“Mr and Mrs Elliott” the smiling face greets me as we exit out of the car. We’ve just arrived at Huka Lodge, said to be the iconic New Zealand lodge and having passed a most impressive entranceway with the lushest, greenest lawns you could imagine and small ponds with fast moving mist hovering above it. It’s movie set lovely and did I also mention cold? When the plane took off for Taupo, we had heard the pilot saying minus 1 degree which we thought to be just us having faulty hearing.

They take care of our bags and we are welcomed into the main lodge room where a crackling fire holds centre stage and cold we gravitate straight towards it. My tea and Mr NQN’s coffee are brought to us along with a selection of the butteriest demerara sugar edged shortbread in vanilla and chocolate as well as some fish shaped chocolate-dark filled with praline and milk filled with truffle. Did I mention the fish? Huka Lodge was originally a fishing destination and has preserved that theme throughout the lodge even after the  Jade green Waikoto river was closed off for recreational flyfishing. Now the guests are more of the genteel varitety seeking luxury, the odd royal (Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as well as the Belgian King and Queen and the prince and princess of the Netherlands). Huka falls is the most visited natural attraction in New zealand.

Library room

The Library room was apparently Queen Elizabeth’s favourite room and we can only guess that the tartan might have reminded her of Balmoral. Guests can choose whichever room they’d like to have their dinner in from the study, trophy room as well as various table outside. there are also activities but these are mostly around the $2,000-$4,000 price point per person although the idea of fly fishing at another location and having the chefs here smoke or slice your fish sashimi style is appealing.

The room is enormous, with a king sized bed one on side and doors that open out onto the green outside where there sits two sunchairs ready to sunbathe in as well as a family of rather bold ducks (that have been known to venture into guest suites).

Resident ducks

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It was cold this Wintry Monday evening. The rain poured down, thunder struck the sky with mild grumbles and my stomach echoed with a loud protesting growl. I was waiting for Mr NQN to come home so that we could make our way to some comforting Italian fare at Buzo Trattoria in the upmarket suburb of Woollahra with David Tsirekas (chef and owner of Perama restaurant) and his lovely wife Belinda (mum to adorable girls Mia and Ruby). I walk in first while Mr NQN finds a park (don’t you just love husbands that drop you off in the front when you’re wearing impossible to walk in heels?). David tells me “Don’t worry I’ve already tweeted ‘Can someone get an electrician to @buzo_trattoria. There is a problem with the lighting’!” and starts laughing.

David has already established joking relationship with Traci from Buzo., Only a few weeks earlier he had called to book with her using a false voice complete with dodgy indiscernible accent saying that he had read about Buzo on “Not Quite Nutella”. And we learn that joking back and forth is the order of the evening. Housed in an elegant charcoal grey two storey terrace it’s busy for a Monday night.

Warm Sicilian Green Olives, Fennel & Lemon $8

These are a fantastic start. The warm olives (and I do love it when olives are served warm) are heady not so much in the fennel and lemon but rosemary which gives it added warmth.

Pillas dio Anna Baked Semolina Gnocchi $20

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Hola!

Yes, not the El Bulli (where I hope to make it one day) but the Surry Hills version. This was our third  attempt at securing a table at El Bulli. The first went wrong when I tried to book for Mr NQN and I. They told us that they don’t take bookings but if we want to come by around 6pm-7pm we could get a table. Not wanting to eat quite that early we didn’t. The second time we turned up at 7pm only to be told they were fully booked yet they could take booking for tables of more than 2. This time we managed to secure a booking but a) it would have to be at 6:15pm and b) we would have to give the table back at 8pm. Apparently during a Saturday night, they do three sittings!

Mr NQN and I walk in on time mindful of the 8pm pumpkin time when Cinderella has to give back her glass slippers.  Inside it is all warmly lit with orange tones. Candles with huge wax drippings underneath them glow and there’s wood all around (and I’ve kept the light in the photos as is to convey the lovely orange shade). There’s even a wooden menu at some tables and when I enquire about this the maitre’d jokes that is is for naughty customers with a wink. When I drop it and make a kerfuffle (ok you knew clumsy me would do that didn’t you?) he wags a finger at me. My phone beeps and it’s Teena and Philippe and they’re running 10-15 minutes late. Then a minute later Gina and Hot Dog text us and tell us they’re 10 minutes late. Arrrgh Cinderella!

We take a look at the menu which tells us how tapas originated in the South of Spain as a result of a glass of sherry accompanying an outdoor meal. To keep the fruit flies out of the glass they placed a small plate (a tapa) over the top and added some small tasty morsels of olives, ham etc on top of that. The menu is quite detailed with the usual tapas items (there’s nothing experimental a la Bodega). Fittingly given the story of the origins of tapas, the alcohol list is extensive and much larger than the food menu with five Spanish beers and one Argentinian beer.

Almendras Tostadas -Toasted seasoned almonds $6.50

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