Hands have always fascinated me, but most of you wouldn’t give the shape of your hands or the length of your fingers a second thought until it came to choosing your engagement and wedding rings. Fingers are tricky things to size, and it’s good to remember that our hands weren’t created to have rings on them and so there are a number of things we have to allow for.

One is temperature: your fingers will expand and contract when your hands are hot or cold. If you are buying your rings during the summer months, don’t buy them too big because by the time autumn arrives they will need sizing down. Just as if you buy your rings during the winter, as the weather warms up in the spring they’ll start to get tight and may need an extra piece of metal added to allow for this.

Guys, your hands tend to be warm most of the time, compared to women who never seem to be able to warm theirs up. But be careful when you are in the sea because your hands are going to cool down, and if you don’t have a knuckle to hold your ring on, it’s bye-bye ring!

Even if you know one fingers’ size, I’m afraid there isn’t a formula I can use to work out the size of your other fingers. Fingers tend to fall into 2 categories, those with big knuckles and those with no knuckles. Both have their advantages and disadvantages so let me explain that a little better. If you are someone who has big knuckles your ring will always spin around once you’ve managed to get it on and it can be a tight squeeze to try to relax your hand as much as you can whilst you do it.
Now those whose knuckles aren’t the widest part of your fingers, you will need to make sure that you’re rings fit really well, especially if the ring is heavy because if you flick your hand your ring could fly off!

Over the last few years I have put a lot of lugs into people’s rings… what on earth are lugs I hear you say? The simplest way of describing them would be to compare them to speed bumps. Their purpose is to break up the inside circle to help reduce any spinning. I’ve also seen a lot of different looking lugs and I have to admit that some of them don’t look very comfortable, but they do work and they sit in the soft fleshy part at the back of your finger.

There are some rings that can’t be sized due to their design or the continuous pattern which goes around the ring. This is tricky because it means that you can’t afford for your hands to change. You may be surprised at the difference a small weight loss or gain can make to the size of your fingers. The other thing that most people don’t realise is that there is a bit of an art to taking a finger size. If you are having a ring made it is ideal if the jeweller who is making your ring, measures your finger. I suggest this because they are more likely to take all these things into consideration and will take more care that the size is accurate.

Sets of ring sizers usually come in a couple of different widths, so if you are having a wide ring made and the jeweller doesn’t know this, they measure your finger size with thin ring sizer and your ring will be made too tight.

You always have to go up a couple of sizes when you are having a wide ring made because they are taking up a lot more space on your finger and once it’s on they tend to create a lot of suction and can be difficult to get off.

I know this is a lot of extra things to think about when you are buying your rings but I believe it’s always better to be well informed. If you’re one of the lucky ones whose fingers are long and slim, just appreciate how rare you are to not have these challenges!

www.jenib.com

This was the most relaxing, cathartic and re-energising but surreal holiday ever, after a devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.

We are shading ourselves from the scorching sun under the terracotta tile-roof summer house at a stunning plush luxury lodge – Hope Villa – 20 minutes south east of Christchurch international airport.

This feels like such a romantic haven and the name of the place is so apt after a terrible earthquake on February 22 killed 182 people and caused widespread damage, destroying a third of the inner city. But Christchurch has had its share of tragedy; the earth will settle down and once more millions will stay and pass through this lovely city.

So this is dream-like at Hope Villa. We are in the sanctity of the quiet countryside. Birds are chirping, bees busy among an avenue of lavender in a gorgeous manicured garden. Hope Villa lodge is so beautiful – a neutral pastel palette in a warm and inviting lounge; fluffy pillows piled up in the cosiest big bed ever. We loved that villa bed so much. This place is a Mecca for honeymooners and Aussies skiers. It is heaven on earth – but 20 minutes away in the city we see so much devastation and ruin as the February earthquake left its mark brutally shaking buildings to the ground. The rebuild is expected to cost $30billion.

So many grand older heritage-listed buildings have collapsed leaving streets in rubble destroying the heart and soul of the city and the people who live here. But out of the silt, cracks, mortar, broken bricks and shattered wood, a new Christchurch will rise again.

For 150 years this has been the most English and most peaceful of cities. It is one of the safest and best places to visit and rest in majestic New Zealand. Christchurch has had its share of earthquakes and will soon – in a month or two – be safe and ready to attract millions of visitors once more.

This is the first tourist story out of Christchurch since last month.  Christchurch city’s tourism industry has taken its first steps towards recovery with the removal of non-essential travel restrictions and reopening of some core services.

Christchurch is still under a state of emergency and many businesses remain closed, key local tourism attractions are re-opening. The airport is busy as ever again as thousands of people flock to help in the recovery.

Our hosts Terry and Maurice tell us about the earthquake; and their own experiences but they say they are lucky they had no structural at the Villa. They slip away and we sip on chilled champagne they gifted to us; we listen to dulcet sounds of Norah Jones floating across the room. Our shoes fly off; feet up; and cuddle in on the couch…this is magic.

In the morning Terry brings over a breakfast of fresh fruit and yoghurt, salmon, spinach and egg, a fruit smoothie and cup of tea. She is a great cook. We savour the yummy tastes and now raring to seize the day.

First they produce bikes and we peddle down a country bike trail to the Little River village for a coffee. The untouched countryside is so quiet and picturesque. We visit a Maori marae (community meeting place) known as Wairewa. It is tidy and a great place for gatherings.

In the afternoon, we stroll nine holes of golf at tranquil Tai Tapu without threatening the course record. We sip a chardonnay in the sunshine and chat to locals how they survived the earthquake. They are stoic; they are the lucky ones. Others didn’t make it. People here adapt to a new and eerie reality. Life will slowly return to normal. People are resilient in the rebuild and recovery. They say at least 10,000 homes need to be demolished. Each day the impact sheets home – but it pails is nothing like the horror of events in Japan. A national memorial service on March 18 was held to commemorate the victims of the February 22 earthquake. Prince William from the UK Royal Family and other international leaders attended.

The name Hope Villa was so appropriate as Christchurch rebuilds for a new tomorrow. Terry and Maurice were great hosts. Their chocolate labrador Berlin was snoozing under a fruit tree as we drove quietly away to the airport, fully recharged and so happy after the best ever short luxury holiday.

Traditional Christmas cakes can literally take months of work to prepare but fortunately it’s not too late – Grove Avocado Oil can help you whip up a delicious, healthy version in just two hours.

Tauranga celebrity chef Peter Blakeway and co-author of the newly released cook book Fresh!, has devised a cake recipe using Grove Avocado Oil which delivers all the flavours of Christmas for those of us who are running a little behind schedule this year.

The straight-forward ingredient list contains avocado oil and wholemeal flour to produce a moist cake containing healthy monounsaturated fats (which have been proven to lower harmful blood cholesterol levels).

“In this case Grove Avocado Oil really does allow you to have your cake and eat it too. This is a fast, easy recipe that will produce an indulgent cake to enjoy with family and friends over the festive season.”

Blakeway suggests those who are feeling adventurous should try using Grove’s Horopito flavoured avocado oil instead as it works beautifully with the other flavours.

Ingredients
450g good quality mincemeat (cheap Christmas mincemeat will add too much liquid)
230g wholemeal flour
150g dark muscavado sugar
150 ml Grove Avocado Oil
3 level teaspoons baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
50g chopped walnuts
175g mixed dried fruit, chopped (eg cherries, apricots, peaches and sultanas)
3 eggs

Method
Pre-heat oven to 170°C. Sieve the flour to increase the air content then tip the bits of bran from the sieve into the same bowl. Add all other ingredients and beat together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.
Line a 20cm cake tin with greaseproof paper and spoon the mixture in, leveling off the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until the centre springs back when touched.
When ready, let it cool for 20 minutes and then turn the tin out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. This tastes great as it is, but for a more decadent result drizzle with brandy and glaze with fruit and nuts.

Fruit and nut glaze
Enough no-soak dried fruits and nuts to cover the top of the cake
1 heaped tablespoon of apricot jam
2 tablespoons of brandy

Heat the jam and brandy together and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Paint the top of the cake with the hot jam and brandy mix – this acts as the glue to stick the fruit and nuts to the cake. Next, artistically arrange the fruit and nuts on the top of your cake and brush generously with the remaining glaze. This will keep really well.

www.avocado-oil.co.nz

Mulled wine is the perfect drink for a chilly winters evening spent with good friends. Mulled means ‘heated and spiced’ and there are numerous recipes and variations. Histories first references to mulled wine are of it being prescribed by physician Hippocrates in ancient Greece for its medicinal properties. In later times as wine as medication fell from favour, the popularity of mulled wine has lived on in colder countries as a festive winter drink.

Here is a recipe I cooked up for some friends and I recently. It tasted great and completely cheered my winter blues.

Ingredients:

* 1 bottle of red wine (I used Delegat Hawkes Bay Cabernet Merlot 2007)

* 2 Oranges

* Cloves

* 4 Cinnamon Quills

* 2 — 4 dessert spoons of Honey (I used Airborne Manuka with

wildflower, a creamy mild flavoured NZ honey)

Instructions:

Spike a small handful (about 20 if you’re counting) of the cloves into one of the oranges (un-peeled but well rinsed) and chuck into a decent sized saucepan. Cut the other orange into quarters, squeeze a bit of the juice in and put the chopped orange into the pot along with the cinnamon quills. Pour in the bottle of wine then begin to heat gently. The boiling point of alcohol is 78 degrees Celsius, make sure the temperature of the mulled wine stays well below this so you don’t lose the alcohol content. If you have a cooking thermometer use it to keep the wine around 65 degrees, otherwise just be overly cautious and check the temperature often with a taste test. (Remember use a clean spoon each time you take a taste, no one wants to drink your winter germs!)

You want the wine to feel like a hot but comfortable drinking temperature when you taste it. Don’t hurry the heating as you need time for the flavours of the spices to permeate the wine.

Allow at least 20 minutes.

When the wine is hot add the honey. If they honey isn’t dissolving the wine needs to be hotter. Don’t crank the stove element up, just give the wine more time to warm through. Add the honey one spoon at a time, dissolve well then taste to check if the wine is sweet enough. It’s very easy to over sweeten so let your taste buds guide you and be aware that what seems tasty in a little spoonful may be sickeningly sweet when it comes to drink a whole glass. Under-sweeten if in any doubt.

Put a tea strainer over the wine glass to catch any dislocated cloves then ladle the wine into the glass. A note of caution, while I’ve never ever seen it happen I have been told tales of wine glasses shattering from the heat of mulled wine. I assume if this happens it is because the wine is far too hot, a less risky alternative would be to serve the wine in a mug.

Recipe variations to experiment with:

* Mull a white or fruit wine instead of traditional red wine

* Use different citrus fruits instead of the oranges

* Sweeten with sugar or golden syrup instead of honey

* Add other spices eg. a piece of raw ginger, a bayleaf, nutmeg, a sprig of rosemary

* Add raisins and other dried fruit

* Give it a kick with a splash of vodka, brandy or cognac

Written By: Kristie Addison

Do you want to hit a home run with your Mortgage application? Here are 8 actions you can take that will help.

A Papamoa development is keen to showcase its unique position within the New Zealand coastal market by promoting a little understood yet vital planning concept that affects the long term value of a property.

Coast Papamoa Beach Director Steve Short says the term ‘master-planned’ is used a lot now in real estate marketing but many home buyers are unaware of what this really means.

“’Master planned’ means every detail of design and community planning has been considered holistically, in advance, to ensure each home sits beautifully in a thoughtfully designed and sustainable landscape. 

“It’s about being mindful of the environment and the community when you design and build your development.  We extended the concept to account for every minute detail of our development, right down to the height the trees will grow to in eight to 15 years,” says Short. 

Most master-planned communities are designed around the use of the land alone, however Coast Papamoa Beach has extended this vision to architecturally-designed homes in the overall plan.

The sale of house and land packages, rather than land alone, ensures that every home has been designed to the highest standard, specifically for Coast. 

“By purchasing in a master-planned development such as Coast, you are protecting your investment because you can be certain that all the homes in the community will be architecturally designed and recreational areas will be of premium quality,” says Short.

Alex Haden, director of the property valuation company Hills Haden, says there is no doubt that the current market is a challenging one and, in the main, they are seeing that most other developers are having to drop prices in order to achieve sales. 

“The fact the team at Coast Papamoa Beach has been able to achieve full asking prices for the homes sold thus far is testimony to the unwavering commitment shown to provide a premium quality residential development.”

“Until now, the likes of the Coast development has not been seen in the Western Bay of Plenty and the sales achieved shows that purchasers are seeking the quality and attention to detail found in all aspects of the development,” adds Haden.

Coast Papamoa Beach is the Bay of Plenty’s newest residential development offering a standard of beachside living unprecedented in New Zealand. Hundreds of residences will be built across the 24.2ha site, to be released and developed in stages over the next 10 years.  There are nine world-class architecturally-designed concept homes open to view and available for sale. 

Short says getting a land development in this market off the ground is a real challenge – let alone a master-planned development.

“Creating a master-planned development isn’t about making a quick return. It’s taken us five years to have the master plans approved before we could even begin work on the development. A master-planned development is the long-term, committed approach.”

In order for Coast Papamoa Beach to become master-planned, it has meant hundreds of urban design plans have had to be submitted and approved by local council.

“Amongst the thousands of details we submitted, we also opted to give computer graphics showing how the environment will develop over the years and the effect on lighting and aesthetics. It’s really an incredible process that adds value to the properties long term.”

A master-planned development creates a real sense of community, as well as offering a wide variety of quality, architecturally designed homes that fit in with the environment. Native trees and the beach have also been incorporated into the development.

“Most Kiwis haven’t experienced this, unless they’ve lived overseas where master-planned communities are very popular,” says Short.

About Coast Papamoa Beach

Officially launched in February this year, the $600 million Coast Papamoa Beach development is Frasers Property’s first coastal residential project in New Zealand.

What was once a large tract of bare land on the boundary between Mount Maunganui and Papamoa, is now an evolving master-planned development carefully designed and planned to cater for a range of exclusive homes including single and double story dwellings, townhouses, low-rise apartments and luxurious beachside apartments, plus a corner store and cafe.

Homes are currently priced between $565,000 and $945,000, with even more home designs – each unique to Coast Papamoa Beach – to come.

The innovative architectural and landscape designs have been expertly planned to blend in with their natural surroundings. Many of the homes will be clad in natural stones and timbers and incorporate soft palettes which are themselves inspired by nature.

Please visit www.coastpapamoabeach.co.nz

 If you are not a surfer, sunbather climber or boatie, Oamaru is possible the best destinations in New Zealand.

   Standing on the cobbled corner of Harbour and Tyne Street, I am cast back 130 years in time among a wealth of historic architectural treasures. There is no evidence of anything other than Victorian architecture. I amble down the lane with its old rail line still running down the side, where trains picked up sacks or grain to be loaded on to bowsprits, spars and fully rigged triple-masters on Sumpter wharf in the harbour.

   This precinct is New Zealand’s most intact Victorian streetscape. The old precinct area is coming alive again, though nothing has changed on the outside. I look up at the 133 year old Oamaru Mail building. I can sense the printer’s ink and the whir of the press churning out the first edition among the hive of newspaper activity.

   Across the road is the Penguin Club where some of the best band and NZ top singers perform. Top Sydney-based Kiwi Jackie Bristowe is playing there this month – sadly I just miss her. Down the end on the left is the massive old Loan and Merc building, which is currently home to the Grain Store art gallery on the second floor. The stairs to the second floor are worn away in the passages of time by the clod-nail boots of messenger boys, grain merchants and millers. The gallery is one of New Zealand’s biggest and most impressive community galleries featuring artists like Donna Demente and Chris Wilkie.

   The precinct area has such appeal and probably dirt cheap rent compared to downtown Auckland that Fleur Sullivan, who runs Fleurs in Moeraki, is setting up a pub type restaurant on the ground floor of the Loan and Merc later this year.

   All the Harbour St buildings are made of Oamaru stone which has weather well and has a sense of belonging and a future despite being ignored for much of last century. Harbour St was a place not to go at night in the early part of the 20^th century. They called it bad-egg street for the down and out types who could be lurking. These days it must be regarded as New Zealand’s finest historic commercial streets – bar none.

   Around the corner I trawl an older second hand book shop which feels centuries old. Next door I pop in and have a yarn to Oamaru’s most colourful bearded character, book-binder Michael O’Brien. He’s into organics and everything else that is in vogue. He’s a genial good bugger. A few more steps along the road, and I am outside the Criterion pub, 133 years old, revived and popular once more. It’s hard to believe it was once a temperance hotel but then up to the 1960s, Oamaru was a ‘dry’ area and you had to drive north over the Waitaki River to get a flagon of beer from the Glenavy pub.

   The sun is setting and I drive up the hill to be the best Victorian style lodge in New Zealand – Pen-y-bryn Lodge. As with the rest of the town of 12,000, there is a real sense of history here. The lodge is a magnificent building; a former estate home. My room featured a grand old Victorian claw foot bath-tub with its original brass fittings and the billiard table is the envy of any man who loves the game. The table was one of three commissioned by the government for Parliament but was auctioned off when the government found that they could only accommodate two of them; it’s been at the lodge since the 1920s.I sip buttery Spy Valley chardonnay wine and gaze out to quiet, sleepy Oamaru, wondering if time has stood still for so long. The 926sq m house lodge is rich with antiques and original furnishings throughout. The rooms feature amazing oak wood panelling and other original features. When built in 1889, it was the largest private house in South Island in 1889. It is the only place to enjoy in luxury in the area and is an ideal staging post between Christchurch and Dunedin.

   Oamaru is blessed with other magnificent buildings – the two old post offices – including the ‘new’ second Oamaru Post Office, built in 1884, now sadly used as offices for the Waitaki District Council.  There’s the Forrester Gallery and the National Bank buildings with their columns and stunning Oamaru limestone carvings. For more living history there is also the Empire Hotel Backpackers (1867) or Brydone Hotel  (1881) – once a pub with no beer (prohibition until the 1960s) Oamaru (1881); the churches, the Opera House and so it goes on.

I confess to being bewildered by the lack of lure by local authorities to draw people off state highway one and down to the architectural heaven near the beginning of Thames St. Tourists reach the Thames Highway-Severn St intersection and head north or south – missing all the best of Oamaru. It’s crazy.  The lack of bold signage to the grand old part of town is a mystery. Come on – tell the world Oamaru. Do more to lure tourists.

   But there is more to Oamaru than just old buildings. This was the home of one of New Zealand’s greatest ever authors, Janet Frame, who died six years ago. Her home is now a tourist attraction.

Oamaru is also famous for its strutting penguins that put on a show every night as they climb out of the sea and waddle into their nests past a seated grandstand for tourists.

I battle desperately not to climb aboard Queenstown’s romantic-adventure band-wagon; but I fail miserably.Queenstown is one of the top romantic-adventure destinations in the southern hemisphere.

The New Zealand resort has just been voted No.1 outdoor and adventure destination in the World by Trip Advisor’s 2010 Travellers’ Choice awards.   It also came in 15th in the top 25 destinations in the World. According to Trip Advisor, Queenstown is also the Europeans’ fourth favourite destination in the world.

So I jump on a Jetstar flight and whizz in to the snow-capped adrenalin-junkie, sexy, love-making capital of the world. At the airport my head spins. I am blown away by the staggering beauty of the Remarkable and the ampi-theatre of mountains the embrace this wild destination. I feel instantly seduced. It’s so unfair!

I try and resist G force paragliding, bridge bungy jumping, heli-skiing and other heart-pumping thrills have made it the world’s best adventure destination. They toss me the keys to my little Jucy rental and I race right into town to my $800 a night Queenstown Heart luxury apartment. This is a wicked place – four big ensuited-rooms, views made in heaven and smack-bang right in town: right above a night club where it all happens. Lyndsey White, my gorgeous www.relaxitsdone.co.nz hostess, shows me how to drive the apartment. Lyndsey is from the UK and she just loves it down here. No wonder!

I slide along to Tatlers restaurant for a meal of the best fish in town and washed down with a glass of Spy Valley Envoy. Tatlers is the best in town for its type of meal. Smiley waitress Katie tells me all the right places to go.

I have another tall glass of Spy Valley and now feel brave to bungy jump! This restaurant is great but I cruise back to my apartment and lay back in bed gazing into town ablaze with lights, across glassy Lake Wakatipu and up the majestic snow-laden peaks…I count to three and bungy jump off the Kawarau bridge plunging deep into the gorge; I hope out of the helicopter and ski flat out down the steep snowy slopes; on to my mountain bike haring down a narrow bumpy track; then crash down the Shotover river white-water rafting….zzz: I wake from an adventure-packed dream. I’m exhausted but determined to live life on the edge here and become part of the $nz3billion NZ adventure tourism industry.

I step boldly into my shower in the biggest bathroom I have ever seen to soap, caress and shampoo myself. Suddenly, light-bulb above the head, I decide to go ice-skating – it’s dangerous; it’s icy, it’s sharp…and tiring. I cling to the sides all the way around then do it again and again, maybe once free-skating for two or three metres. I’ve done it; I’ve ice-skated. I now have the badge and the t-shirt: I have tasted big adventure in Queenstown.

I head back to Queenstown Heart, sip another Spy Valley chardonnay and despite it being winter I strip off to my bike briefs and slip on to a lounger on the deck: Queenstown is my oyster. I just can’t get enough of this place. I haven’t even turned on any of the big flat screen tvs but order a crispy-based vegetarian pizza from Chris at Bellacucina – who make the best pizzas in the world, south of latitude 45. Fresh falling snow and action-packed days put me in the mood for romance.  The setting sun casts a pretty, rosy tint over the snow-capped Remarkables.

The alarm goes and it’s late morning, I have slept on a bed of romance and passion: a cruise of the TSS Earnslaw beckons. This great old ferry vessel was launched on Wakatipu the same year as the titanic sank. It is coal-fired and one steps back to 1912 once aboard, little has changed. The views are breath-taking. Queenstown is a slice of paradise all right – for lovers and for adventure nuts. Around the grand piano at the stern, we sing aloud all the great old camp fire songs on the journey back to Steamer wharf. In good spirits anything seems achievable in Queenstown. But it’s almost time to fly home; though not before seeing the lovely Pauline Giles at Artbay who has a brilliant exhibition of home-made Kiwi art. Pauline is a great art gallery organiser. But heading out to the airport, I make a mental note of returning next year to this battery recharging haven of Queenstown: Still so much more to do and see next time. Maybe even luging!

Finally, I hit one smack in the middle. My drive on a nifty par four rises like a Jumbo Jet, far and high in the sky. But I lose sight of the golf ball. Instead I’m caught gazing at the majestic snow-capped Kaikoura mountains. To my right I hear the waves crashing on the shore.

This is Kaikoura: and it’s paradise. This is hardly New Zealand’s best kept tourist destination secrets – a million people stop and pass through Kaikoura every year.

It’s a little seaside township of barely 4000 people. But it is fast developing into a tourist destination. This cosy coastal settlement has its name flung worldwide because of whale watching. One hundred years ago they used to kill whales; now people just look at them. Whale watching is a big business.

But I digress. I putt out for a regulation par but have played poorly as usual and I grab my trundle and walk back to The Fairways at Ocean Ridge, a divine resort apartment destination where I am staying. The aptly name Fairways, on the edge of the gold course, is run by Stephan Rattray, who is in a race to become the town’s new mayor. He is bright, young and genial and has the area at heart. The Fairways is part of Ocean Ridge where they have planted 170,000 native plants among the walkways around the area. It’s a fantastic project.

But that’s not unusual in Kaikoura where they have one of the best recovery recycling centres in the country. Kaikoura is big on eco-tourism, green glob e measures and they try to keep the town as natural as possible, without it being over-run by tourists.

It’s just two hours’ drive from Christchurch’s international airport and is one of the most breathtaking locations of any town in New Zealand. Its towering, craggy snow capped mountains that plunge deep into the Pacific Ocean where whales, dolphins, seals and marine life thrive.

I stroll along the beach right next to the main street and see a sleepy seal was lazing on the sand. Out at Southbay, sperm whales dive for food. They are the biggest of the toothed whales and the world’s largest carnivore. They are equivalent in size to four elephants. World famous Whale Watch boats take you up close to giant sperm whales. Their 95 percent success rate means they guarantee an 80 percent refund if you don’t see a whale. I just love the play on words that their headquarters is in the town’s railway station, renamed the Whaleway Station.

Kaikoura is one of the few places in the world where sperm whales can be seen year-round and close to shore. One of these monsters consumes over 900kg of food a day.

Today I go crayfishing with Ian Croucher, who runs Southbay fishing charters. He’s a top bloke. We belt across the water in his Coastal Experience boat and lift a couple of pots to get some big crayfish. Ian says the crayfish (lobster) areas abundant as ever.

“I think it’s because we have more seals about now. The seals eat octopus and the octopus eat the crays but the seals have been dealing to the octopus so we have heavy quantities of crayfish now.’’ He takes out tourists – usually six at a time – and they catch sea perch, blue cod or red cod with clients and occasionally a whale pops up close by. They often see dolphins, seals, orca (killer whale), and little blue penguins.

Satisfied with my cray, I head back to The Fairways apartment to boil up my cray, savour the tail flesh and wash it down with a magnificent glass of Spy Valley Envoy bubbly from the Marlborough winemaking region. Outside my apartment I put my feet up on a chair, sip my bubbly, and listening the waves pounding the shore and look at the sun setting on the Seaward Kaikoura snow-tops. It’s so romantic. This is the life. The Fairways is luxurious and just seems the best place to stay. It on the town’s edge so it’s quiet but close to all I need.

The next day, I’m exhausted from all this lazing around so I head to Indulge Body and Soul and find out why they won a best spa in New Zealand award. My masseuse Tia Timms is amazing. She works hard on the knotty parts of my back and shoulders. My neck is tense but I feel so relaxed everywhere else!

An ace netballer, Tia suggests what else to do for the day. I could go surfing at Mangamaunu Point, one of the South Island’s most famous surf breaks. I could go bird-watching – sadly just the feathered-kind; scuba diving, Glenstrae farm biking, luging, archery, surf-casting, learn to fly and see whales from the air, diving with dolphins, fossil hunting, horse trekking, sea kayaking, cave tours, mountain hiking, deer hunting…I fall asleep, exhausted at the thought of all these.

Refreshed and invigorated, I plod off to Ruth Stirnimann’s art studio and fall in love with her bright geometric works which she just recently exhibited in Buenos Aires. She has a real talent and is a great asset to the Kaikoura art trail.

I drive back to Christchurch in my little Jucy rental, mentally making a note of all the things to do when I return Kaikoura.

Hot whether, cold beers, a buddy and a backpack? Sounds like your set for a road trip! Every year thousands of kiwis take time out to cruise round Aotearoa’s great outdoors. From surfing hot spots to sweet powder peaks, New Zealand is full of epic locations. With so much to see, and limited cash, what is the cheapest and easiest way to get around? Etch gives you our top four.

Back Packer Campervans

Back packer campervans offer a relaxed style of travel with built in accommodation and fully equipped living for 2. Travel starts from around $27/day during off peak and up to $99/day for on peak. Vehicle options include ‘The Breezer’ and ‘The Wanderer’:

The Breezer – Comes with a double bed, radio and CD Player, simple kitchen, Esky/chilli bin, portable gas stove and living equipment such as pots, pans, crockery etc.

The Wanderer – Comes with features similar to The Breezer but is a larger model van (High Top) and includes extra features such as 2 bench seats with a table that converts to a double bed, wardrobe, extra storage space, air conditioner, complete kitchen and bathroom with a toilet and shower.

Price Includes:

• Unlimited kilometres
• No Extra driver fees
• 24-hour nationwide vehicle assistance helpline
• Complimentary transfers between airport and branch (except Wellington)
• Discounts to New Zealand’s Leading Attractions

  www.backpackercampervans.co.nz

 Back packer Sleeper Vans

These new vehicles are a more compact alternative and have been designed as the ultimate surf and snow wagon for cruising around New Zealand’s hot spots. Also accommodating for 2 the Sleeper Vans come fully kitted out with their own bedding, kitchen, roof racks, CD sound system, daytime couch, French press (for fresh coffee), kitchen ware, dining table, built in gas burner plus unlimited kilometres and 24 hour AA road service.

Prices range from around $49/day off peak and up to $89 on peak based on a 20+ day hirage.

 Extra accessories for rent include:  

• Portable outside BBQ’s
• Outdoor tables
• Outdoor chairs
• Solar showers
• Boogie boards
• Snow chains
• and more

 www.sleepervans.co.nz

 Travelpass 3-in-ONE  – Boat, Coach, Train

The 3-in-One Travelpass offering you the security of a pre planned travel itinerary with the ease of the hop on, hop off system allowing you to travel at your leisure. If you are interested in local history or culture then the 3-in-1 is a great option as all Coaches offer sound local knowledge with an emphasise on sight seeing,

All packages include:

• A national coach travel throughout New Zealand
• The choice of either a Kings Cape Brett “hole in the rock” cruise in the bay of Islands or an Interislander ferry crossing
• A train journey on either the Tranz Coastal or the Tranz Alpine.
• An interislander ferry pass across the Cook Straight and a 2 hour Milford Sound Boat Cruise

• Prices range from $579 for 7 days, $629 for 9 days or $1,283 for 14 days and are valid for up to 12 months.

The InterCity and Newmans Coach Lines operate 130 services a day stopping at more than 600 towns and cities across New Zealand.

Does not include accommodation costs.

 www.travelpass.co.nz

 The Kiwi Experience Bus

It doesn’t matter if your kiwi or not, one sure way to see New Zealand on the cheap is the Kiwi Experience Bus! The Kiwi Experience is marketed at young travellers and international travellers all looking for a good time and a glance at the country. Kiwi Experience tour packages also operate on a hop on hop off system and are valid for 12 months.

 The cheapest tour option is the classic ‘Funky Chicken’ offering 3 weeks bus/coach travel for around $999 depending on the time of year.

Does not include accommodation costs.

 www.kiwiexperience.com