On and off the piste in New Zealand

HELI-skiing is an exciting way to start a gourmet weekend exploring Queenstown's slopes and many bars and restaurants, writes Angela Saurine.

Peppers Beacon Queenstown New Zealand

OUR helicopter twists and turns as it dives over the side of the ridge into the gully below, and I can't help letting out a tiny squeal.

As we fly low over the creek I spot a small timber cabin  -  the only other sign of human life we have seen all morning.

After disembarking, we make our way through the long yellow grass in our ski boots to the hut, which is used by musterers on the cattle station where we are spending the day heli-skiing.

The property, near Wanaka on New Zealand's South Island, is owned by the ex-husband of country singer Shania Twain, who has an arrangement with Harris Mountains Heli-Ski to take skiers and snowboarders to explore its snow-capped peaks.

Our guide, Dean, lays out a spread of fresh meats, salad, bread and cake on the veranda for lunch  - just what we need after a challenging morning of off-piste action.

It is about an hour's drive from Queenstown to the property over the Crown Range, which is the highest public road in New Zealand at 1000m above sea level.

It is a sometimes winding road, taking in some of the best of the scenery made famous by the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

We also pass cute stone houses with smoke streaming from their chimneys and the historic Cardrona Hotel, possibly my favourite pub in the world.

Before we begin, Dean, who leads treks up Mt Everest the other half of the year, gives us an avalanche briefing.

To my relief, he tells us the avalanche risk today is low.

If we do get caught in an avalanche, Dean says not to try out-running it like you see in YouTube videos. Instead, you should ski off to the side.

We are shown how to use search transmitters, which we each wear strapped under our jackets, and poke with an avalanche probe until you hit the victim and shovel them out. There are six people in our heli-ski group  - some who have never been in a helicopter before  - and we are divided into two groups based on our ability.

When we are dropped at the top of the mountain we look out at the mountains which surround us, knowing they are all ours.

Our tour includes four runs  - three before lunch and, wisely, just one after.

At the end of each, the helicopter meets us where the snow runs out, picks us up and returns us to the top.

While the snow conditions are variable thanks to a couple weeks without snow when I visit, the thrill of adventure makes the experience worth it and it's definitely something I would do again  - providing there had been fresh snowfalls.

The next day I hit the slopes again, this time at Coronet Peak, a short drive from Queenstown.

The resort has to be up there with the best in the world when it comes to scenery, with views over paddocks, mountains and Lake Wakatipu, around which the town is built.

Another drawcard is the ice bar at the top of Greenslades chairlift, where you can relax outside on beanbags and chairs made out of old skis and drink mulled wine.

Whenever you book a ski holiday you remain at the mercy of Mother Nature.

The biggest advantage of a New Zealand ski trip is even if she doesn't play ball, there are plenty of other options to fill in time.

One of the most obvious is exploring the bars and restaurants for which Queenstown is famous.

The hotel where I stay  -  the recently refurbished Peppers Beacon  - has made it that much easier to do so with the introduction of its new Gourmet Food Trail.

The hotel's general manager Donna Stewart and her team have used their local knowledge to come up with a list of recommendations, and from September guests will be able to visit places on the list and charge their bill back to their room.

"We came up with a huge list and then had to work hard to narrow it down," Donna says.

"We had a few arguments about what we would take off and what we wouldn't."

There were some places, though, that were always going to be there.

One of them is Wai restaurant on the waterfront at Steamer Wharf, where I indulge in a mix of Bluff oysters with white balsamic jelly, chilli and lime sorbet, Kilpatrick, tempura and lemon caviar.

"This is the place we send people who are real foodies," Donna says.

"My husband and I came here a couple of years ago for our anniversary dinner and he asked the new waiter where the quail eggs were from.

"He replied: 'They're from Bannockburn'."

It's those little things that show why Wai is special, Donna believes.

"As a local I would come here for a special occasion or if friends came to town," she says.

"I'd take my kids next door to Finz -  another restaurant on our Gourmet Food Trail  - if I couldn't be bothered cooking because it's a more family orientated restaurant.

"We recommend to people where we actually dine."

Another place on the list is The Bunker, a small restaurant and bar Donna also suggested for Prince William when he visited New Zealand in 1995.

At the time she was working at Millbrook golf resort, where the royal was due to stay, and suggested The Bunker because it served quality fare and she had been asked to find somewhere that didn't have windows the paparazzi could peek through.

Unfortunately on that occasion bad weather prevented him landing, and Donna's research was in vain.

The list also includes Barmuda, which is a great venue for cocktails, or Bardeaux, which is the type of place you go to enjoy a bottle of pinot by the fire.

Another place I had to try was the restaurant Saffron, in the nearby gold rush town of Arrowtown, after hearing about it on a previous visit.

If you are looking for a fine dining experience, chef/owner Pete Gowron's fare is hard to beat.

Before you visit, make sure you pop across the alley to The Blue Door, which is also owned by Peter and his wife, for a pre-dinner drink.

The cosy bar is housed in an old storeroom, and you have to duck your head as you enter.

In the corner sits an old safe which came out on one of the early clipper ships and was once used to keep money from the grocery store which once adjoined the storeroom, and probably that of the miners as well.

I fall immediately in love with the bar, with its slate floor, original stone and lead walls, wooden beams, wine barrels, leather lounges, roaring fireplace, and jovial locals.

It is the kind of place that keeps me coming back to Queenstown.

Another option for people taking a break from the ski fields is to visit some of the many wineries in the Central Otago region. In these parts, grapes are considered the third gold rush  - after tourism.

I head out with Black Tours to visit Bald Hills Estate at Bannockburn, near Cromwell.

When we arrive we are greeted by a distinguished-looking, grey-haired gentleman who grabs a bottle of wine and leads us into the vineyard for a tasting and a tour.

Blair Hunt and his wife, Estelle, left their home in Sydney in 1996 and planted 2ha of vines here the following year.

His 11ha property now has 7ha of grapes, and the spare bedroom of his home is his cellar door.

"We used to have people come into our lounge room and kitchen and taste there for years," Blair says.

The property, named after the bare hills behind it, features a rocky outcrop called Pigeon Rock, and one of his wines is called the Pigeon Rock Pinot Gris. "Pigeons enhance the product," he jokes.

Blair prides himself on quality wines, and his boutique vineyard has won countless awards around the world.

After Bald Hills, we head to the nearby organic winery Carrick Wines for lunch. The modern restaurant is built over the barrel room, which you can see through glass floor panels, with soaring ceilings and full-length glass windows.

The organic winery uses biodynamic principles. Vines are planted on certain days, based on where the moon is, and wildflowers are planted between the grapes. Merino lambs eat the grass between the vines and there is a staff vegetable garden. Olive oil made from olives harvested at the property is served at the restaurant.

I enjoy a bacon and broccolini broth with potato top beef and mushroom pie and vintage cheddar cheese, merino lamb short ribs braised in pinot and five spice gnocchi, and try several of the wines.

My favourite is the 2009 Excelsior pinot noir, named after an old coal mine underneath the vineyard.

If only I had an extra day's skiing, to work off all the extra calories. 

The writer was a guest of New Zealand Tourism and Mantra.

Go2

QUEENSTOWN

Getting there

Air New Zealand flies direct to Queenstown from Sydney.

See airnewzealand.com.au

Staying there

The refurbished Peppers Beacon has 84 self-contained apartments, many with views of The Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu, a short walk from town.

The resort has a Gourmet Food Trail package that includes daily freshly made bread in your room and a regional tasting platter on arrival plus breakfast daily for two people.

Rates in a studio room start from $295 a night and two-bedroom apartments start from $450 a night (minimum two-night stay). Valid until March 31 next year, subject to availability. Blackout dates apply.

Ph 1300 987 600 or see peppers.co.nz/beacon

Touring there

Harris Mountains Heli-Ski offers three-run tours from Queenstown for $795 and four runs for $845.

See heliski.co.nz

Black offers luxury wine tours in the Central Otago region. See blackzqn.com.

While the wineries are usually open every day during summer, in winter it's a good idea to phone ahead to let them know you are coming.

More: newzealand.com

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