New Zealand has a reputation as a leading producer of meat and dairy produce with lamb, beef and pork on most menus. Venison is also widely available. Locally produced vegetables, such as
kumara (a natural sweet potato), are good. There is also a wide range of fish available, including snapper, grouper and John Dory. Seasonal delicacies such as whitebait, oysters, crayfish, scallops and game birds are recommended. New Zealand is also establishing a reputation for French-type cheeses: bleu de Bresse, brie, camembert and montagne bleu.
Things to know: Many picnic areas with barbecue
facilities are provided at roadside sites. Restaurants are usually informal except for very exclusive ones. Waiter service is normal, but self-service and fast-food chains are also available. Some restaurants invite the customer to ‘BYO’ (bring your own liquor). Bars have counter service and public bars are very informal. Lounge bars and ‘house bars’ (for hotel guests only) are sometimes more formal and occasionally have table service. The minimum drinking age in a bar is 18. There is some variation in licensing hours in major cities and some hotel bars open Sunday, providing a meal is eaten. In most hotels and taverns, licensing hours are 1100-2300 except Sunday.
National specialties:
•
Kumara (native sweet potato) in Auckland.
•
Feijoa (local fruit) and
golden-fleshed Zespri Gold kiwi fruit from the Bay of Plenty.
•
Battered fish and chips from Gisbourne.
•
Pavlova (a large roundcake with a meringue base topped with cream and fruit) from Taranaki.
•
Salmon and mussels from Marlborough.
• Yams, seaweed and crayfish from Canterbury.
• Whitebait from the West Coast.
•
Koura (freshwater crayfish) from Central Otago.
•
Bluff oysters and muttonbird from Southland.
National drinks:
New Zealand boasts world-class domestic wines and beers, some of which have won international awards. A wide range of domestic and imported wines, spirits and beers is available from hotel bars, ‘liquor stores’ and wine shops.
• Merlot (Auckland and Wairarapa), Chardonnay (Bay of Plenty, Gisbourne, Wairarapa and Canterbury), Pinot Gris and Noir (Auckland, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Central Otago), Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough and Wairarapa).
• New Zealand draught beer and lager.
Tipping: Service charges and taxes are not added to hotel or restaurant bills. Tips are not expected.
NightlifeNew Zealand has an active and varied entertainment industry. Theaters offer good entertainment ranging from drama, comedy and musicals to pop concerts and shows. Concert tickets can be booked online (website: www.ticketek.com). In large cities, there are often professional performers or guest artists from overseas. Visitors should check ‘What’s On’ in local papers. There are also cinemas and a small selection of nightclubs in larger cities.
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