Tag: North island

Hawkes Bay Wine Region Part 2

Back in February I wrote the first part of this post about the wines of Hawkes Bay but somehow never got round to publishing the second part. so without much further ado.

Alpha Domus

First plantings in 1991 in the Bridge Pa Triangle district of Hawkes Bay. The winery is located close to an airfield used for pilot training in old Tiger Moths hence the logo on the estates labels.

Alpha Domus Heroines Rose 2017

Made from 100% merlot. Pale salmon in colour. Strawberry on nose and palate. Very dry

Alpha Domus Skybolt Chardonnay 2015

This is a lovely style of chardonnay with lemon citrus and peach. Quite full with a lovely lingering finish. Good value.

The Fox Moth Merlot 2015

Medium bodied, soft plummy fruit and berries with a rich savouriness. A nice lingering finish.

Alpha Domus The Barnstormer Syrah 2016

Youthful in appearance. Characterful with dark berries and lots of peppery spice.

Alpha Domus The Navigator 2014

A Bordeaux style blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. A good mature colour with soft berry fruits, plums, vanilla and spice. A full bodied wine with a nice finish.

Alpha Domus Noble Selection 2015

100% Semillon. Honey, nutty with a nice acidity to balance the sweetness. There are tropical fruit flavours with a touch of vanilla and marzipan.

Te Awa

Te Awa Sauvignon Blanc 2015

80% in stainless steel, 20% French oak. Limes, asparagus with  pear drop finish. A slightly richer style of sauvignon with a delicate touch of oak on the mid palate.

Te Awa Chardonnay 2015

Pale yellow in appearance. Lemon citrus, banana and a touch of vanilla. This wine has lovely balance and weight. Good value.

Te Awa Kidnappers Cliff Chardonnay 2014

Pale yellow and vibrant in appearance. lemon citrus, toast and a very pronounced flinty/gun-smoke aroma.  Palate is dry and complex. Very good.

Te Awa Left Field Malbec 2015

Youthful, red with a purple rim. Red fruits and blackcurrants. A lighter style of Malbec for easy drinking.

Te Awa Tempranillo 2014

Ripe, dark berry fruits give a richness that is very drinkable. There is a long savoury finish with a hint of tasty vanilla.

Te Awa Syrah 2016

Very youthful in appearance. Dark berries and plummy with a good dash of pepper. There is a lovely savoury/peppery finish.

Wellington Craft Beer

It seem that everywhere you go in Wellington there is either a craft brewery or a cafe/bar/restaurant with an exceptional range of craft beers. With only 36 hours in Wellington this post probably only touches the tip of the iceberg of the craft beer scene in the city.

Mac’s Green Beret IPA 5.4% Amber/Gold, clear, light head, citrus, grapefruit, touch of caramel. Very drinkable.

Mac’s Interstate APA  5.0% Amber,clear with little or no head.Low/medium bitterness. Full flavour and refreshing.

Mac’s Great White 5% Wheatbeer. Yellow, cloudy, good head. Lovely flavours of tropical fruit, banana and bubblegum. Nice texture. A nice drink.

Mac’s Hoprocker 5% Yellow/gold in appearance, refreshing pilsner style beer.

Mac’s Sassy Red 4.5% Dark amber in colour, nice malty, caramel flavour, low bitterness.

Parrotdog Bitterbitch IPA 5.8% Named after the problems associated with controlling the bitterness one early brews this is an amber beer, slight haze, light head. yeasty, malty, nice bitterness, hoppy, full flavoured. very nice.

The Garage Project. The Pernicious Weed 8%  Golden, slight haze, light head, full flavourIntensely hoppy but balanced with a nice touch of caramel. A fine beer.

Fortune Favours The Nine Nine APA 5% Pale amber, slight haze, crisp, clean, low bitterness. Nice easy drinking style.

Fortune Favours The Adventurer 5% Pilsner, yellow/gold,  low bitterness,  touch of caramel. Refreshing, you could drink a lot of this. Very good.

Te Aro. Pilsner 5.1% Golden, clear, good head. Lemon, quite rich in style, smokey, full flavour.

Brewmoon. Hophead Pale Ale 5% Amber,clear, no head at all. Low bitterness, caramel/malty. easy drinking style.

To The South Island

The Cook Strait between the north and south islands connects the Tasman Sea to the east with the Pacific Ocean to the west. It can be a very unpredictable stretch of water for navigation due to the winds that can roar through from the south, giving large swells on the open stretch of the crossing. We were fortunate that for our crossing it was it was calm and tranquil following Cyclone Gita which had passed through the area two days earlier.

The crossing itself between, Wellington on the north island and Picton in the south, is approximately 94 kilometres and takes three and as half hours.  Only about a third of this time is actually in open water, the first third is leaving Wellington harbour and bay and the final third is the cruise up the beautiful Queen Charlotte and Marlborough sounds.

Two  ferry companies cross the straits, Interislander and Bluebridge, both have several crossings per day. We crossed with Interislander which have bigger ships, our vessel Kaitaki is the largest and is used for the busy 9am crossing. It can carry 1350 passengers and on the day we crossed was very busy indeed.

The following photographs show some of what is considered by some to be one of the great ferry journeys of the world.

Wellington Harbour
Wellington from the bay
Pencarrow Head

Marlborough Sound

Marlborough Sound