Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Food & Drink
The NZ foodie scene once slavishly reflected Anglo-Saxon stodge, but nowadays the coun-
try's restaurants and cafes are adept at throwing together traditional staples (lamb, beef, ven-
ison, green-lipped mussels) with Asian, European and pan-Pacific flair.
Eateries themselves range from fry-'em-up fish-and-chip shops and pub bistros, to cafes
drowned in faux-European, grungy or retro stylings, to restaurant-bars with full à-la-carte ser-
vice, to fine-dining establishments with linen so crisp you'll be afraid to prop your elbows on it
On the liquid front, NZ wine is world class (especially sauvignon blanc and pinot noir), and
you'll be hard-pressed to find a NZ town of any size without decent espresso. NZ's craft beer
scene (
www.soba.org.nz
) is also riding a wave of popularity.
Most large urban centres have at least one dedicated vegetarian cafe or restaurant. See
ond this, almost all restaurants and cafes offer vegetarian menu choices (although some-
times only one or two). Many eateries also provide gluten-free and vegan options.
Most small and medium-sized NZ towns will have at least one supermarket (New World,
Pak 'n Save or Countdown, for example) with a wide selection of reasonably priced food.
When planning for a tramp try to make sure you stock up where there is a decent supermar-
ket rather than relying on a small corner shop or dairy.
There are more than 50 farmers markets held around NZ, usually at weekends. These are
excellent places to meet local producers and source fresh regional produce. Check out
www.farmersmarkets.org.nz
for details.
EATING PRICE RANGES
The following price ranges refer to the cost of a main meal:
$less than $15
$$$$15 to $32
$$$
$$$more than $32
Health
NZ is one of the healthiest countries in the world in which to travel. Diseases such as malaria
and typhoid are unheard of, and the absence of poisonous snakes or other dangerous anim-
