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As one of the youngest countries in the world, our palate is still evolving, however, we are renowned for our fusion cuisine, combining international flavours with our very own pacific twist.

There is a wide range of food experiences to be found in Central Park, from world-class fine dining, to funky cafes, a traditional maori hangi, and a full range of ethnic restaurants. There is something to suit every taste – and every budget.

There are a number of world-class fine-dining restaurants located across Central Park, including the fine cuisine to be found at luxury lodges such as Huka Lodge and Treetops. A fine-dining experience at one of these locations will be a many-course meal in a stunning location that you will never forget.

Like most places around the world, our cafes are meeting places to enjoy a lunch or quick muffin, and great coffee. There are numerous such cafes around Central Park, each renowned for their own speciality, be it coffee, a custard slice or quirky art work.

A priority on any to-do list must be the traditional kiwi hangi. A hangi is the traditional Maori way of cooking food under the ground on hot rocks. Baskets containing meat, vegetables, potatoes and sometimes dessert are lowered onto steaming hot rocks and covered with wet sacks and earth. It takes about seven hours to cook a hangi from start to finish – and it tastes delicious! There are a number of hangi options available around Central Park, many of which also include a traditional Maori concert.

Finally, if you have a craving for your favourite ethnic food, there are any number of restaurants across Central Park serving Indian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Mexican food and much, much more.

Please do bear in mind that most cafes and restaurants apply a surcharge on public holidays.

Featured: New Zealand’s wine country – Hawke’s Bay

Home to a variety of attractions and favorable weather in all seasons, the Hawke’s Bay is a year round destination. Known for being one of the premier wine producing areas in New Zealand and the country’s oldest wine region, the Hawke’s Bay boasts over 70 vineyards and is well regarded for its excellent quality wine along with its fresh produce.

Mission Estate Winery is New Zealand’s oldest winery being established in 1851 by the French Marist order and is now one of the most iconic wineries in the country. Known for the stunning seminary building overlooking Napier, Mission Estate is a popular venue for weddings and conferences as well as hosting the annual Mission Concert which over the years has headlined guests such as Lionel Richie, Tom Jones, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Ray Charles.

Other top class wineries in the region include Esk Valley, Trinity Hill, Craggy Range and Church Road. The Black Barn Winery offers an amphitheatre which has been described by many performers as the best outdoor venue in New Zealand.

A number of operators run tours of the wineries and one of the most popular ways to see the region and visit the wineries is with one of the numerous bike tours in which visitors pedal their way to various wineries while taking in the sights.

The Hawke’s Bay is not only about wine with many other activities and attractions on offer. Gannet Beach Adventures offer visitors the chance to see the world’s largest mainland Gannet colony on the famous Cape Kidnappers coastline.

Known as the Art Deco City, Napier, located in the south of Hawke’s Bay, boasts the world’s largest collection of inner city art deco buildings in the world and every year thousands of enthusiast flock to the city for the Art Deco Weekend Summer Festival.

A short drive down the coast sits the city of Hastings, home to the Hawke’s Bay Opera House and numerous art galleries. Te Mata Peak and Cape Kidnappers are two of the stunning natural features that adorn this area and with activities such as hot air balloon rides, a visit to the Splash Planet water park, wandering the Art Trail or playing a round at ‘Cape Kidnappers Golf Course’ – one of the top 50 golf courses in the world designed by legendary golf architect Tom Doak, there are plenty of options for the whole family.

Stretching from Mahia in the north to Porangahau in the south, the Hawke’s Bay covers 1.42 Million hectares with the shoreline spanning 350km of the Pacific Ocean.

The breathtaking Bay of Plenty

The aptly named Bay of Plenty was given its title by Captain James Cook during his exploration of New Zealand and to this day it continues to be one of the country’s largest producers of fruit and one of the busiest ports.
 An extremely popular holiday destination, the Bay of Plenty region encompasses several highly visited [...]

Fallout Festival 2010 | Ohakune | Ruapehu – 2010

Fallout Festival 2010 
Two weeks of music, media and mayhem to compliment your skiing or snowboarding at Mt Ruapehu. A real smorgasbord of the best in New Zealand entertainment to suit everyones tastes.
Fallout Festival if you don’t already know started with a bunch of like minded Ohakune friends over ten years ago who wanted to go [...]

2010 CHB Festival | Waipukurau | Hawke’s Bay – September 2010

2010 CHB The Festival
When: 02 Sep 2010 10:00 a.m. – 05 Sep 2010 4:00 p.m.
Where: Pukeora Estate, Pukeora Scenic Rd,Waipukurau
Details:
This is the Annual Celebration of Art, Music and Food on a spectacular Hilltop venue overlooking Beautiful Central Hawkes Bay.
Open Daily from September 2nd until September 5th at 10am until 4pm.
Some highlights are the Weta School [...]

Tauranga Moana Seafood Festival | Tauranga | Bay of Plenty – 27th November

Succulent varieties of fresh seafood that will tantalise your taste buds will be on offer at the annual Tauranga Moana Seafood Festival.  Be in quick for an exhilarating evening.
Entertainment includes fire dancers, kapahaka and local musicians.  The arts and crafts in the Cargo Shed also will boast many creations from our artistic community. 
Committed to sustainability, [...]

Kai Festival a real ‘beauty’

Rated as one of the top 10 Maori experiences in New Zealand, the Kawhia Traditional Maori Kai Festival is held to mark New Zealand’s national day of celebration each year.
Not an occasion restricted to Maori and their whanau (families) or indeed just for New Zealanders; the Lonely Planet Travel Guide rates the day as a [...]

Nothing here to ‘bug’ you

Of all the wild foods on the menu within New Zealand’s forest, the huhu grub is perhaps the most delectable.
That’s according to Ricardo Palma, entomology curator at New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa.
Ricardo adds it’s still considered a delicacy in the traditional Maori diet so perhaps that’s why Bruce Maunsell chose to call [...]

A Taste Sensation

A chance to experience the regions of the Pacific Coast Highway and Thermal Explorer Highway food and wine highlights.
The Coromandel Peninsula / The Coromandel Peninsula is surrounded by water, so fresh seafood is a must-have when visiting. Be adventurous and ask locals where the best spots for collecting shellfish are, otherwise relax with a glass [...]

Scallops, scallops, everywhere – and all of them to eat!

Delicious, delectable and downright divine – scallops are what many would say are the queen of shellfish.
Considered to be the scallop capital of New Zealand, the entire Coromandel Peninsula in the Central Park region is renowned for seafood of every description. But it’s scallops – thousands upon thousands of them – that draws seafood lovers [...]

Just the cat’s whiskers

What’s colourful, quirky, occupies one of Rotorua’s oldest buildings and has a reputation that stretches to the other side of the world?
The famous Fat Dog Café and Bar of course.
The café’s loyal following has been built up over more than a decade due to a number of things. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the [...]