My friend and I came here for my birthday for dinner and I got the warmest welcome!! Saulo even…read moretacked up a birthday banner for me! He even sat down with us for a personalized touch to explain the menu! Everyone walking in said that their hotel recommended it as the top place to eat in town and I can see why!! Here you get amazing one on one service and attention. Great suggestions through the evening from drinks, entrees to mains! We started with refreshing mojitos with incredibly fresh mint! Then we had a local wine! We had the Brazilian cheese bread with a yummy dipping sauce. My friend ordered the steak and I had the lamb. They brought out a plate with various levels of spicy chilis with their own unique flavor and heat profile. My heart felt filled (I love spicy things)! When I told them I was looking for more heat, he brought out a Brazilian ghost pepper or a Carolina reaper -- it was Russian roulette because he didn't know which one he grabbed! Loved the spicy homemade hot sauce with the steak which my friend so graciously shared! The lamb has a more delicate taste which would be overpowered by the various chilis. Still loved the supple and tender meat! We ordered dessert and of course the whole restaurant was singing happy birthday! Which dessert did I go with? You got it the chocolate lava cake volcano with homemade chocolate chili sauce! We had a fabulous experience here and I 100% recommend you try... But it does get super busy so I highly recommend getting reservations in advance!

Amazing food. More importantly, an amazing experience. The staff were so welcoming and helpful with…read moreanswering questions. This will be a location I must go to when I am in Blenheim again.

Very pretty location with a nice area for a big group. We had lunch and a wine tasting for 24…read morepeople. Lunch was very nice- chicken, salad, eggplant and arancini starter and ice cream dessert. The wines are OK, they are not top end wines more middle of the road but nice. Service for our large group was very good. Beer and soft drinks were also available. There are a couple of nice lookout points in the building. Be sure to stop by the vines out front which show case all their varieties. You can taste the grapes!

Just WOW! What an experience. Wither Hills is a top name in Sauvingnon Blanc in Marlborough and for…read moregood reason. We had an incredible time here. We ended up visiting on Valentine's Day - not planned, just how the dates worked. The winery was busy with guests doing tastings and eating lunch when we arrived. There is gorgeous outdoor seating in the patio courtyard area, and more inside. It is well appointed and expertly decorated. We were warmly greeted and awaited our tour to start our experience. Little did we know, the head winemaker would be giving us our tour! He took us to the viewpoint of the vineyards on the top floor, out to the vines in the front, down into the cellar to taste a vintage, and then back up for our official tasting. His knowledge was truly spectacular, and welcoming nature made us feel so at home. Then, we embarked on our tasting - enjoying a few different Sauv Blanc variations - and our favorite, FRIVOLI! This was like a sparkling rose that might be the best thing we've ever drank. We paired it with some entrees that were all divine - the gnocchi, the duck, and eggplant to share. All five stars, top notch quality fare! Perfect pairings with the wine. Of course, we had to take some Frivoli for the road. What an incredible experience - can't recommend it enough!

If you're in Takaka, chances are your pants have already been completely charmed off. But if you…read morecan handle one more ounce of charming, head to The Brigand. You'll walk through a garden of outdoor seating and into a cozy bar/cafe/music venue that, with open fires roaring and booze flowing, feels more like your best friend's living room than a restaurant. That is, until the food arrives. With a heavy emphasis on fresh Kiwi produce, it's an embarrassment of riches with lamb, sirloin steak, fresh fish, spare ribs, cheese, wine, really, I'm not sure why you're still reading and not simply heading here immediately. My only regret is not getting to try the apricot schnapps cheesecake as it was sold out. Welp, I guess I'll just have to head back...

Great place for a really damn good dinner! Good craft beer selection, amazing food and desserts…read more So nice to sit outside and have a drink with amazing food.

If you want to feel at home in a human hostel, please stop at the Almond Hostel !…read moreThe owner, a sweet italian woman, will welcome you with her big smile. She is really nice. The rooms might be a bit small. I was in a 6 beds dorm but we were 2 and then 3. I cannot imagine to be 6 in this room. There is quite some space to put your stuffs under the beds. The garden is peaceful and you have 2 hammocs to chill in this quiet place. If you want to cook you can use the herbs from the garden. The common room might be a bit small but is cosy. The kitchen has everything you need to cook. You can also use 2 bikes for free. The people in this hostel are there to rest and be quiet. So if you want to party it's certainly not your place to be ! The city center is 10' walk from there. I definitely recommand this place and if I ever come back in Nelson, I'll go back here.

This has got to be the most driven hostel I've ever stayed at. I stayed a few weeks ago & now am…read moreback in Nelson and immediately chose Aurora for their incredibly friendly staff, low prices, etc. They clean their kitchen twice per day, and the bathrooms are spotless as if brand new. 5 stars would definitely stay here again.

I thoroughly enjoyed my night in a double room with partial ocean view. My room and bed were very…read morecomfortable. I hiked to the beach before sunset. There was no food choices other than what you bring. They sell frozen pizza and a few basic other things for purchase while the office is open. They give you a small amount of Wi-Fi free. Otherwise you can purchase 10 GB for $5 which I did. Shared kitchen and bathrooms. Friendly roosters that you will meet quickly if you're eating any food outside... Gorgeous sunrise over the ocean. I recommend staying here priced affordably for any budget.

This place is such a gem! A friend had stayed here for quite a while a few years back, so we knew…read morewe had to stay here during our trip to Abel Tasman National Park. They offer hostel-style dormitories, small private units, and glamping options. We opted for the clamping tent and loved it. The tent was outfitted with a comfy bed, furniture, and everything you'd need: a fan, dehumidifier, heat, phone charger outlets, etc. The shared shower and bathroom area was a few steps away which was convenient. They have some food and drink for sale in the check-in office, as well as a food truck that often serves veg/health-focused fare. They also have kitchens, lounge areas, and games onsite. It's right at the start of the National Park, so there couldn't be a better spot to stay for a few days of exploring the park!

This place is sweet as mate! (New Zealand lingo, heh)…read more As you can expect from a hostel in a small town of several thousand in New Zealand, there are travelers from all over the world here and they coexist happily. I sat in the TV room one evening and watched Benjamin Button with two fine gentleman from a foreign country. I cooked in the kitchen with even more people from even more foreign countries. The stay wasn't long enough here for me to make any friends, but I'm sure it would have been quite easy and possible. That being said, the people tended to keep to themselves and the area was relatively quiet. You won't find a party in Picton (as far as I could tell) and by extension, you won't find a party at Sequoia Lodge. There's a shuttle taking people around to known destinations and in the winter evenings there's free ice cream and brownies! Sequoia Lodge also has an outdoor hot tub you can reserve, as well as a TV room where I watched Benjamin Button with two guys from another country. Picton's a small town so you'll find everything you need to survive within walking distance, although you'll need some form of motorized transportation to get to any destinations in a reasonable amount of time. You're 30 minutes from wine country by car and just as far from Queen Charlotte Sound.

It's a very nice hostel that is excellently run. I agree with everything the previous reviewer…read moresaid, in particular, it's a bit pricy, but not crazy, and there are lots of nice touches, like the binder of information and DVDs, the available hot water bottles, the warming blankets, and the hosts' suggestions, like a walk to see glow worms nearby. They also let you use their kayaks for 2 hours for free. It's a good launching or returning point for those doing activities along the Queen Charlotte Track. There's free wifi but it didn't work in the room, just in the living room. Hey have a laptop there for guests to use if run don't have their own devices. The wifi wasn't super fast but it loaded everything eventually, although i didn't try streaming. There's free instant coffee and tea, and various other foods frozen and for purchase. There's very little in the immediate area, but they have a full kitchen and bbq available for guests' use. There's a small parking lot. You go to the end of the road and it's on the left at the very end, inside the lot that's marked day parking only. It is after the point when google maps tells you you're there. The room was tiny, but the shared spaces were big and comfortable. I'd stay again, but I wish it were a little less expensive, although I wouldn't mind if I were going to be around to use more of the amenities.

Nicest YHA I've visited. The prices somewhat reflect this but are on par with others in NZ. Owner…read moreor manager is impeccably organized and well-sorted (for instance, there is a binder with an alphabetized list of 300 or so DVDs to borrow, complete with starring casts and ratings- All 4 Die Hard movies BTW!), the kitchen is nice, hot tub is very clean, and our room had a hair dryer, a heated clothes dryer/towel warmer rack, and he even gave us a 1/2 a can of camp fuel he had lying around. A great stop if you're hiking the Te Araroa or coming through Anakiwa after the Queen Charlotte Track.