Julles

You are going to be busy! We just had a late lunch on the beach at Onetangi yesterday (Waiheke Island), just a glass of wine and a few plates of basic pub food - very nice, looking out over the beach. Charley Farleys - just under new ownership.

You can go diving for lobster - though we call them crayfish, also for scallops, paua (abalone?), - though within quota. Not so sure about the bugs in the rivers!! Trout fishing? Foraging for native greens - puha. NZ very good for horticulture, I am a lazy gardener, but still have tomatoes, herbs, lettuce. My parents grow beans, potatoes, spinach. My grandparents had the full garden - potatoes, sweet corn, the works, even chickens. We tend to use the supermarket...

How long are you in the country for? Most NZers tend to stay close to the beach over the Christmas period, and hope for decent weather. Waiheke has some great beaches - Onetangi and Palm Beach, you cld always rent a house near one for a while. Or head down to the South Island - gorgeous scenery. NZ isn't that big, so quite easy to get from one end to the other flying in a couple of hours. Where is the wedding? Mudbrick??

[We have pretty much everything here, NZ is a foodie's paradise. It might take you a while to find the right supplier or website, but with a bit of planning you can get anything. There are good deli/butchers - have a look at the Sabato.co.nz site, and also there are french outlets - butchers, wine suppliers, who have great cheese. Plus there are new larger suppliers, like Nosh who have a great range of cheese. Organic fruit and vegetables are plentiful, plus there are organic butchers. I am not sure what it is like out where you are planning on settling, as I live in Devonport, but with a bit of driving you can find anything. Don't expect it to be a bargain though.....

We went to the French Cafe during the week and had another wonderful meal there. The last time I was there was for a large work dinner, and I would have to say that it was the only work dinner I have ever been to where the food was actually the same as you would get if you were eating in a group of four, rather than a room of 100. The French Cafe just gets everything so right, their service is attentive without being obsequious, their cutlery and glasses are good quality and sparkling, and the food is super good. I had the duck for a main, crisp - yet moist inside, served with kumara puree - excellent, Olivia had the steak - perfectly cooked, and with a side of big fat chips - so yum! Try the dessert tasting plate - choc molten pudding, pannacotta and a delicious passionfruit frozen biscuity thing. Good wine by the glass. Very impressed with our evening. Didn't even think it was so expensive, mains $34, but most places are hitting $30, without being in the same league. Recommended.

Try O'Connell Street Bistro (in the city), Euro (Viaduct), French Cafe (Symonds St) - best food in Auckland, or for more casual try La Zeppa - bar/fireplace/loud/tapas (Drake St behind Victoria Market), it's chilly here at the moment, bring your woolly socks!!

Where are you staying in Auckland? If you are anywhere near Northcote - or near a ferry that will take you across try The Engine Room. It has only been open a couple of months but is very good - also if you do travel by ferry you get a harbour crossing!! Address: 115 Queen St, Northcote Phone: (09) 480 9502 Open: Dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 5.30pm. The French Cafe is always good, Rocco - Ponsonby Road, - try SPQR on Ponsonby Rd - Mick Jagger had a pizza there last week so if it's good enough for him - plus good for people watching. Still in Ponsonby Rd Bonita is good for a few glasses of wine and some tapas. Actually, there are lots of cafes along Ponsonby Rd, plus some good Japanese/Thai restaurants - you will find something there. O'Connell Street Bistro in the city is great. If you make it out to Waiheke Island The Palm Beach ClubHouse is laid back, but serves good food. Enjoy!

You can order dark chocolate from Sabato - a food store here in Auckland, their website is www.sabato.co.nz. Here is a quote from their website: "Sabato imports artisan products from France, Italy and Spain, sourcing unique interesting ingredients so you don't have to. We have introduced a huge selection of traditionally made products ranging from Spain's famed La Chinata smoked paprika - now a kitchen cupboard staple for many - to Giusti's aged balsamic vinegars; delicious gourmet Basque pâtés, delectable olives, artisan Rustichella pasta, organic Ferron risotto rice and divine Valrhona chocolate! We also have our own range of delicious Italian made pasta sauces, pastes and preserves. If you're looking for quality ingredients (with a difference) to complement New Zealand's great produce, Sabato is your gourmet food destination."

I love this cookbook. For starters it is a great looking book, decent size and really nice and solid. It even has a placemarker. Good layout and good index. I have eaten at Bistro Moncur many times on trips to Sydney and was waiting at the gate for the postman when he arrived with my book. It isn't going to deliver up new and extreme items, but it does cover all the basics in french cooking. The best thing about it is that is has recipes that you can actually use - rather than looking at them and thinking - hmm maybe one day I'll make that, but secretly knowing you will never have the time or energy. It includes basics like meringues and a fantastic choc cake that I have made many times before - using other recipes, but now have it readily accessible. It has all those recipes that you love to make - collected together. Plus lots of others that you always wanted to make, - and now you can! So far I've made souffle - for the very first time - so easy, and delicious. Also the leeks, which I've used other recipes before, but this one is straight forward and it works. Done the lentils, and am planning on the duck this weekend. Will move forward into some of the trickier stuff over Christmas. Really really like this recipe book, and believe me, I've got lots of cookbooks. Lots and lots and lots!!

what area are you staying in?? Sounds like you are near a beach, and I imagine with small children you won't want to travel too far to eat. Ponsonby has a lot of restaurant/cafes, there are other areas - down at the viaduct harbour, Parnell, in the city. Are you planning on taking your kids out with you? We have one child who is not so keen on restaurant food, and one who is quite a foodie, so we tend to feed one on noodles or something easy before we go - at least then she doesn't feel like she is forced to choose from a menu where there is nothing that she wants - often just eats the bread or bits off our plates! Less stressful for everyone

Congratulations!! You must have got engaged near my house, I live in Devonport - on the beach side away from the city . Your trip sounds great - there is great food in NZ, but you really need to be organised - O'Connell St is one of my favourites, it is just always consistent, good service, and you feel cocooned in that small space. The restaurant you went to in Wgtn and had a bad time is really one of those 'suit' restaurants, Friday night drinks.....etc etc, We haven't been to Dine, my daughter (15 and likes to read all the food reviews!!) wants to go, but I think it sounds overmixed, also I've never been keen on hotel restaurants - though the Hilton on the Wharf is always quite fun, but usually because there might be someone famous at the next table, we get a lot of incognito travellers down here!!Next time head to the South Island, the Barmy Army is down there at the moment, heading to Queenstown in their camper vans, from the last Lion's match in Dunedin on Saturday night. NZ is really crazy at the moment in terms of rugby, this Lion tour has really fired everyone up - my husband suddenly has business in the strangest of places.....wonder why he is flying to Christchurch this Saturday???? (answer - test match!!). Barmy Army is the name the English supporters give themselves, so I'm not being rude!!

I really don't know if things are all open all the time, but more or less everything will be- all the shops are open - we have very liberal shopping/employment laws!! The restaurants will be open all year round - you might have to pay a slight holiday surcharge, but c'est la vie........ If you want to go out for a New Years Eve dinner, it would be a good idea to book a bit in advance, maybe down in the Viaduct, there is usually some sort of fireworks, and masses of people looking to party! Or take the late ferry back to Waiheke,make sure you rent something with a view - most places out there have a view of something - the best beaches are Onetangi and Palm Beach!! Good luck.

If you are coming to NZ there are several options open to you - if you want to stay in Auckland you can have a good time without much travel - lots of local restaurants, seafood suppliers, local produce - though you might have to ask where to buy it. You could have a few days in the city then catch a ferry out to Waiheke Island - 40 mins from Downtown, nice beaches, laid back - there is a big supermarket, but you wld be advised to take speciality products with you. Lots of vinyards, good walks, great views. You can either hire a car out there, or there is a car ferry if you already have a rental. Though you can get around via bus/taxi/bike! There are websites promoting the island, so have a look at the pictures - also lots of people rent out their holiday homes - from very basic to elaborate. If you wanted to drive further you cld go up to the Bay of Islands, a few hours drive, or if you wanted a different holiday, head to Wellington - a 7 hour drive - 30 min flight, have a few days there, then over to Martinborough - another vinyard town, inland but not too far to drive to the coast. If you are coming all the way to NZ you really shld try and get down to the South Island, magnificent scenery, maybe on the next trip??

Hi, welcome to New Zealand!! If you're flying into Auckland you are probably going to spend the first day recovering from the trip. There are lots of easy things to do in Auckland to help you recover - depending on the weather! If the sun is shining take a ferry to Waiheke Island and visit a vinyard or a beach - Stonyridge is a great place for lunch, or Mudbrick - another vinyard closer to the ferry. Or else just take a ferry to Devonport and walk around the waterfront - only 7mins on the ferry from the city. If you need feeding - stroll around the viaduct - where the Americas Cup was based, there are various restaurants and cafes to choose from - locals like Soul - you can sit outside if the sun is shining, food good, people watching fun. Other seriously good restaurants include The French Cafe, - closer to the city are O'Connell St Bistro, Prime, - and up in Ponsonby you can choose from Rocco, Chandelier - or if you want something more casual try SPQR or Prego. Actually, you can just trot along Ponsonby Rd and something will take your fancy. Wellington has great restaurants - Logan Brown would be the no 1 choice, and probably the most expensive. There are 3 in Roxburg Tce - at the end of Courtenay Place - Roxburg Bistro, Castros - and another one I've completely forgotten the name of!!! My favourite restaurant in Wgtn is called Chow - next to a bar called Motel - sort of like a 60s dining room - dark, small wooden tables, sofas, great food - chinese - delicious!!! Noisy and fun. Wellington is a very easy city to get around it - small, and bars all at one end of the city (Courtenay Place), so can get very busy. - Especially if you go out after the rugby has been on. If you are in town when the Lions are playing the All Blacks you will have a great night out!!! Cheers!! PS - make sure you go to Te Papa - the museum - great exhibits

Thought Luger's was average, sure the steak was good, but the experience was just dull, just couldn't see what all the hype was about.