Cheese, cheese and more cheese, Kaikoura Cheese Company - a dream

The Kaikoura Cheese Company operates a retail outlet on Kaikoura’s main street. Here tastings and purchases can be made of the artisan award winning cheeses that have left New Zealand’s top chefs and restaurants lauding. Believing myself to be a cheese connoisseur – for the simple reason that I eat an awful lot of it – I dropped by the store and sampled their signature ‘Tenara’ - an ash coated goats cheese which apparently takes fifteen days to mature and quite honestly left me drooling for more.

Crayfish by the beach galore in Kaikoura

The name Kaikoura itself means ‘meal of crayfish’. Kai being the Maori word for food with Koura meaning crayfish. This delicacy is famed throughout New Zealand and is fished in the waters around Kaikoura. Crayfish is a type of lobster found in abundance here with seemingly everywhere in the township selling it. The best place to sample it though must be the Kaikoura BBQ, a simple food cart set up by the beach. I was asked to choose my own crayfish from the chilly bin (ice box) and was given the tip that whilst size doesn’t matter so much price certainly does, the more expensive the crayfish the better the quality. My cray was then BBQed in front of me by the experts. Grabbing a table overlooking the beach I couldn’t imagine a more quintessential Kaikoura experience than this – sitting by the ocean, salty sea air drifting on the breeze, savoring the delicious flavours of the succulent melt in the mouth crayfish.

Dunedin, Discover Street Art, Fabulous Cafes and Modern Charm

As I strolled back down through the streets of central Dunedin I allowed my imagination to run wild. I pictured the horse drawn carts tracking up town clip-clopping along the long avenues that all seem to lead towards The Octagon. Purpose built to be the central point of the city The Octagon is a large plaza with pedestrian areas and lively cafes, bars and restaurants. It is easy to get absorbed by Dunedin’s charismatic past, but that is not to ignore the modern city which is a charming, bustling student town with a thriving coffee culture. Strolling around I came across enticing cafes on every corner often situated in distinguished heritage buildings.  With names such as Morning Magpie and The Perc Exchange for example they help to set the hip and modern vibe which the city is seemingly embracing. Street Art is also flourishing. Down alleyways, overlooking carparks ostensibly on every possible blank space or bare wall a contemporary street artist has made their descriptive, interesting and notable mark. Both New Zealand and International artists have been drawn to the city including notable names such as Faith 47 and ROA. ROA is responsible for some captivating aerosol work with one wall covered by a giant Tuatara, a reptile endemic to New Zealand. Keen to embrace its flourishing art profile Dunedin has established its own Street Art Trail which can be followed either on a guided tour with a passionate local or by following the Dunedin Street Art Map which is provided by the local tourist office. As I trail blazed around town following the ninety-minute walk I was able to appreciate not only lots of inspiring art work but also to uncover some of Dunedin’s hidden gems. The walk gave me an excuse to check out narrow laneways and discover ‘wee alley ways’ as they are locally known together with significant land marks that included the ‘First Church of Otago’. I stumbled across some excellent local venues such as Vogel Street Kitchen – a terrific coffee house and deli which has a striking piece of work by the UK street artist Phlegm on its corner wall. A Maori Waka and steam punk like submarine emerge out of a fish’s mouth which apparently is a reference to a story involving a Japanese submarine in Otago Harbour.

Now I had started delving into the world of art I couldn’t stop. The Dunedin Public Art Gallery sits on one side of The Octagon and exhibits contemporary modern art by Kiwi artists. It is also home to some more traditional work by renowned European artists such as Monet, Turner and Gainsborough.

Dunedin is rapidly making a name for itself as a fun and dynamic place to visit. Perhaps it is the influence of a large student population or maybe just down to the inherited pioneering and adventurous spirit of its people – whatever the reason it is a city that moves with the times whilst fully embracing it’s past.

Dunedin, home to New Zealand's most photographed building, Farmers Market

My day had started at the Otago Farmers Market which is fast becoming a Dunedin institution. Held every Saturday morning the stalls here sell local produce and creative goods that are highly sought after. It’s a great spot to wander around with heaps of choice from fresh orchard produce, mouthwatering cake stalls, local meats and freshly caught fish all being sold. Be prepared to go there hungry - as I discovered it is very difficult to resist the homemade porridge, tasty bagels, freshly cooked crepes and the tantalizing smell that lingers around The Bacon Buttie Station.

The market is situated in the grounds of the Dunedin Railway Station, an elegant building which reminded me of the quintessential gingerbread house. The neo classical style dates to Edwardian times and it is often argued to be the most attractive building in New Zealand – from what I witnessed it certainly has a legitimate claim for being the most photographed both inside and out. The entrance hall and foyer are awfully grand with the mosaic floor in the booking hall lounge usurped only by the Royal Dalton porcelain freeze, featuring train images, that curves its way around the overhanging balcony. The station is now used for the Taieri Gorge Railway, a charming train journey into picturesque Central Otago.

The Little River Rail Trail follows the route of an old 19th Century railway track from Hornby on the outskirts of Christchurch through to the small settlement of Little River on the Banks Peninsula. Little River was original a sawmill community supplying timber to Christchurch back in the day but is now largely a tourist spot, a great pit stops between the city and the peninsula. Its old railway station is home to the visitor centre. The Little River Rail Trail is a popular mountain bike/walking track that can be completed in various sections of choice along its 49km route. I hopped on my bike at Motukarua (another small settlement) with the aim to cycle at least 2 sections between here and Little River itself. The track at this point is raised slightly as it followed the old railway embankment past Lake Ellesmere, New Zealand largest saltwater lake, Birdlings Flat – a small holiday town with a wild and dramatic rock-strewn beach which is great to take a windswept walk along, across to the smaller but no less impressive Lake Forsyth. As I peddled along I was rewarded with some spectacular views. The upper range of New Zealand’s Southern Alps was clear to see on this bright clear day. The track traversed through wetlands that teamed with bird life – black swans gracefully floated alongside the path and herons, kingfishers perched on bridge posts as crossed. The track in this area is all off road and there are only a few crossing places to navigate. As I reached Little River I was all too ready to reward myself with some much-needed refreshment. The café here was a perfect spot to appreciate a slice of cake in a sunny garden area.

Lyttelton, Farmers Markets and trips across to Diamond Harbour

Whilst I am disinclined to use the term ‘bohemian’ to describe a place, it is in all honesty the most appropriate way to define the historic seaside port of Lyttelton. Separated from Christchurch by the sharp jagged rock formations of the imposing ‘Port Hills’ Lyttelton has very much its own identity - a mix of quirky and artistic. It is also home to a vast array of cafes, restaurants and bars – which despite their numbers seem mighty popular and well patronised. The landing place of the first Canterbury settlers’ way back in 1850, Lyttelton was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake when a lot of its heritage buildings were lost and destroyed. Now well over five years later repairs are still being carried out, but premises have been rebuilt and areas restored and the town is enjoying life once again in a resolute and gratifying fashion. I timed my visit for a Saturday morning when the Farmers Market was in full swing. London Street, Lyttelton’s main through-fare, thronged with local folk and visitors alike browsing homemade wares and tasty produce. Stalls were piled high with organic breads, home-produced sausages, salamis, wine and chocolate. The bakery store was especially enticing with its mound of cream filled chocolate eclairs! I was grateful I had taken advanced notice and skipped breakfast to enjoy guilt free tastings of pastries, Stewart Island smoked salmon and freshly made organic juices.

A short walk down-hill from London Street and its market place is the Port of Lyttelton. Here I caught the Black Cat Ferry - a service running every half an hour, zipping you speedily across the bay to sleepy Diamond Harbour. At Diamond Harbour there is a small jetty and sheltered sandy beach that offers stunning views back across the narrow stretch of water to Lyttelton. A pleasant stroll up-hill through pleasant memorial gardens brought me to the petite town centre. It’s a great place to spend a peaceful couple of hours.

Lake Tekapo, Mt John and the MacKenzie Basin, don't miss the Church of the Good Shepherd

As I approached Lake Tekapo from the west it was impossible for me to miss Mount John perched high above the Mackenzie Basin. Tekapo is home to another of this region’s iconic locations with yet another impossibly blue lake surrounded by snow laden mountains. Feeling energetic I elected to walk up along the lake shoreline to the Mount John summit track. This provided me the opportunity to wander across to the Church of the Good Shepherd and join the legions of sightseers with cameras at the ready to snap the perfect shot. The Church was built not only as a place of worship but as a lasting memorial to the pioneering Mackenzie families. Its large glass picture window offers the most impressive lake side views which surely must be a distraction for even the most devout worshiper. A short stroll from the Church is the statute to celebrate the hard-working farm dogs of the Mackenzie, without whom farming this area would have been virtually impossible. Hiking along the lakeside pathway I began to climb up through forest which gradually dwindled away leaving only mountain tussock. The baroness of this land allowed me to fully appreciate the 360-degree panoramas on show across the stunning Mackenzie basin. At the top of Mount John, the Astro Café was a welcome spot for refreshment and I indulged myself with a decadent hot chocolate cleverly decorated with a space pattern in its foam – a tribute to the areas dazzling night skies

Road to nowhere - Mount Cook Village, Lake Pukaki and Alpine Salmon

There is just one road in and out of Mount Cook National Park – State Highway 80 - a slightly uninspiring name for such a memorable drive. The hardest part was trying not to pull over every few minutes as another jaw dropping vista came into view. The road snakes alongside Lake Pukaki, arguably the jewel in the crown of the Mackenzie region. Lake Pukaki is the largest lake and just maybe the most striking, although it has some tough competition. Extremely fine rock particles or glacier flour create a quite brilliant glinting turquoise colour in the lakes water. Lake Pukaki Information Centre is potentially the most perfect spot for a photograph anywhere, with the backdrop of the Southern Alps creating a picture-perfect frame around the edges of the lake. It is also home to the retail outlet for Mount Cook Alpine Salmon which was the ideal excuse needed by me to pull over. I grabbed a sashimi tray and devoured the decedent salmon pieces whilst appreciating the fresh alpine air.