The Marlborough wine region is famous for sauvignon blanc, the Martinborough wine region is well regarded for its excellent pinot noirs, while the Waipara region, near Christchurch, is renowned for both its pinot noirs and chardonnays.
Apart from wine, Marlborough is also famous for its bountiful seafood – including fresh ‘green-lipped’ mussels – which can be found in plentiful supply in the charming seaport hamlet of Havelock, once a thriving gold-mining town.
New Zealand born actor Sam Neill has his own vineyard in New Zealand’s South Island. The first vintage (1997 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir) was apparently so popular with locals there was none left over for export.
For each person who lives in New Zealand, the country produces 100kg of butter and 65kg of cheese each year.
New Zealand’s geography includes spectacular landscapes such as the Southern Alps, which is larger than the French, Austrian and Swiss Alps combined.
A good place to start your journey of New Zealand is in the city locals refer to as ‘Windy Wellington’, which oozes a sense of urbaneness. So enamoured, in fact, are Wellingtonians with coffee that the city reputedly has more cafes per head of population than New York.
Although barely a third the size of Auckland, Wellington has made the most of its compact dimensions; it offers all the conveniences of big city living with the charms of village life.
Perched on the edge of a picturesque harbour, Wellington’s colourful Victorian and Edwardian-style cottages dot the undulating hills that overlook Cook Strait. The charming setting belies a colourful social scene renowned for designer boutiques, innovative New Zealand and Pacific Rim cuisine and thriving nightspots. With more than 10 television series and four feature films being made in Wellington annually, some have dubbed the city ‘Wellywood’, especially since Peter Jackson filmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy and, more recently, the King Kong blockbuster here.
Drop in for a trim latte at Caffe L’affare on College Street – one of Wellington’s top roasters, have a decadent brunch at Toast on The Terrace or pore over the papers at Nikau Gallery Cafe in Civic Square. This is a city that is fast becoming better known for its long blacks rather than its All Blacks.
Nearby is the picturesque Martinborough wine region, famous for its luscious pinot noirs, as well as cosy wine bars and restaurants, specialising in the best of the Wairarapa region’s produce, cute B&Bs, boutique hotels, most overlooking the vines.
Across Cook Strait which separates the North and South Islands, 
the small seaport of Picton is gateway to the stunning Marlborough Sounds and Marlborough wine region. Here visitors can taste arguably the best sauvignon blancs produced in the world accompanied by excellent Marlborough cuisine.
Take a cruise to Motuara Island, a bird sanctuary in the outer-Queen Charlotte Sound, then head over to Ship Cove, the starting point of the famous Queen Charlotte Track. Situated at the top of the South Island, Marlborough’s attractions stretch from the scenic Sounds to the rugged splendour of Kaikoura.
Dinner or a leisurely lunch at the brilliant Hotel D’Urville, located in the graceful Old Public Trust Building in the country town of Blenheim, is a must, as is sampling freshly steamed Greenshell mussels at Havelock accompanied by a glass of the renowned sauvignon blanc which has put Marlborough firmly on the international wine map.
At the top north-west corner of the South Island, the seaside township of Nelson is New Zealand’s biggest fishing port and home to the World of Wearable Art and Collectable Cars Museum. Nelson is the place to sample freshly caught snapper and juicy, succulent scallops pulled just hours before from the Pacific.
Spreading from the northern edge of the Southern Alps across the fertile plains to a generous sweep of beaches, the Nelson region is blessed with New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours.
Further south, the genteel city of Christchurch is referred to as both the ‘Adelaide of New Zealand’ and the most English city outside England. Not surprisingly then, the largest city in the South Island was also planned by Colonel William Light who designed Adelaide, laying out the city on a square mile grid pattern of wide streets and airy squares with a buffer zone of green parklands. The city has the air of a quaint English town with its graceful grey stone buildings, broad, tree-lined avenues, extensive parklands and neo-Gothic style architecture seen in the beautiful Scots College, the historic Arts Centre (formerly the University of Canterbury), Christ’s College (modelled on Eton) and the Canterbury Museum.
From the Port Hills, the garden city has views of the sea and the Southern Alps in the distance. It is also the gateway to the Waipara wine region, located on the east coast of the South Island around 40 minutes drive north of the CBD. Once a sleepy village on the Christchurch-Picton highway, the Waipara is fast gaining a name for its pinot noir and sauvignon blancs, produced by award-winning wineries including Mountford Vineyard, Canterbury House Winery and Pegasus Bay. Vineyards including Giesen Wine Estate, south of Christchurch and Sandihust Winery to the west have also done much to lift the profile of Canterbury wines.
After sampling the fruits of the region, take a ride down Christchurch’s Avon River on a custom-built punt with a friendly boatman to guide you past the sights of the city before hitting Oxford Terrace and the city’s thriving restaurant and café scene.
To experience the great taste of New Zealand, why not try ‘A Connoisseur’s View of New Zealand’ with NRMA Club Tours. For details call 1800 447 019.
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