The Hungry Bunny

Christchurch was our gateway into the South Island so apart from ushering in 2016 at The George, we spent little time in this city. Apart from The George Hotel , the Christchurch International Airport was the only other place we spent the most time in Christchurch. Unlike Auckland's sprawling international terminals, Christchurch is a little modest, in comparison. It's still one of the nicest airports around, sleek furnishings, a modern aesthetic, and sundrenched for a bright cheery countenance. The departure area The check-in area - queues move very fast, and on this note, clearing immigration when entering New Zealand was very efficient, with hardly any lag. The Air New Zealand International Lounge in Christchurch Airport, a Singapore Airlines partner lounge seating area business center Coffee & Tea station, with all the fixings: milk, lemon, cookies, sugar, cream The chiller of drinks, both alcoholic and non. I liked that they carried Sav Bla...

We didn't stay in Christchurch very long. We'd spent most of our New Zealand sojourn in the Marlborough and Kaikoura regions, and merely used Christchurch as the gateway into the South Island. In Christchurch, we stayed the night at the George Hotel, the preeminent luxury accommodation in the earthquake-ravaged-but-resilient old capital of New Zealand. The boutique heritage hotel overlooks Hagley Park, the lush green heart of Christchurch and the hub for major outdoor festivals. All through New Year's Eve, a steady lineup of music acts kicked it up in the park, while locals picnicked in the warm Summer sunshine. Once the clock struck midnight, the park lit up with the most magnificent display of fireworks. We opted for the Junior Suite (rates start at upwards of NZ$765 per night), a comfortable room decked out in calming shades of taupe, perched on the top floor. Its locale adjacent to the Park Suite rooms allowed for fettered views of Hagley Park. The bedroom, whic...

Pescatore , at the swish George Hotel, is one of New Zealand's top restaurants. The innovative restaurant is slick and buzzy, and brimming with fabulous upscale types.  That being said, Pescatore 's food isn't outstandingly soulful, nor comfortingly familiar. You'd be disappointed if you expected Pescatore to conform like many other regular restaurants. Here at the 1 hat laureate of the 2015 Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards, you get inventive cuisine that's playful, refreshing, and surprising, sans the contrived pretentiousness. The aforementioned adulations were largely attributed to the life-changing wine pairing experienced at Pescatore ; the sommelier here is an Einstein-level genius. The food, on its own, was already excellent, but when paired with each matching wines, the cuisine transformed...and it was pure magic. Like Merlin-level magic. I've had wine pairings with degustation meals before, but never like this. If you're like me, and ever thought, ...