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I hope you’ll all bear my insinuations in the title to a certain whale, however, I really felt the need to be culturally (in)appropriate. But now that’s out of the way, let me get cracking and tell you what a sensational time I had in Queenstown, New Zealand!

It was truly one of those comfortable wintery experiences — there was snowboarding, crackling open fires, a quaint town by the side of a lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and filled with with historic stone architecture… But just when you thought Queenstown couldn’t possibly contort itself into being any more delightful, along came the food.

And by gum did we ever eat. I had always intended to find some nice eateries whilst we were visiting, but it was my wonderful Mother who thrust a photocopied page from a Gourmet Traveller entitled, “24 hours in Queenstown”, who truly delivered us unto gastronomic splendour.

Our visit was 8 days long, so we had plenty of time in between hikes up and down the slopes to explore all the delights Queenstown had to offer.

We kicked off our adventure with a visit to The Cow, a rustic-looking stone building about the size of your Nan’s granny flat. The Cow had been touted by GT for its pizza, and boy did it deliver! With a roaring fireplace to set the scene, guests share wooden booths and tables throughout the restaurant, with pizzas served on heavy wooden boards. You ought to start off by devouring the most freshly-baked whole loaf of crusty-on-the-outside-soft-and-warm-on-the-inside bread served up with a dish of garlicky butter, before moving on to the most sensationally heartwarming pizza, “Her Majesty’s Pleasure”. This is really just a fancy name for “the lot”, but it’s the surprising addition of celery that gives this slice an interesting kick – it was really quite unexpectedly enjoyable. With a sizable wine list, and a great selection of beers on tap and by the bottle, The Cow was a great all-rounder, with a pizza fit for two costing around NZ$25. We loved The Cow so much we came back for seconds AND thirds on subsequent evenings! By the end of the week, we’d tried all bar one of the pizzas, and let me tell you — they’re all winners. This place gets packed, so get in early (before 6pm) or be prepared to wait (hint: it’s well worth it!).

The Bunker was a deviation from our GT to-do list, but came recommended to us by a winter local of more than 30 years, so who were we to argue? Hidden behind a battered wooden door, and with minimal signage, The Bunker is on the upper end of the scale and was our one big treat to ourselves whilst in Queenstown, and it certainly proved to be a worthwhile visit. Its menu sports a variety of local Otago and New Zealand produce, with a focus on all that is fresh and seasonal. We enjoyed the rich wintery indulgence that was the Cardrona Valley Lamb with Garlic Mash, along with a side of broccoli, mushrooms and fried yams (which were so wonderfully pillowy and crunchy at the same time!). The wine list was extensive, and featured an array of international wines, including many from Australia. We selected the 2006 Ata Rangi ‘Celebre’ Merlot Syrah Cabernet from Martinborough. Syrah is a variety very similar to Shiraz, and the sommelier informed us that New Zealand does blends very well. The Ata Rangi was rich and full-bodied, and well-liked by all (and as an interesting aside, the Chard Farm Finla Mor 2007 Pinot Noir goes for NZ$74 here). We finished off the night with pannacotta that Matt of Masterchef would be proud of.

Under GT’s guidance, we sought out Joe’s Garage, which proclaimed a hearty breakfast and great coffee, and we were not disappointed. We actually visited Joe’s, which appears to be a bit of a Queenstown institution, for lunch to begin with. I enjoyed a perfectly grilled blue cod with Joe’s chips (which are actually delectably haphazard little nuggets of soft, potatoey goodness), aioli and salad.  Jean tells me the coffee was amazing (I’m not a coffee drinker myself), and we were so sated by lunch that we popped in for breakfast on our final morning in Queenstown. Joe’s is reasonably priced, and has wholesome, filling options for all budgets and tastes. It’s all about casual dining here, with an assortment of tables, benches and counter seats, where you can watch your meal being lovingly prepared before your eyes.

And last, but certainly not least, comes Patagonia. Situated on the foreshore of Lake Wakatipu, Patagonia is a chocolaterie with a difference, although damned if I know quite how to elocute just what on earth that difference is. Perhaps it’s the the sheer gooeyness – caramels, ganaches, fondants – perfected in many of their wares; or maybe it’s all about the subtle flavours they include – citrus peel in dark chocolate, ginger hot chocolates; or perhaps it’s just that they have such a considerably huge range for such a small town boutique chocolate shop that you’re literally left feeling like a kid in a candy store, with so many mouth-watering options that you don’t quite know how to decide who makes the cut. My suggestion is to start with the ginger hot chocolate, and then try to pick between the richness of the golden gooeyness of the Caramel Peak, and the creamy ganache layered between soft, crumbly cookies in the Alfajors (all pictured, eat your heart out!). Let’s just say that the variety kept me coming back 5 out of 8 days in Queenstown. How embarrassment.

Suffice to say that my culinary journey through Queenstown was pretty amazing.  I really don’t know what I expected prior to my arrival, but it certainly wasn’t the diversity of flavours and quality that was served up to us. I’ll definitely be back again soon.