Snack Your Way Through A New Zealand Road Trip - my pit stop secrets
To see the many varied wonders New Zealand has to offer there really isn’t a better option than the good old fashioned “road trip”.
New Zealand has so many sites packed into two small islands, with sandy pristine beaches in the north, the thermal explorer highway in the central North Island and stunning mountains and untouched wilderness in the South Island. There is no shortage of stunning scenery.
Grab a friend, a map and some tunes and you’re just about set to see the country. There is only one more thing you need for the perfect road trip and that’s snacks.
You may well laugh, but how much fun do you have on an empty stomach? Why not incorporate snacking into your trip? You get a much needed rest stop, to see a little local culture and your holiday will be flavored with kiwi delicacies.
Below are a few of my favorite stops on an Auckland to Taupo jaunt. They are not tourist destinations specifically, just little kiwi run businesses that have been regular stops on any road trip since I was a kid.
Mercer Cheese
-Roose rd, Mercer
Mercer is easy to miss, but pop off the motorway and you will find a local legend, well worth the stop. Albert Alferink’s award winning cheese is made from locally sourced cow and goat milk in the Dutch style. Whether you like something sharp or smooth there is certainly a flavour combination to try. So pop by for a tasting and your likely to walk away with some of the best cheese New Zealand has to offer to flavour your trip.
Candy Land
-75 Henry rd, RD1, Taupiri http://www.candyland.co.nz/
Candy Land is another one of those stops I have been making my whole life. It may look a little dated but there is a very good reason it’s a family favorite. Twice daily candy shows (during weekend and school holidays) include making your own lollypop. If you miss the show there is a huge range of candy on offer with vegan and allergy free options available and for the adults a range of delicious smooth fudges to sweeten your journey.
GelatAmore
-44 Victoria Street, Cambridge
GelatAmore specialize in homemade Italian style gelato. With a large range of delicious flavors, if you need something to cool you down on your drive then GelatAmore is my pick. Famous for their generous servings there’s nothing quite like an ice cream bigger than your head to say welcome to New Zealand.
Huka Honey Hive
-65 Karetoto Rd (off Huka Falls Rd) Wairakei Park, Taupo www.hukahoneyhive.com
This one is a bit more of a tourist trap but it makes my best of list because the products are just so yummy. At the Honey Hive you can watch live bees in their hives and peruse a range of honey based products, from skincare and wellness to delicious flavored honeys. For me though the star products are the honey mead and honey wine. If you have never experienced honey mead then you’re simply missing out, but don’t worry Huka Honey Hive has free tastings, the perfect way to choose a bottle to take away and relax at the end of your long drive.
As you can see, road trips in my family were leisurely if not particularly healthy affairs, allowing you to nibble and sup your way through the stunning scenery and passing cows without a hunger pain. Consequently my childhood travel memories are all flavored with exotic honeys and tangy cheeses, an experience I would recommend to any traveler attempting to explore New Zealand for the first time.
If you have you own secret pit stops for yummy New Zealand kai, please share them in the coments section on my main blog page.
Ann
