Food & Wine

Take three major wine producing regions add gourmet food, a buzzing capital city, charming small town life and sparkling coastal waterways and you’ve got an unbeatable holiday experience.

Auckland's dramatic coastal scenery is only the beginning of the contrasting landscapes found within a short distance of the city's downtown business centre.

New Zealand Māori chef Charles Royal has come a long way since his days as a field chef in the New Zealand Army when the bush was a means of survival.

Calm settled weather, vibrant colour-filled landscapes and a long list of seasonally charged events make autumn the prime time to visit New Zealand.

As sunshine hours lengthen and the annual school and work calendar winds down in preparation for Christmas and the long summer holidays, New Zealand swings into outdoor mode with feasts, festivals and fun on the programme.

Like all best kept secrets word eventually gets out, so it's no surprise - with luxury travel now one of the country's fastest growing tourism sectors - that the world is waking up to New Zealand's luxury travel possibilities.

Begun by European migrants, New Zealand's wine industry has grown rapidly, achieving great international success and a fine reputation in a relatively short time.

Culinary innovation and cultural diversity has helped earn New Zealand's reputation as an exciting fine food destination for discerning foodies.

Kiwi celebrity chef Peter Gordon - based in New Zealand and the UK - works with a string of critically acclaimed restaurants around the globe, including his own 'dine by Peter Gordon' in Auckland and the famed 'Providores and Tapa Room' in London.

It may seem an unlikely combination for a top skier to be head winemaker at a picturesque New Zealand vineyard, but for Rippon’s Nick Mills it is a perfect blend.