Former Otago Daily Times journalist Dene Mackenzie enjoys Hawke’s Bay as he shows American friends the region.
Hawke’s Bay holds a particular place in the hearts of my son and myself, and yet neither of us have ever lived there. My father was born in Hastings and was one of the lucky children playing outside of the school rooms when the devastating Napier earthquake hit the region.
More on that later.
My grandfather Alexander Mackenzie died aged 53 so I never knew him and my grandmother Mary Mackenzie died aged 93, and to my lasting regret, I only met her once in my lifetime despite being in my 20s when she died. I met my few cousins over the years, and all spoke highly of Nana Mack.
Late last year, I decided the ashes of my parents had languished in my cupboard long enough. I believed I would never return to Hastings to sprinkle some of my father’s remains on the grave of his parents. So, I drove to Oxford and sprinkled both lots of parents’ ashes in the river that ran through the farm they once owned.
Unexpectedly, friends of mine in Illinois wrote saying they were travelling to Australia and decided to visit me in New Zealand.
A long-time friend and contact from my journalism days, Brenda Newth, lives in Hawke’s Bay and I wrote to her asking if she could accommodate us at her luxury bed and breakfast.
She was full the days we intended visiting but, as usual, produced plenty of alternatives. I explained Kiel was writing for international golfing websites, along with stories on his personal blog.
Cutting a long story short, she put us in touch with Sarah Nash from Hawke’s Bay Tourism and things spiralled from there.
Once we had established what Kiel and I would write, Sarah put together a wonderful programme. We paid for our own airfares and rental car.
Kiel received a complimentary round at Cape Kidnappers, not something to be sneezed at with a round costing $450 for Kiwis and nearly $1000 for international players.
My dad had kept photo books of the earthquake and many years ago my family and I had watched the film about the earthquake, but getting a tour of the city and spotting the few buildings which survived the quake was incredible. Of course, I asked whether we would go to the Rothman’s Building, one of the most photographed sites in Napier, and was quickly reminded it was called The National Tobacco Company building. However, a quick online search shows it was commonly called the Rothman’s Building. Now, it houses a gin distillery with some very fine product available.
One of the facts that caught my eye was Gerhard Husheer, who built the building to process tobacco, employed mainly women as their hands were smaller and could roll tobacco tightly. He provided his workers with a hot meal at lunch time every day during hard times in the country.
Designed by acclaimed Art Deco architect Louis Hay, the building features both Art Nouveau and Art Deco features. Hay was so annoyed at the demands by Husheer that he declined to have his name associated with the final design.
I had made two requests to Sarah about our trip. First, I wanted to have lunch at The Mission Estate, and secondly, I would like to take Kiel and Jen to Black Barn to review progress from the fire that wiped out part of the winery. Black Barn had been a particular favourite of mine on previous visits.
We left the Art Deco tour and drove straight to the Mission for an excellent lunch of salt & pepper squid accompanied by the Estate Gewürztraminer for Kiel and me and the beer battered fish for Jen with The Project Sauvignon Blanc. Big meals, excellent food, wonderful wine pairings.
I should probably say at this point that everyone we met on the tour was incredibly hospitable. I realised it was their job, but the over and above service we received throughout the trip from servers in restaurants and cafes, to wine tasting and Dave on the Deco tour was outstanding.
As I write this news has come out that McCains is closing its food processing plant in Hawke’s Bay, coming a few weeks after Heinz Wattie’s announced closures of plants around the country. In Otago, we have suffered similar factory closures, and we have had to rely on different industries. However, food production remains the backbone of Hawke’s Bay as every menu we saw could attest.
Hawke’s Bay Tourism is positioning the region as ‘‘food and wine country’’ and we certainly got to experience that. Hawke’s Bay has also been designated a Great Wine Capital of the World — a relatively new designation that puts it in an elite group of 12 world-renowned wine regions, alongside places like Bordeaux, Porto, Napa Valley, Mendoza, among others.
Sean Burns proved to be an excellent host, giving the three of us an exclusive tasting of some top wines. One of our party mentioned that if the Cabernet Franc was a cologne he would wear it every day, also describing it as ‘‘light on its feet’’.
At this stage I was just sampling lightly but the total package is worth seeking out. Sean explains the partnership between wine maker Steve Smith and investor Brian Sheth, with a wide-screen video of the blocks of land where particular grapes are grown.
We all know New Zealanders are just a few degrees separated from each other and a visit the next day to Te Aratipi, a farm in the hills with some big plans, proved that point.
Owned by Ed and Ro Palmer. Ed is the fourth-generation owner. Ownership started with Selby Palmer more than 100 years ago, followed by his son JJ Palmer, then Ed’s father Selby and now Ed. There is also another Selby, the 9-year-old son of Ed and Ro who keenly explained the farm life to us.
Ed and Ro, who studied science at Otago University and worked at Tuhura Otago Museum, are in their first year creating a farm tour and family adventure packages. There are walking tracks established in the bush which can be led by Ro. She caters a luxury lunch or morning tea for visitors. Top marks for our morning tea of Afghan biscuits. But the reason we visited was because Ed had established a nine-hole golf course on top of his very mountainous farm. Wet weather meant Kiel could not play the course, but Ed has set up a driving range at the very top with the sea as a target.
Craggy Range was named as the best New Zealand Winery Restaurant. The restaurant was packed with customers enjoying their food and wine. Service was impeccable and the food exquisite.
Black Barn was damaged by fire in 2022 and then suffered more damage during the 2023 cyclone. ‘‘We’re proud to still be here,’’ our host Taygen Elliot said.
The tasting started with a Brut NV that was described as biting into an apple. That was followed by the Havelock Hills Rose which was bone dry with cherry flavours. Next was the 2024 barrel fermented Chardonnay and the Havelock Hills Syrah which had everyone licking their lips. Just as we were packing up, samples of the 2020 single block Merlot were brought out. Only 700 bottles were filled. What a remarkable wine it proved to be.
The next day was Kiel’s big golf day at Cape Kidnappers. Jen and I had arranged to meet Brenda at Hyggee Cafe, about 20 minutes away from the entrance of the golf course. What a scenic café. About 50m from the sea, this café had provided a destination for Lycra-clad riders who gathered in the shade supping coffees and eating muffins. Pronounced ‘‘Hooga’’, the word is Danish for a sense of warmth, comfort and contentment.
If there was one disappointment on the visit, it was the standard of coffee. I know we are spoiled in Dunedin, and at home with proper machines. But the standard of café coffee I sampled in Hawke’s Bay was very disappointing. It looked like a flat black rather than a long black with cremar. In the end, I stopped drinking coffee.
Following a piece of decadent custard slice, and black coffee, Jen and I took off for Napier. Jen wanted to shop in the Art Deco precinct, and I needed to return to Hastings and visit the graves of my grandparents. Although I did not have any ashes to scatter, I had a swimming medal my father won in standard 3. The medal, about the size of my thumbnail, would be ideal to be buried next to dad’s parents, my son and I decided. It was a very hot day, I was overdressed, and despite using GPS on my phone to find the grave, I was feeling beaten down and ready to give up. Along came a caretaker who showed me where the grave was. I had remembered correctly that the grave was beside a tree. Unfortunately, Hastings Cemetery had many trees.
I buried the medal, said a few words and departed in the knowledge it is unlikely I will ever return. Sad but also satisfying that part of Dad was with his parents.
We set off later in the day to rescue Kiel from the course clubhouse and indulge in a light snack before dinner. I am no golfer, but I could appreciate the view from the veranda.
As we booked out of Porters on Friday morning, we met the Australian golfers and wished them the best of luck on yet another sunny day.
After three amazing days, Kiel, Jen and I flew out of Napier. As I looked down on the scarred hills from the cyclones, I did find Hawke’s Bay to be much greener than I had expected, thanks to a wet summer. I do not plan to return but if an unexpected opportunity arises . . .
• Dene Mackenzie is a former business and political editor of the ODT. He travelled through Hawke’s Bay with the help of Hawke’s Bay Tourism.
Foodstops
Breakfast
• Maina Café. Good cabinet selection. Good pricing, busy with buzzing atmosphere. Friendly staff. Best buy: the cheese scone and iced coffee, about $20.
Lunch
• The Mission Estate. Magical view from the dining room window. Friendly, welcoming staff who met our self-imposed deadline as we were running late. Huge meals. Best buy: Beer battered fish, Agria fries, seasonal salad for $35.
• Craggy Range. Exceptional service from Hannah who had been at the restaurant for six years. As expected, wine selection was a difficult choice because of the range of varieties. Best buy: the three-course a la carte at $99 per person. Three smallish courses which filled us all up before we were offered dessert. Beetroot cured salmon, slow cooked paua and Pecorino cheese souffle were my choices.
Dinner
• Cellar 495. The name comes from Michael Henley being the 495th Master of Wine in the world. Great conversation in intimate surroundings. Wonderful service. Best buy: Bostock Brothers Organic Chicken Roulade at $44.
• Malo Restaurant. Again, the restaurant was full at 7pm. Really buzzing. The ever-present Marlborough oysters had to be the starter. Although they were not “bluffies”, the oysters were large, juicy and tasty. Delightful French waitress in New Zealand for six months to learn English. Meals were large (must be a Hawke’s Bay trait). Best buy: Black Angus medium rare rib eye fillet, perfectly cooked, at $49.
• Ari Restaurant. A disappointingly 90min wait for our main meal. Fortunately, our server Benjamyn kept us entertained. The new restaurant was full, and many people waited for their meals. However, once the meals arrived, the long wait moved to the background as the food was wonderful. Best buy: Beef cheek, tabbouleh, eggplant puree, zaatar flatbread at $40.
• While in Hawke’s Bay, I was told primary produce was the main focus of many menus and that appeared to be true. Beef, lamb and fish featured prominently. All three were presented in exciting and inventive ways and never disappointed.
