Wining & Dining with MoaTrek

MoaTrek prides itself on the special lunches you share with local Kiwis in their private homes and lodges – a highlight for all of our travellers and an opportunity to connect with some real New Zealanders over a delicious meal – they love to wine and dine you! 

Vibrant, fresh and influenced by our natural environment, food and wine is an integral ingredient of any small group New Zealand tour. Local chefs combine Pacific influences and the freshest ingredients to create delights like roast lamb or crayfish.

Food, Wine and Enjoying Meals with the Locals with MoaTrek

Touring New Zealand with MoaTrek, food and wine is of utmost importance – guests enjoy superb meals while overlooking spectacular views. Your Kiwi guide will also point out the best places to eat in each location. There’s nothing better than reflecting on a special day on tour with a delicious meal and a bottle of New Zealand wine.

Special Kiwi hospitality

Down-to-earth, warm and embracing, New Zealanders are known for their friendly hospitality. On a MoaTrek New Zealand small group tour, you’ll experience this hospitality first-hand with exclusive, private lunches hosted by local Kiwis. Guests indulge in a delicious lunch at the famous Te Wairoa Buried Village at Lake Tarawera with longtime locals David and Karen.

Further south, lunch in a 110-year-old mid-Canterbury homestead with local Kiwi farmers Di and Ian MacKenzie is a real highlight. During these dining experiences, you’ll enjoy fresh, hearty, home-cooked New Zealand cuisine – washed down with fine kiwi wine – while gaining an insight into Canterbury country life.

You’ll also love a winery lunch in Marlborough, the perfect way to sample that famous Sauvignon Blanc and meet the people who make it.

Outdoor lunch at Akaunui Homestead - Wining Dining New Zealand

Home Hosted Lunch: Akaunui Homestead

A mid-Canterbury homestead nestled amongst 12 hectares of gardens, Akaunui is the jewel of the Mackenzie working farm. Hosted by owners Di and Ian, guests feast on veggies fresh from Di’s garden as well as the farm’s own lamb and beef. Di and Ian believe that home-cooked New Zealand meals are a rare kind of treat, and lunch here is just that. Chat with the couple about the Kiwi farming lifestyle before strolling Akaunui’s colourful landscape of azaleas, roses and rhododendrons.

Hosted Lunch with the Locals: Te Wairoa Buried Village

Standing sentinel above Lake Tarawera lies Pounamu Lodge, where guests enjoy a special private lunch while touring New Zealand with MoaTrek. Hosted by locals Karen and David, this unique experience is steeped in Maori culture and history – Karen is a descendent of local Maori tribe Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao. Karen loves to regale guests with stories of her ancestor tour guide, Sophia, who led visitors to safety during the Mount Tarawera eruption in 1886. Guests enjoy a hearty meal infused with Maori herbs grown in David and Karen’s garden.

Small group dining in Rotorua - Wine and Dine New Zealand

Marlborough Winery Lunch

If there’s a New Zealand wine on the wine list of your favourite restaurant, chances are it’s from Marlborough and chances are it’s a Sauvignon Blanc. We couldn’t visit Marlborough without stopping off for a tasting and lunch, you’ll love it. As well as relaxing in the beautiful sunny setting the wineries offer, you’ll get the chance to meet the winemakers and another of our local mates, Margaret, who will create a gourmet spread out of thin air for us to enjoy.

Wine Tasting and Lunch, Marborough Winery

Touring New Zealand’s food and wine regions

On a New Zealand tour with MoaTrek, you’ll journey through some of the country’s most celebrated food and wine producing regions. Sipping a glass of local Syrah in the Hawke’s Bay sunshine is a special Kiwi pleasure. This region is also known for its production of organic produce; orchards and farms create a colourful patchwork landscape and farmers markets abound.

At the tip of the South Island, Marlborough’s Sauvignon Blanc is famous for being amongst the best in the world. Further south we spend four nights in Queenstown and Wanaka; Otago towns known for their pinot noir and hearty lamb, salmon and venison. Don’t miss sampling some of the local stone fruit produce – Central Otago’s cherries, apricots and nectarines are incredible

Wine tasting at Gibbston Valley Queenstown - Wining Dining NZ

Craft beers and world-famous wines

New Zealand is home to a number of craft beer microbreweries, producing more than 250 styles of beer. Whether you prefer a lager, a pilsner or dark ale, there is sure to be a lovingly crafted brew on offer for every palate. If you’re not sure what the local specialty is, don’t hesitate to ask your Kiwi guide – they’ll be only too happy to recommend their favourite!

Kiwis are discerning when it comes to wine, and different regions are famous for different varieties. If you’re after a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, anything from the Hawke’s Bay is bound to impress. Pinot Noir is best sourced from Central Otago and is known for its fragrant intensity. If you’re looking for some of the best Sauvignon Blanc you’re likely to ever come across, don’t miss anything from Marlborough.

Tours You'll Love

Kaka 17 Day Tour

The best of both islands, all the spots we loved to visit as kids. From Rotorua and Tongariro National Park in the North and Abel Tasman, Milford Sound and Mt Cook in the South. All the comforts of home and unforgettable experiences every day.

Scroll to Top