One of the Maori actors, with painted on tattoosThere are several choices for Hangi feasts and Maori cultural performances in Rotorua, Maori Opening Ceremonies at Tamaki Village - cick for video!and it seems to have become quite a booming business, as one of the “must-do” things in Ro

The Interislander fery at the Wellington terminalGetting from the north island to the south island was very comfortable, and reasonably priced. We took the Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton.  The trip takes 3 hours.  In Wellington, make sure you end up at the rig

Outside The Flying Burrito Brothers - a great family-friendly Mexican restaurant in Christchurch, New Zealand We’d had a couple of places in mind when we set out to find dinner our first night in Christchurch.  Each one proved to be either too expensive, too crowded, or too zen f

The entrance to The Secret Garden, a fabulous restaurant in Blenheim, New Zealand After a great day spent happily tasting the Marlborough region’s fabulous wine, we headed out to dinner in Blenheim.  We’d been impressed with the area’s laid-back tranquility during the day but Ble

E Chi Ban Cafe, a relaxed, family-friendly restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand E Chi Ban is a relaxed cafe which seems to serve just about everything.  You can get a specialty coffee at the coffee bar, get a fresh sandwich or order from a variety of Indian, Chinese or Thai meals.

Chai, South East Asian Cuisine, Napier, New Zealand Chai, South East Asian Cuisine, restaurant is located in a beautiful area of Napier, facing the ocean.  They serve a mix of different Asian food.  There is a nice ambience, with candles and an aquarium mounted on the wall.&

Outdoor, street-side seating at the Fat Dog Cafe, Rotorua, New ZealandThe Fat Dog Cafe is a funky, family friendly cafe centrally located in downtown Rotorua.  It’s brightly decorated and there is both indoor and outdoor seating.  We choose the outdoor street seating. 

Unassuming interior of Pho Vietnam, Santa Rosa, California Quite honestly, when we first saw the restaurant we weren’t too hopeful.  Pho Vietnam is tucked into a corner in a strip mall.  It has a very unassuming exterior and the inside, with its vinyl booths and help-y