Hikari Izakaya - great Japanese restaurant in the heart of Queenstown We were wandering around the adorable downtown in Queenstown looking for a place to eat dinner when we stumbled on Hikari Izakaya restaurant (5 Beach Street).  The windows open completely, so although there is

Allan Scott Family Winemakers cellar door/tasting room offers a taste of their Marlborough wine.Allan Scott Family Winemakers has an intimate cellar door tasting room next to a small cafe.  The produce Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer along with Chardonna

Patagonia Chocolates Outside Patagonia Chocolates, Queenstown - home to great, innovative ice cream. We stumbled on Patagonia Chocolates as we were exploring the harbor in Queenstown.  It was a beautiful warm, sunny day and the sign said “ice cream” – so who were we to argue? …

One of the private hot pools at Glacier Hot Pools in Franz Josef.People flock to the little town of Franz Josef because of its proximity to the glacier by the same name.  So, like everyone else, we’d spent our morning and the early afternoon hiking out to the face of the glacier

The line-up is worth it at Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria in Te Anau. The pizza is as delicious as it is innovative! There is an additional seating area through the doorway you see on the right of the photo.…

Trying to enjoy the outdoor seating at Te Anau's La Toscana Pizzeria The downtown area in Te Anau is compact, easily explored on foot and full of restaurants.  Our first night there we chose La Toscana Pizzeria for its outdoor seating and tempting menu.  The restaurant a

The balcony of The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar frames the beautiful view of Lake Wanaka We arrived in Wanaka late in the afternoon and after settling into our hotel we headed down to the lake for a lovely stroll.  There is a small strip of restaurants that face out over the

Apparently we weren't the only ones who got tired of waiting for our meal at the Blue Ice Cafe in Franz Josef, New ZealandIt was Valentine’s Day, so we headed out to the Blue Ice Cafe in Franz Josef.  Their lower floor was packed and we had to come back at a slightly later ti

The brightly colored interior of Priya Indian Restaurant in Franz Josef. Too bad the food was much less exciting than the color choices... It was Wendy’s birthday, so we treated ourselves to a great afternoon soaking and unwinding at the Glacier Hot Pools in Franz Josef.  When w

Peaceful, relaxed dining at The Lotus Heart - a great vegetarian restaurant right in Cathedral Square, Christchurch We had been in Christchurch for a couple of days and had already exhausted our guidebooks’ restaurant recommendations one way or another.  (Some we ate at, some wer