wanting to go as I spend a lot of time in Te Tau Ihu.
Everywhere was the answer and so the planning began.
We wanted to have a look at the West Coast as I had only been there when I flew myself and some friends down to Fox once. As we were going to be travelling with Robyn’s sister Lynn and her husband Chris in their very nice BMW SUV we were to fly to Christchurch (CHCH) first and then start the hikoi from there.
 
24th  August was our projected start date and we pre-booked accommodation and some restaurants in advance.
This was to be a culinary delight trip, lots of good food, better wine and discussions about the Hurricanes V Crusaders and various All Blacks. Of course Chris being a one eyed Canterbrian favoured his mob, and I being  a one eyed Wellingtonian favoured our lot.
 
Ah well, Covid got in the way, in a big way. In the end we had to postpone / cancel accommodation and or restaurants for basically a month. However as we came back to L2 we decided to rebook everything.
 
We finally flew out to CHCH on 28 September 2021. A few days to acclimatise there and then we stuffed our luggage in the Beamer (gosh we take a lot of kit these days) and away.
Through Arthurs Pass (coffee), past Temple Basin where I had learnt to ski many years ago and past Otira where the wife of one of our members was born, to Greymouth for a quick look.  You know apparently there are only about 30,000 people on The West Coast, so we weren’t too surprised to see only a few “Coasters”. They actually do look like normal people, but very friendly.
Lunch at the Great Sandwich Company was great. Then on to our accommodation at Fox Glacier for the night.  Nice seventies style motel and a really great restaurant just next door, Betsey Janes.
Next day onward from Franz Joseph to Queenstown staying in a very fancy apartment with unbelievable lake and Remarkables views.  I mean it was right there!
So, one of the greatest steak restaurants in the world is in Queenstown. It’s called Flame.  It is wonderful. They really know steak but produce a whole bunch of other stuff. Spent a night there sharing my steak for 2 with Robbie.  Rata was another high-quality dining experience.  Very nice wines to help celebrate Robbie and Chris’ birthdays.
2nd September on to Dunedin.  Now, as Robyn is a Princess she has always wanted to stay in a Castle, specifically Larnarch Castle, so that’s where we went. 
Oh boy what an experience.  We had the greatest time there even though we only spent one night and the following day touring around the Castle. 
The room we had was converted from one of the old stables but was extremely well apportioned. Only six rooms in that ex stable but better than most hotel rooms I have stayed in.  The balcony looked out over Deborah Bay and Port Chalmers.  Heaven.  The Castle even has double glazing.  Installed during construction in the 1870’s, far ahead of its time.
We both agreed that we will come back for at least two nights next year.  The dining room was special and the full 4 course meal for $80 each was mouth tingling.
Two more nights in Dunedin at another high-class motor hotel and we managed to find more great restaurants there as well.  Oh and the local Liquorland stocks ALL my wine.
Olvestan House a heritage home that was bequeathed to Dunedin City looks as though the owners have only just stepped out.
Onward again back to CHCH by way of Moeraki (where we bought 4 cooked crayfish for diner at home that night, $35 each).  Fish and chips (grouper) on the wharf from the “Fishwife”,  fish and chip shack on the beach at Moeraki.  They looked so good we had to have some even though it was only 11am.  Then to Oamaru, Timaru etc on the drive north.
Two more nights at Chris and Lynn’s then back to Lower Hutt.  The trip cost a bit but boy it was great.
Whervvvvvvvvever we went we were thanked for our patronage, people were very glad to see us and we were welcomed everywhere.  Hospitality is really struggling down there as well as everywhere else in New Zealand.
These were some of the hidden gems that we discovered in the South and there are many more I haven’t mentioned.  For those who are not familiar with that part of the country I would recommend as a fantastic tourist destination.
 
James