Making our way to the Milford Sound, Part 1

A year ago B and I were running around Auckland and eating questionable dumplings. Although we can't go back there now (I wish we could) I've decided to go ahead and blog pieces of our vacation in hopes of re-living it!

In the last few days of our honeymoon I booked us a tour of the Milford Sound. I had really been looking forward to it but I had no idea how beautiful the bus ride would be on the way there.


It was early and we were driving in and out of fog. I loved the way the clouds descended on the mountains and trees around us.

We stopped in Te Anau and feasted on meat pies. Remember my love for meat pies? If you are ever in Te Anau make sure you stop at Miles Better Pies!

Make sure you tell them that Dawn sent you. Then take a picture of the blank, unrecognizing look on their faces.



Huge windows and a glass ceiling allowed us to take pictures of... well of every single thing we passed.

It's like something out of a movie. Even when you can't see it there is often the sound of running water. Through the fog we catch glimpses of waterfalls running down the mountain sides around us.



The color of the water in New Zealand is incredible.



Fresh, clean, pristine like the rest of the country.



This was the view thru the left side of the bus. The waterfall was so loud it sounded like we were driving right thru it.



Can you imagine having sights like this by the side of the road? I felt like we were constantly driving thru movie sets and postcard pictures.

I love the rushing water in front and the fog and waterfall in the background towards the top.



I was able to snap a picture of it as we drove around the curve.

I can almost smell the air when I look at this picture. I wonder how long this sight has remained the same and who has been by to see it.

Thinking of Christchurch

Some of you may have seen that Christchurch and surrounding New Zealand cities were hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake yesterday. Thankfully there were few injuries and no deaths.

However, there was an estimated $1.4 billion USD in damages.



Right now they are on mandatory curfew as they brace for a storm passing through.

I've been thinking about all the gorgeous old buildings and historical sites that have been damaged. I'm thinking about all the store fronts that are gone.



I'm thinking about all the lovely sites we saw as we were Punting on the Avon.



But mostly I'm thinking about the people. Chef Bono is the first person that popped into my head. Do you remember my post on Le Pot Au Feu?



Le Pot Au Feu was a French restaurant we stumbled across while on honeymoon there. It is one of my favorite posts because I try and describe one of the best dining experiences I've had in my life. Somehow it is so much more than that. It's our passion for food wrapped up in a dinner.

It was a connection with the chef, the one woman show, that made the evening.

I hope she's OK out there. Please keep them in your thoughts. I hope they stay safe through the storm.

Miles Better Pies, Te Anau

There are a lot of food cravings and aversions I've been having lately. But there is one thing I'm sure of. I have not given up my love for meat pies. They are only just a distant memory now. A sweet dream I once had.

Oh meat pies, how I love you so.



On our way to the Milford Sound (how have I never blogged about that?!) we stopped in Te Anau. Well actually the glass-roofed coach we were in stopped. Anyway, the tour guide specifically mentioned Miles Better Pies as one of the best in New Zealand and suggested the wild venison pie.



An entire tour bus of people and we were the only ones to listen to our guide. Listen to the locals, people! I'll admit I was a little hesitant because I'm not a huge fan of gamey meat.

If you are ever in NZ and heading to either Milford or Doubtful Sounds chances are you'll be stopping in Te Anau. This place is just off the main street.

I'm telling you, stop by and get a venison pie. It wasn't gamey at all and the sauce was completely delicious. Thick and flavorful it had just a little something we couldn't put our finger on. Was it a spice? When B went back in to ask, they were kind enough to explain they add a touch of plum sauce to the gravy.



I had the steak pie...again. I loved the crust on these pies as well. Different from Paetiki Bakery, these were just a bit more solid and less flakey on top. Equally as large though.

Isn't it cute how they mark the pies with the letter of its filling?



Get a load of that meat! Huge chunks of meat in a savory gravy.

The wild venison pie was by far B's favorite meat pie and Miles Better Pies his favorite pie bakery. You can't even imagine the amount we tried while we were over there. Simple comfort food.



That's my dorky husband with the chef. :)

What comfort food do you love?

The Bunker Restaurant, Queenstown

As soon as we decided on New Zealand for our honeymoon I started scouring the interwebs for places to eat. I searched everything from local favorites to award-winning restaurants.

The Bunker was the first place I made a reservation at. I was immediately intrigued by reviews of the restaurant, most of which mentioned that once they found the place they were quite smitten.

The above is the entrance. It's literally off an alley with very little signage... as you can see.



Inside is a small, swanky room that holds about 8 tables from what I recall. The dark wood is warm and the tables all give off soft candlelight. On the walls are old, classic pictures.



Earlier in the day I had to convince B to come here for dinner. I think he might have had a bit too much fried food in the previous days. He did not regret changing his mind and he clearly didn't practice restraint while we were here.

I started off with the gnocchi. Sauteed kumara (NZ sweet potato) gnocchi with wilted spinach, coriander, orange mint and cashews.

I really loved the addition of the cashews in this dish. It makes for a great complement to the super soft gnocchi. Typically the gnocchi I have is paired either with tomato or a cream sauce and this was a really nice, fresh change.



B had the terrine. Terrine of Central Otago pheasant and duck liver parfait, wrapped in proscuitto, served with port wine jelly and walnut bread.

I'm not a fan of liver in general but I did try this dish. With the walnut bread and a topping of the jelly I really liked it. B loved it.



Cucumber martini and I cannot remember what was in it. But it was wonderful and refreshing. This is the kind of drink that could really get you in trouble on a hot day.

I love how they put the straws on the outside of the glass! Its basically just stuck there and adds a stylish touch.



For entree, B had the duck plate. Confit leg and seared breast of Canterbury duck on salardaise potatoes with wilted greens, cranberry coulis and sage jus.



What is salardaise you ask? We had no idea either. Apparently it is a specialty of the Sarlat area in France (said to be served at every restaurant in the area) and involves potatoes being cooked in duck fat. In a perfect world B would always have a bin of duck fat in our freezer.

Of course, sometimes it better not to live in a perfect world. Otherwise I would be the one to be wearing the permanent "duck fat tire" around my middle.

This dish was amazing. The sauce was light, slightly sweet and slightly tart which is a nice balance to the duck in all it's fatty glory.



I had the risotto because it is incredibly hard for me to not order the risotto when I see it on a menu. But I was really sold when I saw it was served with smoked rabbit. This is only the second time I had rabbit and the first time it was ground up with other meat in a dish.

Smoked wild rabbit risotto with thyme, shallots, broadbeans and shaved Grana Padano. Grana Padano is a cheese very similar to Parmagiano Reggiano. It is produced the same way but Grana Padano is a milder, more subtle cheese. This dish was amazing and you really got the smokey flavor of the rabbit, which by the way, was fantastic.



This is just a salad. I'm including it because it was a fantastic salad. All those greens were just packed in there and mixed in with diced vegetables. The salad was fresh and cold and tossed with a simple vinaigrette.

Sometimes it's the simplest dishes that show you how great a restaurant is, you know?



This was a special that night. Sauteed and caramelized banana crepe with a caramel sauce. I never knew how much I loved sauteed banana before this trip. Sauteed banana and marscarpone.

I'm drooling right now.

Upstairs is the cocktail bar but it has a completely separate entrance. If we weren't so stuffed we might have gone up to check it out :)

Black Swans

Believe it or not I still have massive amounts of photos from New Zealand that I haven't yet shared with you. I'm sure they'll work their way out into my posts for years to come.



These pictures were taken at Lake Taupo. Early in our trip I spent the afternoon at Lake Rotorua and couldn't quite figure out what I was seeing far out in the water. It looked like dozens of tiny lockness montsers.



Here in Taupo I could see that the S shapes were actually the curve of the black swan's necks.



What really struck me in New Zealand is that the animals don't appear to be scared of humans like they are here. I don't mean to say that they are those types of animals that are so used to tourists that they come up and steal your lunch.

These are still wild animals and they keep an amount of distance and a close eye on you.



But here I was, sitting on a rock by the water and this swan came right up. He or she just continued eating and swimming around while I snapped photos.

Apparently male swans are called cobs and females are called pens but I thought it rude to ask.



I hear that the under part of their wings are white. They must be magnificent in flight with wing spans up to 6 1/2 feet.



Incredible creatures. They were first introduced by Australians and later were found flying to New Zealand from other areas. This causes them to be called both exotic and native animals.



This was the first time I had seen a swan in the wild. Absolutely beautiful.

Do you have swans where you live?

A little giveaway for you!

We did very little shopping in New Zealand but don't you think for a second that I forgot you! I had every intention of doing this giveaway as soon as I hit 100 followers...which happened some time last month.



Hello 106 friends! I'm so very happy that you stop by and leave your thoughts. It completely makes my day.

I've been very bad at visiting you lately but I will be catching up. Sometimes life gets in the way of my blog reading. The nerve.



But that doesn't mean I don't think of you. All of my invisible friends. I've started talking about you to friends and family as if we've all known each other for years. "Oh my friend so and so did this the other day and told the funniest story about it....."



I just had to bring you back something from New Zealand.

I think New Zealand as a country should now make me their national spokesperson. I'd gladly promote their country for a free trip here and there.

Will blog for meat pies.



This lovely photographer Andris Apse has been photographing New Zealand for over 25 years. He really catches the magic of the ladscape in a way that is second to none.

I think I want to be him when I grow up. He is wildly talented and appears to spend his time travelling the world and taking pictures of amazing landscapes. Throw in local foods, a blog to babble on and you pretty much have my dream job.

Contest starts now and ends on Sunday night. Winner will be announced on Monday.

So leave me a comment telling me what job you think would be awesome to have (realistic to your situation or not) and you've entered to win!

The part of New Zealand that wasn't fun.

Did you know that I'm afraid of heights? I am. You might not think so because I managed to climb ice stairs and hike up a glacier, take a helicopter flight and stand at the top of the sky tower... but heights make me really uncomfortable.

I'm smiling here because we're still on the platform.



I'm not sure why I got us tickets to take the Christchurch Gondola.



I was sitting facing the mountain and trying to ignore B as he pointed things out. This is the extent of my "looking around".

I was too busy trying not to move and de-rail the gondola. I was trying not to notice the swaying. I was trying not to estimate how far down the mountain we would tumble....

I was trying to figure out why I married the man who thought it was so funny to bounce around the gondola, stomping his feet and generally terrifying me. And apparently taking pictures.

He got some of it on video but I can't share it with you because I didn't realize he was taking video and I may have used inappropriate language. Maybe.

I realize that gondola rides aren't on the top of lists of scary things to do for most people. I can't explain it. I'm feeling uneasy just writing about it. I'm a freak. Don't even get me started on the rest of my list. Sometimes I'm amazed I make it through the day.

What silly things scare you?

Sisters

Its was a lovely warm day by the lake in Queenstown. The sun turned the water into a million tiny prisms.

Today I miss the sparkling blue lake.



Near the docks these steps lead all the way into the water.



So clear you can see the ducks dive to the bottom.



In the park behind us someone plays the guitar and sings softly.

We sit and watch the boats come in.



A family enjoys a walk around the lake. I think they are headed to the farmers market and craft fair nearby.



But the girls take a moment to dip their feet in the water.



They sit close together, each in her sundress and shoulder-length hair.



We watch the ducks look for food as we soak up the sun.



They sit and softly splash, watching the water trickle off their toes.



I'm too far away to hear them. Occasionally they huddle and I catch a faint giggle.



But mostly they just sit.

What secrets are they sharing?



I wonder if they will remember this day?

I will.