Sunday 25th March 2018
A bit of a slow start today after the long trip yesterday. We got up and dressed and had a very light breakfast at the hotel as we had an epic lunch on the horizon.
We walked into town and sat for a while on the edge of the Lake Wakatipu and watched th world pass by. Speedboats and other watercraft crisscrossed the lake and the population of Queenstwon seemed to be out promenading. After taking our ease there for a while we walked through the public gardens which border the lake. There is a short walk through the gardens which runs along the shoreline. The gardens have an amazing collection of trees including some oaks which were planted by the founder of the gardens in the mid-19th century. There were some huge sequoia redwoods and a rose garden which was past its best but still very lovely. There was a game of Frisbee golf going on which looked fun, some swing ropes out over the lake and a small stream and some memorials to past celebrities of Queenstown including one who has climbed K2 in Nepal but died on the descent and another who had been one of the founders of the town. Altogether it is a delightful area which is taken full enjoyment of by the residents of the town.
Walking back into the town, we took a cab for the 20 minute drive out into the countryside to the vineyard at Amisfield near Arrowtown and Lake Hayes for our lunch reservation. Our cab driver, Darren, was a hoot regaling us with golfing stories all the way. His son is a golf scholarship student at the University of West Virginia in the US.
The location of the vineyard is surrounded by hills and in the distance the snow-covered peak of Mount Coronet. The restaurant building is a mix of stone and wood beams and is very picturesque. With blue skies and fluffy clouds and a perfect temperature this was just about the best time and place for this gourmet meal.
In the beautiful fall weather everyone was eating out on the patio under umbrellas. Our table was in the corner with a great view of everyone else. In the center of the patio was a large rectangular pool.
There was a choice of either a three or five course 'Trust the Chef' menu. There was also the choice of a wine pairing or a non-alcoholic pairing which consisted of home made juices and drinks made with local ingredients. MAC opted for the latter and Bob for the former which was all local wines produced by the vineyard.
The menu started with two small 'amuse bouches' the first of oysters and the second of a small puff-mushroom fritter both of which were so full of flavor that the exploded in the mouth.
Then the next courses were:
Parsnip bone, nut marrow with an autumn broth. This was served with some yummy home made breads.
Paua pie ( this is made with abalone)
Then:
Butterfish with Eureka potatoes
Red deer, kumara and truffle mushroom
Dessert
Burnt meringue, manuka honey and ginger sage.
All the dishes were extremely tasty and well cooked with interesting and arresting flavors.
The whole lunch was a wonderful experience which is difficult to chronicle on paper. Our waiter was a most interesting and informative young Franco/Italian who was traveling around the world doing various jobs. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the wines that were served. As each dish was brought it was carefully described. The meal took quite a long time but it was an outstanding experience which was well worth the cost.
After we finished we called another cab to take us back to our hotel for a postprandial nap!!
We have a very early start in the morning as we have to be in Queenstown by 6.50 a.m. to take the bus for our day trip to Milford Sound which involves a cruise on the Sound.
So having had a long and very satisfying lunch we did not stir too much for the rest of the day. This is a vacation where we will need to pace ourselves!!
We walked into town and sat for a while on the edge of the Lake Wakatipu and watched th world pass by. Speedboats and other watercraft crisscrossed the lake and the population of Queenstwon seemed to be out promenading. After taking our ease there for a while we walked through the public gardens which border the lake. There is a short walk through the gardens which runs along the shoreline. The gardens have an amazing collection of trees including some oaks which were planted by the founder of the gardens in the mid-19th century. There were some huge sequoia redwoods and a rose garden which was past its best but still very lovely. There was a game of Frisbee golf going on which looked fun, some swing ropes out over the lake and a small stream and some memorials to past celebrities of Queenstown including one who has climbed K2 in Nepal but died on the descent and another who had been one of the founders of the town. Altogether it is a delightful area which is taken full enjoyment of by the residents of the town.
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| Lake Wakatipu from the promenade |
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| Parasailers |
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| The old coal-burning steamship the 'Earnslaw' nearly 100 years old |
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| A view across the lake from the gardens |
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| An unidentified bird with a strange call |
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| An unidentified duck |
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| What the locals call a 'woodpigeon; |
The location of the vineyard is surrounded by hills and in the distance the snow-covered peak of Mount Coronet. The restaurant building is a mix of stone and wood beams and is very picturesque. With blue skies and fluffy clouds and a perfect temperature this was just about the best time and place for this gourmet meal.
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| Amisfield |
There was a choice of either a three or five course 'Trust the Chef' menu. There was also the choice of a wine pairing or a non-alcoholic pairing which consisted of home made juices and drinks made with local ingredients. MAC opted for the latter and Bob for the former which was all local wines produced by the vineyard.
The menu started with two small 'amuse bouches' the first of oysters and the second of a small puff-mushroom fritter both of which were so full of flavor that the exploded in the mouth.
Then the next courses were:
Parsnip bone, nut marrow with an autumn broth. This was served with some yummy home made breads.
Paua pie ( this is made with abalone)
Then:
Butterfish with Eureka potatoes
Red deer, kumara and truffle mushroom
Dessert
Burnt meringue, manuka honey and ginger sage.
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| A good start!! |
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| Some of the beautifully presented dishes. They tasted as good as they looked. |
The whole lunch was a wonderful experience which is difficult to chronicle on paper. Our waiter was a most interesting and informative young Franco/Italian who was traveling around the world doing various jobs. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the wines that were served. As each dish was brought it was carefully described. The meal took quite a long time but it was an outstanding experience which was well worth the cost.
After we finished we called another cab to take us back to our hotel for a postprandial nap!!
We have a very early start in the morning as we have to be in Queenstown by 6.50 a.m. to take the bus for our day trip to Milford Sound which involves a cruise on the Sound.
So having had a long and very satisfying lunch we did not stir too much for the rest of the day. This is a vacation where we will need to pace ourselves!!
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