Dining out under New Zealand's stars
Eating out has fresh appeal in New Zealand this winter with diverse destinations offering diners the chance to laze, graze and star gaze in exotic outdoor settings.
New Zealand’s clear skies, temperate climate and top notch food and wine make dining out-of-doors a popular pastime at any time of the year.
But this year’s mid-winter Matariki festival and heightened interest in astro-tourism have prompted some new and innovative culinary experiences - from dining under the stars at an alpine hut in the Southern Alps to eating alfresco in an ancient kauri forest in the Far North.
Matariki feasting
Mid-winter feasting has long been part of New Zealand’s ancient Māori culture when the rise of the Matariki constellation - also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters - signalled the beginning of the Māori New Year.
Matariki is still celebrated throughout New Zealand with an extended cultural festival that not only focuses on the skies but also the ground where earth ovens provide plenty of kai for feasts.
As well as family and community gatherings, high profile events celebrating Matariki have included a gourmet hangi and open air concert at Turangawaewae Marae in the Waikato town of Ngaruawahia - hosted by Kiwi celebrity chef, Peter Gordon.
And, while guests dined under the stars for Gordon’s version of the traditional hangi, smaller scale feasting elsewhere also brings whanau / family and iwi / tribes together to enjoy indigenous foods, Māori culture and the natural environment.
Wharekai at Te Hana
Matariki celebrations in northern New Zealand will give a taste of what’s to come at Te Hana, near Wellsford, where a replica 17th century Māori cultural village and pa site is under construction.
Due to open in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the heritage tourism destination will offer an authentic marae / Māori village experience where guests enjoy the hospitality of the local Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara Māori people.
Plans for the pallisaded compound at Te Hana Te Ao Marama (which means new dawning) will include a wharekai / dining room catering for up to 250 diners, and a wharenui / meeting house with lights resembling the night sky.
Alfresco forest dining
A little further north, a subtropical rainforest featuring some of the world’s last remaining stands of ancient kauri trees, is the setting for another rare dining experience.
Walking tours company Adventure Puketi has launched a forest dining experience that combines several of New Zealand’s key tourist attractions - fine foods, Māori culture and unspoilt natural environment.
In Puketi forest guests dine under a dense subtropical forest canopy of giant kauri trees that provides a dramatic outdoor ceiling.
Award-winning chef Colin Ashton, of ‘Food at Wharepuke’ in Kerikeri, has partnered with Adventure Puketi in the forest dining venture - which also features a performance by a local kapa haka group.
Destination Northland’s Cheryl Jensen says Adventure Puketi dining experiences are offered in conjunction with guided tours of the forest and each event is tailored to suit time and budget.
She says Colin Ashton’s skills as a chef are world class and, along with the lighting and forest ambience, the experience is "magical".
Carter Observatory, Wellington
Wellington’s recently revamped Carter Observatory puts a different twist on dining under the stars - exclusive indoor events for private functions when up to 60 guests can enjoy a seated dinner in the Pelorus Trust Planetarium while enjoying a tour of the night sky in the digital full-dome theatre.
Mt Hutt star gazing
In the clear South Island skies where the absence of light pollution has made star gazing a major tourist attraction, the Canterbury ski resort town of Methven offers winter dining in an alpine hut.
Cosy Huber’s Hutt - 2086m above sea level on the Mt Hutt ski area, and a daytime refuge for thousands of hungry skiers and snowboarders - is the setting for ‘Dinner with the Stars’ where the menu includes a hearty winter meal under dramatic starry skies.
The Hutt used to do only breakfast and lunch but for winter 2010 it’s also open on Friday evenings, and ski area manager David Wilson says visiting the ski area at night is a unique experience.
"We’ll be offering guests the chance to have a ride on one of our snow groomers or on a skidoo around the mountain. For kids there will even be a chance to go for a sled ride with our huskies," Wilson said.
Outdoor dining at Huka Lodge
Lake Taupo’s iconic luxury establishment, Huka Lodge offers another magical outdoor setting for diners this winter.
Guests can dine under the stars in nine different, cosy outdoor settings - including beside the jetty, in the orchard, or on one of the lodge terraces of the secluded riverside location.
Guests who linger over the legendary five-course dinner with fine wines also enjoy the warmth of outdoor fireplaces and heaters, fine woollen throws and blankets to keep crisp temperatures at bay.
Huka lodge sales and marketing director, Liz Rodgers says an increasing number of guests choose to eat outside in winter.
"We have a variety of beautiful outdoor settings which are deliberately romantic. Recently we had a couple wrapped up in blankets, enjoying their meal under the stars, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary."
More information
Carter Observatory reopens
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