Oamaru & the Waitaki: Home to Historic Pen-y-bryn Lodge

OAMARU & THE WAITAKI

HOME TO HISTORIC PEN-Y-BRYN LODGE

By James Glucksman & James Boussy

OAMARU

& THE WAITAKI HOME TO HISTORIC PEN-Y-BRYN LODGE

Acknowledgments This book would not have been possible without the generous assistance of so many people, but we would like to pay special thanks to: The Waitaki District Archive for supplying historic images of Oamaru; Totara Estate and Heritage New Zealand for their images of Totara Estate and Clarks Mill; the Orokonui Eco-sanctuary, Ostler Winery, River T Estate, Whitestone Cheese, Scott’s Brewery, Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, Glide Omarama and the NZ Whisky Company for supplying their images; Dr Philippa Agnew of Tourism Waitaki for reviewing and correcting the materials on Oamaru’s bird population; Rod Tempero for granting us permission to photograph his shop; Wendy Simpson of Tourism Waitaki for general review of content and for granting access to photograph Whitestone City; Naomi and Mike McCallus for proofreading and editing assistance; Pauline Rabbits of Pawprints Design & Illustration for making the book look better than we could have ever hoped; and all the people of Oamaru and the Waitaki District for making us feel so welcome in our newly adopted home town.

Contents Oamaru

8

Other Waitaki Towns Duntroon Kurow Omarama Otematata Kakanui Hampden Moeraki Palmerston

14 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17

Scenery

18

Wildlife

28

Moeraki Boulders Elephant Rocks Earthquakes Clay Cliffs Waitaki Valley Danseys Pass

Blue Penguins Yellow-Eyed Penguins Otago Shags NZ Fur Seals Other Birds Wallabies Orokonui Eco-Sanctuary

Gastronomy

Cheese Waitaki Wines Beers Whisky Oamaru Farmers Market

Heritage

Oamaru Historic Precinct Totara Estate Clarks Mill Whitestone City Oamaru Steam and Rail

20 22 24 25 26 27

29 29 29 29 30 30 31

32

33 33 34 35 35

36 36 38 39 40 40

Art and Artisans

42

Activities

50

Festivals and Events

58

Pen-y-bryn

62

About Us Pen-y-bryn Room by Room

66 70

Recipes

80

Artist Galleries & Studios Oamaru Stone Architecture Forrester Gallery Oamaru Opera House Oamaru Public Gardens Steampunk Rod Tempero Auto Builder Gliding Fishing Cycling Hiking Hunting Skiing Sport Horse Trekking Harbour Street Jazz & Blues Festival Victorian Heritage Celebrations Oamaru Steampunk Festival Oamaru Fire & Steam The Bulleids The McDiarmids Pen-y-bryn Lodge

The Drawing Room The Dining Room The Billiards Room & Library Guest Rooms The Park Room The Garden Room The Nest Room The Elizabeth Room The Victoria Room Pen-y-bryn’s Gardens

42 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 56 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 64 65

70 71 72 73 73 74 75 76 77 78

The town of Oamaru and its harbour

6

“Put simply, this is NZ’s coolest town” – Lonely Planet

W

hen we first encountered Pen-y-bryn we had never heard of Oamaru, and

most of our New Zealand friends knew little about it. But since then Oamaru has emerged as a popular destination for visitors and new residents alike, and in 2015 no less an authority than Lonely Planet declared Oamaru New Zealand’s coolest town. This book aims to show what it is that makes Oamaru and the surrounding area so cool, and guide visitors through some of its highlights. We hope you will enjoy it, and that you will also leave Oamaru and the Waitaki District with fond memories of your time here!

7

Oamaru O

amaru is a town of approximately 13,000 people on the Pacific Coast of the South

Island of New Zealand, the main town of the Waitaki District and of the region known as North Otago. The name of the town is of Maori origin, and is said to mean “the place of Maru”.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the mid-1800s, the area around Oamaru was a popular spot for Maori hunters to pursue moa, giant landdwelling birds so delicious that they were hunted into extinction. One of the hunting methods involved setting the forests where the moa lived alight, causing the moa to run out of the forest toward the waiting hunters. By the time the first Europeans arrived in 1853, the Oamaru area was virtually devoid of trees, attributed to the Maori

The stone is still actively quarried and remains very popular as a building material locally and nationally.

During the second half of the 19th century Oamaru prospered. The town’s harbour was engaged in shipping many of New Zealand’s most valuable export commodities, especially gold, grains, and wool to Great Britain, though with the local development of technology to freeze lamb carcasses for the long journey Oamaru soon became the most heavily mortgaged town in the southern hemisphere as banks, stock exchanges, customs houses and warehouses vied to build ever grander buildings to reflect their importance in this vital commercial centre. Oamaru’s population by 1880 exceeded that of Los Angeles, and was home to more banks (and brothels) than any other town in the

hunting of Moa.

southern hemisphere. With the construction in 1883 of

Chartered in 1862, the town quickly grew into an

tallest building.

important settlement servicing the many nearby farms. Most towns of the period would have been built of wood, but with lumber in short supply an alternative was needed. Fortunately, a large seam of limestone that could be easily quarried and worked into an excellent building material and this stone, today known as Oamaru stone, has been used to build most of historic Oamaru and some of the most important buildings elsewhere in the country, including the Dunedin Railway

8

Station and Auckland’s town hall and chief post office.

the Elevator Building, Oamaru also had the hemisphere’s

Oamaru’s star faded in the early years of the 20th century when shipping outgrew the town’s port, causing much of the trade to relocate to Dunedin. Eventually all the grand edifices on Thames Street grew silent and the town passed into obscurity.

Oamaru remained a quiet outpost until the 1980s when tourism began to develop. It was then that the town’s architectural heritage was rediscovered, something truly unique in this part of the world. At the same time, the

Oamaru Harbour with Sumpter Wharf in the late 19th century.

Thames Street, Oamaru’s main street after the bridging of Oamaru Creek.

Thames Street, home to Oamaru’s main bank branches.

9

quarry on the seashore was discovered by Blue Penguins, who found the nooks and crannies there perfect for building their nests. Initially viewed by the populace as unwanted pests, a few progressive citizens saw them as a draw for visitors, and from that Oamaru emerged as a popular destination for the first waves of eco-tourists eager to catch a glimpse of these unique and charming little creatures.

Oamaru today is once again thriving, owing to the success of its agriculture sector. The town is well known throughout New Zealand for the high quality of its potatoes, tomatoes and stone fruit.

Thames Street was designed to be wide enough for a bullock cart to execute a U-turn easily.

10

11

Oamaru Historic Precinct in afternoon light

12

Lane’s Emulsion was once the bane of any sick child’s life, and Oamaru was its home.

13

Other Waitaki Towns

O

amaru may be the main town of the Waitaki District, but it is far from being the only town in the area.

Listed here are just a few of the many interesting towns in the Waitaki region.

Duntroon Along the Waitaki Valley about 30 minutes’ drive from Oamaru is the historic town of Duntroon,home to the Vanished World Trail headquarters. The town showcases the unique geological history of theregion, including the fossils of a prehistoric ancestor of modern penguins. Duntroon is also the site of Nicol’s Forge, a restored historic blacksmith’s shop, and the lovely historic church, St Martin’s. Duntroon is the closest town to Elephant Rocks and Earthquakes, two of our region’s most popular scenic spots.

Kurow Further up State Highway 83 from

Duntroon is the agricultural town of Kurow, home to the Waitaki

Valley’s viticultural region, with 55

hectares currently under grapes and

more being planted. There are several tasting rooms in the area, including those of Ostler Wines, Pasquale

Viticultura and Bobbing Creek. Kurow is the base where Waitaki’s are built, and is considered the birthplace of NZ’s public health system.

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Omarama “The Place of Light” in Maori, Omarama is the point where the Waitaki Valley

intersects the Southern Alps, and is an important regional centre along the

inland route between Queenstown and Christchurch. Because of the ideal local

gliding conditions, Omarama has become a leading international gliding centre. The area’s numerous mountains, lakes, and

rivers are stunning when viewed from a glider. The scenery can also be viewed

from the Omarama Hot Tubs, where you

can soak in private wood-fired tubs while taking in the scenery.

The Ahuriri River near Omarama in spring.

Otematata Otematata is a centre for water sports

of all kinds, along with hikes along the Waitaki River, fishing and bicycling.

During the autumn it’s a photographer’s wonderland as the changing colours of the leaves create a true spectacle.

Lake Benmore near Otematata.

15

Kakanui Located just 14km south of Oamaru along the Pacific Coast is Kakanui.

The beaches and bays of the area are popular in the summer among paua and kina (abalone and sea urchin) hunters, as well as surfers, paragliders and sun worshippers. There are several interesting artisans in Kakanui, too, creating willow baskets, woodwork and other craft items.

Kite surfing at All Day Bay in Kakanui.

Hampden The village of Hampden is known throughout New Zealand as the home of the country’s best fish and chips. A popular way to enjoy them is while sitting at the town’s beach, scanning the horizon for dolphins and orcas.

The beach in Hampden.

16

Moeraki Home to the eponymous Moeraki Boulders, formed millions of years ago and strewn along the beach north of the village, Moeraki is a small fishing village popular among New Zealand holidaymakers who come to enjoy the fresh fish and the outstanding views. An historic lighthouse south of the village is a beacon for birdwatchers who head toward it to visit the nearby colony of Yellow-Eyed Penguins.

Further south you can visit Shag Point for a chance to see more penguins, along with fur seals, birds and other marine wildlife.

Moeraki Harbour at dusk.

Palmerston The southernmost town in Waitaki, Palmerston is the town closest to the Macraes gold mine, source of half the gold mined in New Zealand. Palmerston is also the eastern terminus of State Highway 85, known locally as the “Pig Root”, which goes from the coast inland through the Maniototo Ranges toward Central Otago.

The town centre has several interesting shops and cafés, and is home to a museum covering the history and geology of the area.

Shag Point outside of Palmerston.

17

18

Scenery

T

he Waitaki District is one of the most scenically diverse in the South Island, offering

a rare combination of a Pacific coastline, an Alpine valley, and high country in one of the least densely populated corners of New Zealand, just 21,000 people spread across 7,150 square kilometres.

The Waitaki River and surrounding hills.

19

Moeraki Boulders One of the most iconic landscapes in all of New Zealand is located on our coastline in the town of Moeraki.

There, dotted across the sandy beach, are dozens of large spherical boulders the original Maori settlers believed were the remains of food baskets of the gods, washed ashore after a shipwreck. The boulders are concretions of mud, silt and calcite, formed in much the same way an oyster forms a pearl around a grain of sand.

20

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Elephant Rocks While the Moeraki Boulders may be the most famous landscape of North Otago, a bit inland there is another remarkable landscape. These rocks are enormous outcroppings of limestone that jut out of the grass of a local farmer’s paddock in such a way that, if you look at them the right way, you can imagine that they resemble elephants. The farmer allows people to visit them (there’s an honesty box for anyone who’d like to contribute to the farm’s upkeep) and it is even possible to climb some of them with a local guide.

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Earthquakes Not far from the Elephant Rocks is another unusual geological formation, known as Earthquakes. When Europeans first discovered this area near the town of Duntroon, they surmised the landscape was formed by an ancient earthquake that caused the ground to collapse into a crevasse. As it turns out, the site was formed by the receding ocean waters as the valley rose up out of the Sea.

The "Post Office" at Earthquakes, where visitors have left their messages to loved ones in the cave walls.

24

Clay Cliffs Near the inland town of Omarama, where State Highway 83 ends, you can find a dramatic formation known as the Clay Cliffs. These imposing formations, made by glacial rivers depositing gravel and silt between 1 and 2 million years ago. They are a great spot to explore at any time of year, but they are particularly beautiful in spring, when the banks of the nearby Ahuriri River are abloom with the pastel hues of wild lupines.

25

Waitaki Valley The braided Waitaki River meanders from its source at Mt Cook/Aoraki to the Pacific Ocean near Pukeuri, and has been dammed seven times to provide electricity. The dams have led to the creation of a number of manmade lakes, including Lakes Aviemore, Benmore and Waitaki, and known as the “hydro lakes”. In the summer the lakes are very popular for recreational activities, but at any time of year they provide a beautiful opportunity for photography, as the crystal blue glacial waters contrast with the greenery of the flora and the rough surfaces of the surrounding mountains. There are several towns along the Waitaki River, including Duntroon, Kurow, Otematata, and Omarama, that have a range of tourist services and accommodation.

26

Danseys Pass The mountainous terrain of the inland Waitaki District offered significant challenges to the area’s original settlers, who needed to find a way to get from inland sheep stations and gold fields to the coast. Danseys Pass was created in the 19th century for the McLean brothers, owners of large sheep runs in the area, and today offers a stunning opportunity to see the unique landscapes of the North Otago countryside. Some of the vistas on this route have become iconic, serving as part of the advertising imagery for local businesses, making them familiar to New Zealanders in all corners of the country.

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Blue Penguins in Oamaru.

Shags on Oamaru’s Sumpter Wharf.

28

Yellow-Eyed Penguin at Katiki Point.

Fur Seal at Katiki Point.

Wildlife Blue Penguins If there is one thing responsible for raising the profile of Oamaru among the travelling public, it would probably have to be the little Blue Penguins. Known also as “fairy penguins” or korora in the Maori language, these small penguins are the smallest in the world, barely 33cm (12in) in height, and they are the only penguin species to be blue. These gregarious birds established a colony on the Oamaru waterfront. Today the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is a major tourist attraction and internationally recognized research centre, and is home to one of the largest colonies of these penguins in New Zealand. The penguins are here year-round, though they can be seen in greatest numbers during the spring and summer, especially during the time of year when they have eggs or chicks in their nests.

Yellow-Eyed Penguins Though the Blue Penguins are the best-known of Oamaru’s penguin residents, the area is also home to YellowEyed Penguins, one of the rarest penguin species. These beautiful birds, known as hoiho to the Maori, are the third-tallest penguins after Emperor and King penguins (which are found only in Antarctica), and on mainland New Zealand are only found on the south-east coast of the South Island. These highly threatened penguins are also the only penguin species to prefer avoiding the company of other penguins.

Otago Shags As people make their way along the Oamaru shoreline to the Blue Penguin Colony, they often catch sight of an old wooden pier covered with birds they think are the penguins. But as soon as these birds take wing and fly off they betray that they are Otago shags, a variety of cormorant. This colony is the northernmost in the world, and they flock to Oamaru in large numbers.

New Zealand Fur Seal The beaches of the South Island are often populated by fur seals (kekeno in Maori), though in far fewer numbers these days than before they were targeted by the fur trade. In the Oamaru area they frequent the same beaches as our penguins, which often leads people to worry that they’ll harass the birds; in fact, they pay the penguins no attention at all (though Blue Penguins still tend to give them a wide berth, just in case). People also assume these large mammals are docile, but they can move very quickly and it’s advised not to approach too closely, get between a female and her pup, or block the path between a seal and the sea.

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Other Birds Oamaru is a very good place to find a large number of New Zealand’s endemic bird species, including South Island Pied Oystercatchers (“SIPO”s), tui, bellbirds, fantails, and others, many of them common visitors to our gardens.

Oystercatcher in Moeraki.

Wallabies Wallabies are not native to New Zealand – they are Australian – but these small marsupials, relatives of kangaroos, were brought to the Waimate area and other parts of New Zealand, by British settlers for their hides and for sport. They thrived in New Zealand and soon became a pest, competing with sheep for food.

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Orokonui Eco-Sanctuary The Orokonui Eco-Sanctuary is a great place to view New Zealand’s unique native birds in an outstanding natural environment. Located about two-thirds of the way to Dunedin from Oamaru, Orokonui is a restored native New Zealand habitat where all non-native species of plants and animals have been expelled from a fenced-in area, and replaced with native species. As a result, this is an excellent place to see such rare birds as tui, kerero, kaka, and takahe, as well as kiwi. In addition to birds, the sanctuary is home to several tuatara, which some consider to be the last remaining dinosaur species.

Kaka at Orokonui.

Tuatara at Orokonui.

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Gastronomy

I

t wasn’t too long ago that visitors to New Zealand would marvel at the stunning scenery, but leave with the impression that cuisine was just not an area where the country excelled. While the quality of New Zealand’s

produce has always been exemplary, it is only recently chefs have begun to turn this produce into memorable and delicious meals. Most people associate New Zealand with lamb. After all, the country famously has many more sheep than people. But it’s perhaps not so well known that the country is a major exporter of venison, all of which is farmed (and of extremely high quality), and produces large quantities of high-quality beef, pork, and fowl.

But the story of New Zealand cuisine is not limited to meat, especially in North Otago. The famed volcanic soils of the area near Oamaru have been yielding outstanding produce for well over a century, and each spring consumers across the country wait anxiously for the first boxes of Oamaru’s famed Jersey Benne potatoes to appear on the shelves of the grocery, since Christmas dinner is inconceivable without a bowl of these beauties. And you need only visit the Oamaru Farmers’ Market’s special pre-Christmas evening market to see the excitement that builds as locals snap up the region’s cherries, strawberries, and other fruits to decorate their holiday pavlovas.

In addition to the meats, fruits and vegetables, there are several delicacies that you should be sure to experience when you’re in the Waitaki District, including the following.

A selection of Whitestone Cheeses.

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Cheese In the 1990s a local dairy farmer decided to branch out and see if European-style cheeses would find a market in New Zealand and give him a value-added product to help raise the income from his farm. More than 25 years later, Whitestone Cheese is the most celebrated cheese maker in New Zealand, and their range of cheeses – each named for a location in the Oamaru area – has won accolade after accolade, and are now exported around the world.

Waitaki Wines Along the beautiful Waitaki Valley, 45 minutes from Oamaru, you will find the small town of Kurow where the wines of the Waitaki Valley appellation – designated as an appellation only since the early 2000s – are grown.

The Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and other varieties produced here have, in a very short time, begun to express aunique depth of flavour and character that leads many experts in the field to conclude that these wines will someday eclipse the more established wine districts in the country.

This region is considered by specialists in the field as the “Burgundy of the South”, since it shares the same latitude as Burgundy, along with a similar climate and a limestone-rich soil. Thus, the wines of the Waitaki Valley are more nuanced and subtle than other South Island wines, and the Pinot Noir has more in common with its French cousins than with the Pinot Noirs produced just a short distance away in Central Otago. Building upon the success of Waitaki Pinot Noir, several vintners are now also producing exceptional Chardonnays.

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Beers Even more recent than the emergence of our wineries is the resurrection of Oamaru’s beer brewing tradition. In the early part of the 20th century Oamaru was home to several breweries, all contributing no doubt to Oamaru’s reputation as a rowdy town, and to the town fathers’ decision in 1905 to enact prohibition, which was only repealed in the 1960s. In 2013 the town’s first post-prohibition brewery was established, and in a very short time Scotts Brewery has become a tremendous success, producing several varieties of beer and ale, including the country’s only gluten-free beers. Shortly after Scotts Brewery opened, Craftwork, a Belgian-style brewery also opened in Oamaru, and already it has been awarded several gold and silver medals in international competitions.

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Whisky What used to be the world’s southernmost distillery closed in 1997, leaving hundreds of barrels of caskstrength whisky in storage. In 2010, the NZ Whisky Company purchased 443 of the barrels for additional aging. Perhaps it was the influence of Oamaru’s sea air, but the whisky developed extraordinary flavours and found an enthusiastic following. Nowdozens of varieties of whisky are available in the Oamaru tasting room on Harbour Street, with the Oamaruvian – a caskstrength, long-matured, toffee-flavoured whisky aged in American bourbon and French wine barrels – being a particular favourite of ours. Happily, the NZ Whisky Company has recently resumed distilling again after a two-decade hiatus, so there will be more of this special spirit to enjoy.

Oamaru Farmers Market The Oamaru Farmers Market opened for business in September 2011. Though originally conceived as a summertime market, by the end of the first season the market had become such a fixture in the lives of both locals and visitors that the market management decided to remain open year-round. Vendors at the market offer a range of products for the table, from fruits and vegetables to meats, cheeses and prepared foods. There are street performers and a seating area, too, so you can soak up the ambiance in comfort while enjoying a coffee, a bacon buttie or other ready-to-eat items from the market stalls.

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Heritage

F

or many people, Oamaru is synonymous with heritage. But heritage can take many forms, and Oamaru offers the chance to experience New Zealand’s history from a number of vantage points.

Oamaru’s Historic Precinct The area delineated by Tees Street to the west, Itchen Street to the north, Wansbeck Street to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the east is today the heart of Oamaru’s Historic (or Victorian) Precinct. After Oamaru’s port activities diminished in favour of the facilities in Dunedin, many of the grand buildings of this area were neglected and abandoned. By the 1970s, there was a call to dismantle them and replace these Victorian buildings with something more modern and useful. Fortunately, a group of Oamaruvians thought better of that idea, and decided to champion the resurrection of the buildings and preserve them for future generations. In 1987, the group established itself as the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust and received funding to purchase eight buildings in the historic area (the Loan and Mercantile Building, Neill’s Store, Andersons’s Store, Sumpter’s Store, Meek’s Store, the Exchange Chambers, Sumpter’s Exchange and the Criterion Hotel) in order to restore them and make them available for rental to small businesses that will help keep historic Oamaru vibrant and alive.

The Historic Precinct is today considered to be the largest intact collection of Victorian-era buildings in Oamaru, and is frequently used by film producers as backdrops sets for movies, commercials, and fashion advertisements. In addition to the Trust’s work of preserving these structures, it also organises the Victorian Fête, that culminates the annual Victorian Heritage Celebrations during the third week of November.backdrop for fashion advertisements. In addition to the work that the Trust does to restore and maintain its buildings, it also organises a festival, known as the Victorian Fête, that serves as the culmination of the town’s annual Victorian Heritage Celebrations, taking place each year during the third week of November.

Oamaru’s Harbour Street.

36

Oamaru’s Loan and Mercantile Building.

37

Totara Estate Totara Estate holds a very special place in the history of New Zealand. Located just a few kilometres south of Oamaru along State Highway One, this was where a multi-billion dollar industry was born. Totara Estate in the mid19th century was one of many farms around New Zealand raising sheep and cattle and growing grain on its 15,000 acre lot. Back in those days, sheep were raised primarily for fleeces for export to Great Britain to be worked in the woollen mills of Manchester.

In the 1880’s William Davidson, the General Manager of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company that owned Totara Estate, worked with Thomas Brydone, the estate’s superintendent, to realise a daring dream – to refit a sailing ship with a refrigeration system adequate to freeze meat in New Zealand and keep it frozen through the Tropics and all the way Britain. The first shipment in 1882 arrived in London in first-class condition and paved the way for a revolution in New Zealand’s economy. Meat and dairy products became viable export items and the stage was set for New Zealand to become a leading food supplier to the rest of the world, despite the great distance from its primary markets. Totara Estate is a Category One listed historic place and welcomes visitors to explore the displays in its wonderfully restored Oamaru stone farm buildings, including the slaughterhouse built for that first shipment. Come along to experience a taste of farm life, feed the heritage breed sheep, walk to the Brydone Monument and try a delicious farmhouse tea in the old cookshop.

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Clarks Mill A few kilometres south of Totara Estate is Clarks Mill, a rare historic flour mill. Clarks Mill was built by Totara Estate in 1866 and was one of 13 flour mills in the North Otago area and worked as a commercial operation until 1976. Few flour mills now remain in New Zealand, and Clarks Mill is a rare example of a mill that was once water-powered and still has its original roller milling machinery intact and operational. Built of Oamaru stone, there are four floors to explore, all full of machinery which mostly came from Britain. Visiting on an operating day means you can see and hear that machinery roll into action and imagine what life was like for the mill workers.

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Whitestone City Oamaru’s newest attraction is something of a time machine that transports the visitor back to the 1880s. The exhibit, located in one of the warehouses that line historic Harbour Street, recreates the spirit and appearance of Oamaru in its heyday, with opportunities to visit a period chemist, barber, and schoolroom, view a performance in the theatre and ride a pennyfarthing carousel.

Oamaru Steam and Rail Oamaru’s heritage attractions are not limited to buildings. The town is also home to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Society, which maintains an impressive collection of working vintage locomotives and rolling stock. Oamaru Steam and Rail operate between the Harbourside Station in the heart of town and the Blue Penguin Colony. The journey follows the route of the old southern rail line, and is great for all rail enthusiasts. Model rail enthusiasts should also be aware of the Model Railroad on display in the Historic Precinct, which includes a miniature version of Oamaru.

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Bill Blair and his Sussex trugs.

Donna Demente’s Grainstore Gallery

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Art and Artisans

I

f you were to ask the average New Zealander to come up with an adjective to describe Oamaru, it’s a good bet that many would mention the word “quirky”. Oamaruvians wear their quirkiness proudly, and it’s this

quirkiness that perhaps attracts so many artists and artisans to our town, though it could also have to do with our amazing natural light, the presence of large spaces suitable to serve as artists’ studios, and that this is just a great place to live.

Artist Galleries and Studios As often happens in towns where large commercial buildings fall into disuse, one of the first sets of people to breathe new life into the beautiful Victorian buildings of Oamaru were artists and craftspeople, who needed large, well-illuminated spaces to create their works. There are a cadre of artisans and craftspeople who make their homes in Oamaru, producing paintings, sculptures and other works of art all over town. Donna Demente may be the best-known of these, with her easily recognisable paintings that feature a strong emphasis on eyes, masks, and oversized faces. In addition to fine arts, there are also craftspeople in Oamaru and nearby Kakanui who produce exquisite ceramics, wickerware and wooden trugs that are highly sought after, some of which have also been used in several of the films shot in the Oamaru area.

Ian Andersen at work in his stone carving studio

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Oamaru artwork at Art on Tyne

Bill Blair crafting a Sussex trug

Steampunk art at Steampunk HQ.

Donna Demente’s Grainstore Gallery

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Oamaru Stone In a town that gives its name to a variety of limestone, it should be no wonder that there are many sculptors who are based in Oamaru. One of the busiest is Ian Andersen, whose gallery and shop on Harbour Street in the Historic Precinct offers the chance to see how this beautiful stone is turned into even more beautiful works of art.

Oamaru hosts a biennial stone carving symposium, which is held in November in odd-numbered years. Artists from around the world come to participate in the open-air event, where they are given enormous blocks of raw Oamaru stone to turn into whatever the spirit leads them to create. During the symposium, visitors are invited to vote for their favourite works, with the most popular being purchased by the town of Oamaru to be installed on permanent public display.

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Architecture The built landscape of Oamaru is unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere in New Zealand, and no other town of any size has the number of outstanding buildings that Oamaru has.

This unique architectural legacy owes its existence to several factors: the town was built of limestone, expectations of prosperity as a vital export centre, and Oamaru’s relative immunity from seismic activity meant these imposing stone buildings have not been affected by earthquakes the rest of the country is prone to.

While there are many distinctive buildings throughout Oamaru, among those that command particular attention are: St Luke’s Anglican Church, with its iconic steeple overlooking the centre of town; the Oamaru Basilica, with its stunning interior; the Criterion Hotel, which was one of the first to be lovingly restored when the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust was created; and Meek’s Grain Elevator (today the home of Steampunk HQ), which at one time was the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Forrester Gallery The former building of the Bank of New South Wales (1884) is today the Forrester Gallery, named after former mayor and retired architect John Meggett Forrester, who provided a bequest for the establishment of an art gallery in Oamaru. The gallery opened in 1983 and is free to the public, offering permanent and temporary displays of a range of artworks, both domestic and foreign. The Gallery is now a component of Culture Waitaki, and is undergoing an expansion project, with a new addition scheduled to open by 2019.

Also part of Culture Waitaki are the North Otago Museum and Waitaki District Archives, both of which present a treasure trove of artefacts and relics from our fascinating district.

Oamaru Opera House It catches many people by surprise that Oamaru has an opera house. Built in 1905, Oamaru’s opera house is considered to be one of the finest in the country, having been significantly renovated and modernised in 2008. Today the Opera House serves as a performance space for local, national and international troupes who enjoy the excellent acoustics, beautiful design and appreciative audiences that fill the seats throughout the year.

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Oamaru Public Gardens When Oamaru was first surveyed in 1858, 34 acres were set aside to be used as a public reserve, and in 1876 the Oamaru Public Gardens opened on the site, making it one of the oldest gardens in New Zealand. Being as old as they are, the plantings are all very well established, with large trees providing a barrier between the noise of nearby Severn Street and the bucolic paths of the gardens.

The gardens are divided into several sections, including a large garden of rhododendrons and azaleas; a fern garden; a Chinese and Japanese garden complete with a red lacquer bridge over the Oamaru Creek that meanders through the gardens; an aviary and a Wonderland-themed sculpture that dates to 1926.

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Steampunk In the early 2000s a group of Oamaruvians were thinking of how to make the Victorian heritage of Oamaru a bit more approachable for younger people and others who may not be fans of Victoriana. They had heard of Steampunk, an art genre that imagines what the future might have been like had it been built on the basis of 19th-century technology, and decided to hold a Steampunk arts festival in the town.

The event was a success, and continued growing until Oamaru became known as the Steampunk capital of New Zealand, if not the world.

One of the most imposing buildings in old Oamaru was Meek’s Grain Elevator, once the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere.

Damaged by fire in the 1920s that cost the building its top two floors, it was purchased in 2010 by a local businessman interested in Steampunk, and who converted it into Steampunk HQ, displaying an industrial version of Steampunk. The ever-evolving collection on display showcases local, national and international talent, and turns everyday objects into wonders of innovation and creativity. Be sure to visit the Infinity Portal for an other-worldly experience.

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Rod Tempero Auto Builder More surprising even than the presence of an opera house in Oamaru one can find a re-purposed chicken coop where classic sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s are lovingly recreated by hand. Rod Tempero’s family have been in the coach-building business for decades, but it was he who decided to try his hand at recreating some of the world’s classic marques. He first began as a way of satisfying his personal desire to own a vintage Ford that he could not afford to buy. His father suggested building one himself, which he did, and when someone he happened upon in a car park offered to buy it, he realised he had a business on his hands. Today you can visit his workshop just to marvel at the sheer ingenuity of his work, but if you have the funds, you can place an order for one of these beauties to drive home.

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Activities

T

he Waitaki District is a large territory covering a wide range of terrain, so it is no wonder there are many different types of activities available for visitors and residents alike.

Gliding The area around Omarama where the Waitaki River hits the Southern Alps is almost perfectly designed to facilitate gliding, with the mountains and water creating thermal currents that provide lift. As a result, this area is considered one of the world’s premier gliding centres, and pilots from around the world flock here to hone their skills and enjoy the spectacular views from near-silent craft. The Omarama Gliding Centre offers visitors the chance to experience gliding for themselves, joining an experienced pilot for a flight of an hour or more. If you’re interested in learning to soar yourself, they even offer courses suitable for everyone from beginners to experienced pilots.

©Kees van Schaick/GlideOmarama.com

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Fishing As a town located on the Pacific Coast, it’s no surprise many people enjoy venturing out on small boats to drop a line and try their luck at bringing home the area’s famed blue cod or hapuku for dinner. There are several boats that take day-trippers on fishing outings from Oamaru Harbour and from Moeraki a half-hour drive south. For many people, such outings are also a bit of a wildlife excursion, since it’s not unusual to spot penguins, orcas and dolphins swimming around and vying for your catch.

For fishermen, the Waitaki District is a fly-fishing paradise. The region’s pristine rivers present the opportunity to cast for salmon and trout and guides are available to take you to several areas along the Waitaki, Hakataramea or other rivers around the District, and can help to arrange your license. While most opt for catch-and-release, it is permitted to take a limited number of fish out of the river, and these we can prepare for you upon your return to the lodge.

In addition to fish, our waters are also teeming with local delicacies like paua (abalone) and kina (sea urchin). There are strict rules about the number to take, and there are also size restrictions. But it’s fun just to venture out to the tidal pools in places like Kakanui and Hampden and spot these creatures without disturbing them at all.

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Cycling Oamaru is the terminus of the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail, a 300km-long route that makes its way from the base of Mt Cook through the Mackenzie Country and Waitaki Valley to Oamaru Harbour, it is the longest cycle trail in the country.

The trail offers a breathtaking range of scenery, from the mountainous sights of Mt Cook and the Southern Alps, to the glacial lakes of the Waitaki River and the rolling countryside of Oamaru and its surroundings. You can ride the entire length in about seven days, or you can choose smaller sections and ride them as a day trip from any of the towns along the trail, or from Oamaru. There are several outfitters ready to supply you with bikes and gear and transport you to whichever starting point you select.

There are some lovely areas to explore by bicycle around Oamaru as well, and bikes are available for hire from the i-Site and from several other operators, including one that offers e-bikes that will help you to negotiate the area’s hills more easily.

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Hiking New Zealand is blessed with many famed walks that lure visitors from far and wide to explore the country’s natural landscapes much the way the country’s original settlers did centuries ago. There are numerous trails throughout the Waitaki District that give you the chance to do the same in our region, and at various levels of difficulty. Along the Waitaki River there are hiking trails that allow you to take in the breathtaking scenery of the river with its neighbouring mountains, and most will take no more than an hour or so to complete. There are also trails in Herbert Forest south of Oamaru near Moeraki where you could easily spend a day enjoying a natural landscape full of native ferns, trees and plants. New Zealand is free of poisonous animals and the Oamaru area has no sandflies or mosquitoes to bother you.

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Hunting Hunting is a popular activity in New Zealand, with hunters heading out in search of deer, wild pigs, rabbits and ducks throughout the year. While there are seasons for some types of hunting in New Zealand, it is possible to hunt deer and pigs, at any time. Guides are available, and you have the option of going on a day-trip or heading out on an overnight hunting expedition, depending on your level of interest.

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Skiing Winter in Oamaru is not especially cold – our average temperature is a comfortable 8ºC – and we do not get much snow at all most years, but up in the mountains in the west of the Waitaki District, about 90 minutes from Oamaru, it’s a different story entirely. Up there, and especially in the area of Lake Ohau, snow is common, and the mountains offer some excellent skiing opportunities, good enough that the U.S. Olympic ski team often uses the slopes for training. And unlike better-known ski destinations like Queenstown, Ohau is never crowded, so you can almost always enjoy pristine snow.

Sport There are sports clubs for just about every conceivable sport in the Oamaru area, from the tennis club and croquet club across the street from Pen-y-bryn, to golf courses, the Waitaki Aquatic Centre with its swimming pool, and fields for cricket and skateboarding. There are ample trails for jogging or running, and rock climbing is a popular sport at Earthquakes near Duntroon.

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Horse Trekking Horse trekking is a popular activity in New Zealand, and there are operators in the area who offer guided horse treks through the bush near Moeraki for a chance to see a part of the district most people never visit. One of the more unusual spots to see on horseback is the so-called Moeraki Boulder Nursery, where miniature versions of our iconic Moeraki Boulders are to be found, and the Hobbit Throne. There are also horse treks available in the Waitaki Valley near Duntroon that take in the rugged terrain of the river and the surrounding mountains.

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Festivals and Events

T

here are a number of festivals and events that take place in Oamaru and the surrounding area throughout the year, and

more are being added to the calendar all the time. Following are some of the biggest annual events, though also noteworthy are Oamaru’s Chinese New Year celebrations; the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Show; the Oamaru Harbour Regatta and more. A calendar of events is published on Tourism Waitaki’s website.

Harbour Street Jazz and Blues Festival Taking place each March, the Harbour Street Jazz and Blues Festival brings world-class performers to Oamaru to perform in venues throughout the town, so you could easily spend the three days of the festival listening to dozens of gigs.

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Victorian Heritage Celebration The Victorian Heritage Celebration is the most venerable of the events in Oamaru’s calendar, having been established in the 1990s to celebrate the town’s unique Victorian heritage. Taking place over five days each November, the celebration provides an opportunity not just to put on your finest Victorian-era clothing and sample traditional Victorian-era dishes, but also learn a bit about the period. Each year’s celebration is themed, with recent themes including Victorian medicine, Lewis Carroll, and Victorian explorers.

The celebration culminates with the Victorian Fête, organised by the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, which takes over the Victorian Precinct with a street festival full of vendors, performers and edible treats evocative of the era.

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Oamaru Steampunk Festival Begun as a relatively small event to give the local Steampunk community an opportunity to show off their costumes at a fashion show, the annual Steampunk Festival is now a three-day long event held during Queen’s Birthday Weekend.

The festival includes a “souk” where you can stock up on your own Steampunk paraphernalia and enhance your Steampunk wardrobe, competitive teapot racing and tea duelling, and indoor dirigible racing, among other events. The Steampunk Festival is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, in this dimension or any other.

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Oamaru Fire and Steam Set in Oamaru’s Victorian Precinct, the Oamaru Fire and Steam Festival in late May or early June sees Harbour Street come to life with fire, steam, sound, lighting and special effects. With a street parade, live bands, street performers and food stalls, visitors are captivated by the talented performers, beautiful lighting effects and bustling atmosphere. There’s plenty of extra activities for the kids, including a disco and face painting. And since it coincides with the Oamaru Steampunk Festival, there is also the spectacle of enjoying the many people dressed in “full steam” for the festivities.

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Pen-y-bryn

W

hen the estate agent first sent us the description of Pen-y-bryn in December 2009, we could hardly believe it. Not only was it far more grand than any of the other places we had considered elsewhere in New Zealand,

but the story of the house fascinated us, and the chance to be part of its history was extremely attractive to us.

As we welcome guests to the lodge, we always offer them a tour of the building, complete with the history of the families who called Pen-y-bryn home over the decades since its construction in 1889. Here we hope to share some of the highlights of this history, along with some of the priceless photographs that we have been fortunate enough to come across.

The Bulleids (1889-1922) Pen-y-bryn Lodge owes its existence to John Bulleid and his wife Fanny. John and his elder brother William emigrated to New Zealand from Devon in the United Kingdom in the 1870s, keen to find their fortunes in the far-flung outpost of the British Empire. William settled in Invercargill, where he built a stone house he named Peny-bryn, Welsh for “On top of the hill”, to honour his Welsh wife. After an earthquake damaged this house, William rebuilt out of wood, which would be more likely to survive a tremor intact. This persuaded John, who at around this time was looking to design a house for himself in Oamaru, to build a wooden house as well, even though Oamaru was a town of stone buildings.

John hired the architectural firm of Forrester and Lemon to design his home, a rare example of this storied firm taking on a residential project, and one of the only buildings they designed to be constructed out of wood instead of the local limestone. While the house was being built John’s brother William passed away, leading his widow and young son to leave New Zealand and return to England. Passing through Oamaru on her way to Europe, John’s sister-in-law suggested that Pen-y-bryn was a more suitable name for his house atop Oamaru’s South Hill than it was to her former house in the flat town of Invercargill, and that taking on the name would serve as a memorial to his deceased brother. It was thus that Pen-y-bryn was named.

John and his wife were the owners of Bulleid & Co., a fashionable and elegant store in Oamaru’s main street, and for four years after Pen-y-bryn was built, the family returned to Europe to secure goods for the store and to purchase materials to finish their home. The ceilings in many of the rooms were purchased in Italy, along with the Drawing Room (now the Dining Room) mantelpiece. In France they purchased an antique French oak table dating

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back to the late 18th century, making it the oldest piece of furniture in the house. In Britain the couple ordered a bookcase and a set of stained glass windows replicating the windows in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s villa to be installed in the Drawing Room.

Focusing nearly as much attention on the grounds of the estate as on the house itself, the Bulleids engaged famed landscape architect Alfred Buxton to design the gardens, making the extraordinary decision to surround the house with as many fully grown trees as possible, several of which were delivered to the property on bullock carts that wound up being buried together with the trees they had borne to the site.

Ever a relatively sickly man, John passed away in 1910, leaving his home and business to his widow and son, John Maurice. John Maurice made several changes and improvements to the house. He is responsible for the addition of the ornate French doors leading from the entry foyer to the inner courtyard, which he converted from a rainwater collection tank into a small garden. He also added several new rooms, including what were originally a study for himself and large bedroom for his three sons, which are now the Library and Billiards Room. Fanny Bulleid passed away in 1922, and John Maurice decided to sell Pen-y-bryn, with all its contents, at auction.

Pen-y-bryn in its original paint scheme, early 20th century.

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The McDiarmids (1922-1994) JJames McDiarmid was the successful bidder who became the new owner of Pen-y-bryn. The owner of a successful shoe shop next door to Bulleid & Co., McDiarmid was also the mayor of Oamaru at the time, and an avid billiards and snooker player, whom we credit with the addition to Pen-y-bryn of the competition-sized snooker table that to this day takes pride of place in the Billiards Room. The table was destined to be one of three to be installed in the New Zealand Parliament, but turned out to be one more than the building could accommodate, so it – together with the scoreboard – was put up for sale and sold to Mr McDiarmid.

Four generations of McDiarmids called Pen-y-bryn home over the seven decades that it remained in their hands. During this time they made many changes and updates to the estate, including covering the oak parquet floors with carpeting. Perhaps the main change to Pen-y-bryn in the McDiarmid era was the result of a fire that damaged the interior of the Oamaru stone annex building in 1925. The annex housed the estate’s laundry room, gun store, wine cellar and darkroom, as well as a Pelton Wheel for the generation of electricity. But when a fire broke out in the laundry in August 1925, the interior was completely destroyed and the annex fell into disuse until the 1990s when the McDiarmid family prepared to sell Pen-y-bryn. To make the house more attractive to would-be buyers, the annex was restored with the original stones that formed the walls, but rotated 180-degrees so the burnt surfaces of the interior would now form the outside wall and be painted.

Pen-y-bryn Drawing Room (today the Dining Room).

James McDiarmid

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Pen-y-bryn Lodge

(1994-Present)

In 1994 the McDiarmid family sold Pen-y-bryn to Graeme and Inez Wilson, former dairy farmers who had sold their farm and sought to pursue a new lifestyle. They were responsible for restoring Pen-y-bryn to its Victorian appearance, and converting the estate into a lodge and restaurant. In 1997 the Wilsons sold Pen-y-bryn to Roy and Bernice Vannini, Aucklanders who continued to run Pen-y-bryn as a lodge, raising their children here and welcoming guests from around the world for thirteen years.

In 2010, Roy and Bernice sold Pen-y-bryn to us, and we have spent the ensuing years restoring the lodge further and undertaking numerous improvements to the homestead, including the expansion of the annex rooms, insulating the building and upgrading the heating and electrical systems. The Lodge is today a member of the Luxury Lodges of New Zealand, an exclusive group of the country’s finest accommodations, as well as of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the Parisbased gastronomic society.

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About Us

I

f you had met us in 2008 you would never have suspected that one day we would make

our home in a small town of 13,000 people in a country of slightly less than 5 million people.

So, a bit of background. Yes, we are both called James, and no, that does not usually cause us confusion. James Glucksman is from New York City, and for a long time was viewed by his friends as a consummate New Yorker, with a dry sense of humour. James Boussy on the other hand is from the Virginia suburbs of

Washington, DC, and thus has more of the southern charm about him. James G worked for many years as an international development consultant, primarily in China and the former USSR, where his fluency in Mandarin Chinese and Russian came in handy. His projects also took him to Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

James B was a dentist with successful practices in the Virginia countryside, who, before we met, had hardly left the United States.

In 1999, during a holiday trip in Italy with our friends Abdo and Barbara, we drove past a ruined castle on the side of the road that they suggested we buy and turn into a sort of inn, where we could prepare meals and provide overnight accommodation to travellers (and, perhaps most importantly, give them a free place to stay when they visited Italy). That innocent suggestion, made half in jest, led to our checking property listings during our holidays for the next decade, each time considering whether this or that place could be home to our inn.

We never thought about actually buying a place and retiring as innkeepers until our 2009 visit to South Africa. At that time, we were living in Beijing and seeking a change in our chosen professions. So as we drove through rainy Stellenbosch, visiting wineries and enjoying the countryside, we found inspiration to make the change.

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Since moving here in winter 2010, we have worked non-stop on the house, restoring it, expanding it, and bringing it closer to the level we think it deserves, and we have become tireless champions of Oamaru, a wonderful town that even Kiwis knew little about until recently. But in the years since we arrived, Oamaru has burst onto the scene in a big way, being named the 'coolest town in New Zealand'

by Lonely Planet and becoming one of the fastest-growing international destinations in the country. We like to think we had a hand in this local renaissance!

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Pen-y-bryn Room by Room

P

en-y-bryn may be a large house (920 square metres) but it does not actually have all that many rooms.

Including the East Wing where we have our private apartment, there are only fourteen rooms. The following

summarises the main features of these rooms, though of course the best way to experience these rooms is in person.

The Drawing Room The Drawing Room is in the northeast corner of the house, and is among the largest rooms in the lodge. Originally designed to be the Dining Room, since it was the closest room to the former Kitchen. In 1994 it became the Drawing Room when a new professional kitchen was installed in the former Master Bedroom in the house’s West Wing as part of the house’s conversion into a lodge. This room features a Florentine plaster ceiling, an 1880s Italian chandelier and a photograph of the Roman Forum that the Bulleids brought back from their European trip of 1892-1896. The floor is oak parquet, designed to be easily replaced if damaged, since the room also was used for dances.

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The Dining Room The Dining Room (formerly the Drawing Room) is most distinguished by its ornate Florentine plaster ceiling, comprising 60 pieces that were shipped individually from Europe and suspended in place from the room’s rafters. The stained glass in the west-facing wall are said to be replicas of the windows in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s villa on the Thames, and the mantelpiece is Italian oak, made in Milan and brought over from Europe by the Bulleids. The bookcase built into the eastern wall was ordered in England, designed to fit in the alcove based on the original blueprints brought to Europe by Mr Bulleid, and assembled without the use of any nails. The round table in the centre of the room is French, made in the late 18th century, and the oldest piece of furniture in the house.

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The Billiards Room and Library The Billiards Room and Library were added to the original house by John Maurice Bulleid, son of the original owner, when he took over the house upon his father’s death in 1910. The Billiards Room was built to be the bedroom for John Maurice’s three sons, whose beds lined the walls under the light sconces, and the Library served as John Maurice’s study. Since these rooms were added after the English oak that John’s father had brought over to line the interior of the rest of the house had been used up, and since John Maurice was born in New Zealand and therefore felt no nostalgia for English oak, these rooms were built out of New Zealand heart rimu. The full-size billiards table that is now the centrepiece of the Billiards Room was commissioned by the New Zealand government, along with two others and a score board, to be installed in Parliament. Unfortunately, upon delivery the government found that Parliament was too small for three full-sized billiards tables, so the third one was auctioned off, together with the score board. The winner of the auction was James McDiarmid, second owner of Pen-y-bryn, an avid snooker player who perhaps purchased the house in order to provide a home for his new table. To keep the floor from sagging under the weight of this very heavy table, Oamaru stone pillars were installed under the floor.

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Guest Rooms

F

or a house the size of Pen-y-bryn, it is perhaps surprising there are only five guest rooms in the lodge, two in the main wooden building, and three in the Oamaru stone annex. Because of the lodge’s Category One status

with Heritage New Zealand, we keep the two rooms in the wooden building much the way they would have been when they served as bedrooms for the families who lived here for most of the house’s history. But because of a fire that damaged the interior of the annex in 1925, we are permitted to make changes to that building, within certain restrictions. In 2015 we took advantage of that to expand its three guest rooms, dramatically expanding them and making them by far our largest guest rooms.

The Park Room The Park Room, with its exposed Oamaru stone surfaces, offers a glimpse into the history of the annex building. The 1925 fire, which started in the laundry room, burned the interior of the annex very badly. When the McDiarmid family prepared to sell the house in the 1990s, they restored the annex by dismantling the building and reassembling it, rotating the burnt stones 180-degrees so the burnt surface would now be on the exterior, and the unburned exterior would now be the interior. Since the exterior had been painted with a faux Tudor half-timbered design (mimicking the former paint scheme of the main building), there are now random stripes on the interior that pay silent testimony to that fire.

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The Garden Room When we first bought Pen-y-bryn, the Garden Room was the lodge’s smallest guest room, and we tended to avoid using it unless the lodge was absolutely full. Today, in the wake of our 2015 expansion, this is now our largest room, and the one that tends to be chosen first by our guests. With a sitting area and oversize California king bed, there is no question this room affords guests a good deal of space to move around in.

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The Nest Room The Nest Room is similar to the Park Room, but the sleeping area of the room is sunken and has a cathedral ceiling, which gives this room a more exotic ambience (this perhaps explains why this room is especially popular with honeymooners). Like the Park Room, the Nest Room has exposed Oamaru stone surfaces that remind us of the 1925 fire; this room has windows looking toward the Pacific Ocean across the enormous weeping elm tree that has pride of place in the eastern part of the lodge’s gardens.

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The Elizabeth Room The Elizabeth Room is in the main lodge building and was one of the original bedrooms of the house, and uses the house’s original bathroom as its en-suite. This room has private access to the courtyard garden, as well as a door that leads to the annex building, dating to when this room was used by the lady’s maid of Pen-y-bryn’s lady of the house.

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The Victoria Room The Victoria Room is another of the former bedrooms that is now a guest room, and still has a functional call button to summon the maid or butler to attend to the needs of its occupant. To comply with New Zealand regulations, this is also our accessible room, suitable for guests with limited mobility.

Facing the Oamaru stone patio on the southwest side of the house, this room basks in afternoon sunlight.

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Pen-y-bryn’s Gardens

T

he gardens surrounding Pen-y-bryn occupy just over an acre, a small fraction of the eight acres

or more that once surrounded the homestead. The original design was a creation of Alfred Buxton, one of New Zealand’s great landscape architects of the 19th century, and the garden still retains many of his key elements, including the weeping elm, the copper beech and the enormous oak tree. The palm tree is a particular trademark of his, since his North Island colleagues believed the South Island’s climate was ill-suited to their cultivation. Interestingly, in order to deliver his clients a mature garden, several of the trees Mr Buxton ordered for Pen-y-bryn arrived fully grown, delivered in bullock carts. Unfortunately, these trees were so large that there was no way to remove them from the carts for planting, so legend has it that the carts were planted together with the trees. Also of note in the garden are the hundreds of rose bushes, some of which are heritage varieties no longer available commercially.

Our vegetable garden that occupies much of the southern portion of the estate keeps us well supplied with fresh produce year-round that we proudly serve guests who choose to dine with us. You will also find our beehive in the southeast corner of the vegetable garden, supplying us with a bounty of honey we serve at breakfast and use in our cooking.

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Recipes One of the reasons that we wanted to embark on the journey that led us to become the owners of Pen-y-bryn was the desire to cook for guests and make a bit more use of the recipes that James G has amassed over the years.

There are several recipes that have become “regulars” in our rotation, especially at the breakfast table, and many guests have requested copies of them to be able to recreate the dishes they enjoyed here upon their return home.

Here we share some of those recipes with you, which we hope you will enjoy and be able to share with your own friends and family.

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HOSAFI

(Dried Fruit Compote with Star Anise) This dish is one that I first encountered in Istanbul, where I used to pass through often on my way to projects in Central Asia. There it was often on the breakfast table as something to go with their delicious yogurt and freshly baked breads, though I have also found that it goes extremely well with vanilla ice cream. The fruit you use is up to you, just make sure that the total weight of fruit you use matches the total in the recipe.

160 grams dried apricots

Place all the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with hot

150 grams dried figs

water. Place a cover on the bowl and allow the fruit

75 grams sultanas or golden raisins

to rehydrate for about one hour. Pour the water and

85 grams dark raisins 115 grams pitted prunes 1 cup raw almonds water 400 grams sugar, approximately

dried fruit into a medium-sized pot and, if need be, add more water to cover the fruit by an inch. Add the sugar and star anise and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Once almost boiling, reduce the heat to medium

6-8 whole star anise

low and simmer for one hour. Stir in the honey and

½ cup mild honey

remove from the heat and allow to cool. You may add the almonds while the compote is still warm.

Pour the compote into a glass container and keep in your refrigerator for up to 3 months. Serve with Greek yogurt or ice cream.

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OUR GRANOLA I first made granola in graduate school, and have been making my own granola ever since.

There are countless recipes for granola out there, but this one is my hands-down favourite, and seems to be very popular with our guests, since, after the hosafi, this is the recipe most guests ask for.

250 grams oats, quick cooking

Preheat your oven to 150ºC. In a large mixing bowl,

125 grams whole wheat flour

combine the oats, flour, flax seeds, coconut and nuts.

30 grams shredded unsweetened coconut

Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine

30 grams flax seeds 200 grams mixed nuts, coarsely chopped 200 grams brown sugar, packed 115 grams unsalted butter 70 mls water ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

the brown sugar, butter and water and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture together until smooth, and then stir in the salt, vanilla and spices.

Pour the mixture over the oats mixture and stir well to coat. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet, separating it into irregular clumps with your fingers, and allowing space between the clumps for the hot air to circulate. Slide it into the middle of the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to break up the mixture into medium sized clumps. Return to the oven and bake again for another 15 minutes before stirring again. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the granola is a uniform golden brown and completely dry; this usually takes me about 30-45 minutes from the beginning of baking to finish. Cool on a wire rack before using.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES Across the street from the main gates of my university there was a shop where I would often buy coffee to take to my first class in the morning. On Fridays I would allow myself one of their chocolate scones, too, and for years after graduation I looked for a recipe that would approximate those delicious scones.

This recipe even surpasses those scones, and it’s the one breakfast item that even James B, a famous breakfast-avoider, is happy to have first thing in the morning.

218 grams all-purpose flour 75 grams sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled & cubed ½ cup miniature chocolate chips 120 mls orange juice

Heat oven to 200ºC. Spray baking sheet with baking spray or line with parchment.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Mix in chocolate chips and orange juice until it forms a dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat or roll to approximately 225cm in diameter, 1cm thick. Cut into wedges, or into circles (we prefer wedges) and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool five minutes before removing from tray and serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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LEMON-POPPY SEED MUFFINS When we took over Pen-y-bryn in 2010, Bernice Vannini, one of the former owners, gave us her recipe for these muffins, which have had a regular spot on our breakfast table ever since, with a few small tweaks. Self-rising flour is a much more common ingredient in New Zealand than it is in the US; if you do not have it, a suitable substitute is one cup of flour with 1-1/2 tsp baking powder added. I sometimes replace lemon curd with other citrus or fruit curds use whatever you like!

250 grams self-rising flour 200 grams sugar 70 grams poppy seeds zest of 2 lemons, finely grated 100 grams unsalted butter, melted & cooled 2 large eggs 220 mls milk cream cheese lemon curd

Heat oven to 200ºC. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin papers.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and add the melted cooled butter and milk. Fold these into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix, or the muffins will become heavy.

Spoon a small amount of the batter into the bottoms of each of your muffin cups, then top with a small spoon of cream cheese and a small spoon of lemon curd. Cover with the remaining batter so that each cup is about ¾ full.

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FRIANDS I confess that when we first came to New Zealand I had no idea what the “GF” and “DF” that we sometimes saw on menus referred to. When we had our first gluten-free guest, I therefore had to do a bit of research to find a suitable breakfast pastry to serve them, and friands seemed to be the perfect solution since they are easily made without flour.

If you are not gluten free, I suspect you would not even notice the difference, but if you prefer, you can substitute all-purpose flour for the rice flour.

100 grams unsalted butter, melted & cooled

Heat oven to 180ºC. Sift the icing sugar and rice flour

25 grams rice flour or gluten-free flour mix

into a bowl and add the almond flour, mixing well

(or standard flour) 85 grams almond flour 125 grams icing sugar 90 grams egg whites (from 3 eggs) lemon zest from one lemon, finely grated 85 grams blueberries, raspberries, or other fruit of your choice

with your fingers. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are a bit foamy and add them to the dry ingredients, followed by the cooled melted butter and the lemon zest. Mix gently just until there are no dry bits left.

Spoon the batter evenly into the bottoms of your prepared muffin cups, and sprinkle the berries on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the friands are golden and just firm to the touch. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the tin. Sprinkle some icing sugar on top to serve, if desired.

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ALMOND CROISSANTS French bakers developed this trick to make use of unsold croissants many years ago. With all the work that goes into preparing hand-made croissants, it would be a terrible shame to dispose of any that did not sell on the day they’re made, when they’re at their best. Almond croissants can only be made successfully with less-than-perfectly-fresh croissants, so if you find yourself with uneaten croissants, this is a great solution for you.

6-8 day-old croissants, about 80g each 2 tablespoons sliced almonds Confectioner’s sugar For the syrup: 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons dark rum (optional) For the frangipane: 100 grams sugar 100 grams whole blanched almonds, or almond flour 1 pinch salt 100 grams unsalted butter, diced 2 eggs

Prepare the syrup: Combine 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar and the rum (if using) in a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, and simmer for a minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, transfer into a shallow soup plate, and let cool completely.

Prepare the almond filling: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, the almonds and the salt in the bowl of a food processor, and mix until finely ground. Add the butter, and mix again until well blended. Add in the eggs one by one, and process until creamy.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Working with each croissant one by one, slice it in half horizontally and dip into the syrup, coating the interior and exterior well so that the croissant is quite moist. Spread the inside with about two tablespoons frangipane, and place the top back on. Spread the top with another tablespoon of frangipane, and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Repeat with the remaining croissants and filling and place on the cookie sheet.

Put into the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the frangipane is set and golden. Transfer onto a cooling rack, dust with confectioner’s sugar, and serve, slightly warm or at room temperature. Uneaten croissants can be stored in an airtight container and reheated the next day.

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'COMPLICATED' STRAWBERRY PRESERVES I’ve been making these preserves for many years, from a recipe outline that I found on-line somewhere. This is the only jam that James B will put on his toast or PB&Js, so it’s the one I make more than any other. Because of the name I have given it, it’s the jam that more guests ask about than any other, but as you can see, it’s really not complicated at all, though the measurements are rather oddly precise.

760 grams fresh or frozen strawberries, divided 800 grams sugar

Crush 1/5 of the strawberries (152 grams, to be precise) and place in a heavy preserving kettle. Separate the remaining strawberries into three equal portions.

Add 200 grams of sugar to the crushed strawberries and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to the boil. When bubbles begin to appear at the edge of the fruit, start counting time and let cook for exactly four minutes. After four minutes, add the first third of the remaining strawberries and a further 200 grams of sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. When the mixture begins to boil, count time and let boil for four minutes again. Then add the second third of the strawberries and a further 200 grams of sugar and repeat, again boiling for four minutes before adding the last third of strawberries and the last 200 grams of sugar, and again boiling for four minutes. Throughout the process, stir regularly to avoid scorching, but try not to break the berries too much.

Pour the mixture into a glass baking tray, and let stand for 10-12 hours to plump the berries. Return the mixture to the preserving kettle, bring to the boil and pour into sterile jars. Process 10 minutes in a water bath to seal, or use your favourite sealing process.

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MOUCLADE This French soup gives mussels pride of place in a rich chowder-like broth that never fails to please guests. New Zealand green-lip mussels are what we use in this popular dish, but you can use whatever variety you can find. Be sure to provide crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced 1 celery stalk, finely diced 1 small onion, finely diced 1 small potato, finely diced 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

900 grams mussels, washed & picked through 125 mls dry white wine 180 mls whipping cream 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

In a sauté pan over medium heat, sweat the carrot, celery, onion, and potato in 2 tablespoons of the butter for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a pot with a lid, combine the mussels and wine, cover, place over high heat, and steam for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that failed to open. Take the mussels one by one and remove the top shell, allowing the mussel liquor to fall back into the pan. Set the mussels in their bottom shells, meat side up, in a shallow bowl. (Alternatively, you can discard the shells entirely.)

Simmer the mussel juice over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cream, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. Buzz the sauce with an immersion blender to emulsify, then add the egg yolk and tarragon. Add the sweated vegetables and return the pan to low heat. Do not allow the sauce to boil or the egg will curdle.

When the sauce is nice and warm, pour it on top of the mussels and serve immediately.

We serve this with a Pinot Gris, such as Valli’s Waitaki Pinot Gris.

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QUICHE OF WINDSOR BLUE, KUMARA & QUINCE PASTE Whitestone’s Windsor Blue cheese is the most award-winning cheese in NZ, and is made here in Oamaru. If you cannot get it, Stilton or another blue cheese makes for a suitable substitute.

The kumara can be replaced with sweet potato or butternut squash.

700g peeled kumara, cut into small dice

Heat the oven to 200ºC. Toss the kumara in the oil, season to

1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

taste, and spread out on a baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes,

Salt and black pepper 250 grams shortcrust pastry

turning once, until golden brown. Set aside to cool and lower the oven temperature to 170ºC. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface and transfer to a 24cm quiche tin,

200 grams Whitestone Windsor Blue cheese, crumbled

leaving some pastry hanging over the edge. Prick the base

75 grams membrillo (quince paste), cut into 1cm dice

with parchment paper, fill with baking beans and bake for 30

3 free-range eggs

case for 10 minutes longer, until the pastry is golden brown.

of the pastry with a fork and chill for 20 minutes. Line the tin minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and cook the quiche

150 mls double cream

Remove and set aside to cool.

150 mls crème fraîche

Spread the roasted kumara over the base of the quiche, dot

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

the cheese around and about in the gaps, and sprinkle the membrillo all over. Put the eggs, cream and crème fraîche in a mixing bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Whisk and pour over the kumara, making sure you leave some of the filling exposed. Sprinkle over the parsley and bake for about 40 minutes, until the custard has set.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest before removing from the tin and breaking off the overhanging pastry. Serve warm or at room temperature.

We serve with a full-bodied white or rosé wine, such as Q Wine’s Rosé or Chardonnay.

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SALMOREJO The tomatoes that we raise in the tunnel house in the vegetable garden are among the tastiest we have ever had, and the vines produce prodigious quantities of fruit. This soup is an excellent way to use perfectly ripe tomatoes, and is extremely simple and quick to prepare.

1 kilogram perfectly ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom

Core the tomatoes and cut them into chunks, then

1 clove garlic

them thoroughly, then add the bread, cut up into

250 grams good-quality crusty bread, preferably a bit stale 150 mls good-quality olive oil 1 tsp sea salt 50 mls cold water jamón serrano or prosciutto

place them in a blender with the clover of garlic. Purée small pieces, together with the olive oil and salt, and let soak for at least 15 minutes. Add the water and purée again into a perfectly smooth liquid (depending on the strength of your blender, this could take some time). Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving, sprinkling with strips of fresh jamón or prosciutto. You can also turn the jamón or prosciutto into a crisp by placing slices of the ham between sheets of baking paper sandwiched between two baking pans and placing in a 170ºC oven for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

We generally serve this with a Pinot Gris. Ostler’s Audrey’s Pinot Gris from the Waitaki Valley would be perfect.

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MIANG KHAM This is perhaps an odd man out among these recipes, since it’s a) not really much of a recipe, being more a set of ingredients, and b) it’s not something that we often serve. However, in 2017 we had a pair of guests who had enjoyed this dish at a restaurant in Christchurch so much that they asked if I would serve it as a canapé that evening. To my surprise, not only did they report that our version was better than the one at the restaurant, but the other guests that evening – who I did not think would really take to this unusual dish – enjoyed it so much that they all asked for the recipe! So, here is my version of this popular Thai street food, made with kale or broccoli leaves in place of the traditional betel leaf, but otherwise true to the original.

65 grams palm sugar, approximately (or brown sugar)

Combine the palm sugar and the fish sauce in a small

65 mls Thai fish sauce, approximately

with a wooden spoon. Let sit for a while to help soften

65 mls lime juice, approximately fresh peeled ginger, grated roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed dried shrimp, soaked in hot water, then chopped fine firm green leaf vegetables, cut into 100mm circles lime, cut into small pieces with rind intact

saucepan and bring to a simmer, breaking up the sugar and dissolve the sugar. When ready to serve, add the lime juice and the other sauce ingredients to taste. To serve, array the other elements of the dish on a platter and serve. To eat, form a cone out of the greens and fill with a small amount of the other ingredients to suit your taste.

Drizzle with some of the sauce and eat whole.

This spicy dish pairs well with Riesling, such as Valli’s Waitaki Riesling.

roasted unsalted peanuts fresh ginger, cut into small pieces fresh chillies, cut into small pieces

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POKE During a trip to Hawaii to visit our dear friends Naomi and Mike, I was reintroduced to poke (pronounced ‘po-kay’), the Hawaiian dish of marinated raw fish that has seemingly taken the world by storm in recent years. We returned home to Pen-y-bryn with an idea of introducing poke to our guests, using a range of different fish. We have especially enjoyed poke-fying the spectacular salmon that we get from the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon farm, which we use here (though you can substitute with tuna, sea bass, mackerel or other fish, so long as it’s scrupulously fresh). Hijiki and wakame are Japanese sea vegetables that pair nicely with the fish, but you can leave it out if you cannot find it. Thinly sliced radishes and sprouts make a nice addition, too, if you like.

500 grams absolutely fresh salmon, skinless and boneless

Cut the fish into small cubes – the size is up to you, though

3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (we use white soy, though black will do)

put into a mixing bowl. Reconstitute the hijiki and wakame

2 stalks spring onions, minced 2 teaspoons jalapeño pepper, minced (to taste) 1 tsp sea salt, preferably Hawaiian 1 tablespoon hijiki 1 tablespoon wakame 1 tablespoon sesame oil ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced ½ avocado, diced

Poke pairs wonderfully with rosé, such as Ostler’s “Cleavage Rose” Waitaki Rosé.

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we tend to prefer them to be around 1cm square – and in separate bowls in cool water for five minutes. Combine the fish with the reconstituted hijiki and wakame, and all the other ingredients, tasting as you add the seasonings and adjusting as needed. Allow the poke to sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld before serving.

CONFIT DUCK LEG Just north of Oamaru in the province of Canterbury is a farm that produces exceptional ducks, along with turkeys and geese. We love using their duck legs to produce this classic French dish, which we make in a way that requires a lot less fat, but without sacrificing any flavour. While we use a sous vide machine to do this, it can be done in a home kitchen on the stove top, you will just have to be a bit more attentive.

6 duck leg quarters 3 tablespoons coarse salt 2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns 1 bay leaf, crumbled 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Mix the salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf together in a small bowl. Place the duck legs in a shallow container and sprinkle all over with the mixed seasonings. Cover with plastic and chill overnight. The next day, rinse the legs and dry them well. Place the legs in three heavy sealable plastic bags and expel as much air as possible by immersing the bags nearly to the level of the seal in a large bowl of water. Seal the bags carefully (if you have a vacuum sealer, use that instead of this immersion method).

Set a large heavy casserole over a heat diffuser on the stove.

Place the bagged duck legs in the pot and cover with hot water to cover generously. Place a heat-proof plate over the bags to keep them submerged. Cover the casserole and bring the water to 83ºC over moderately low heat. When the temperature has been reached, reduce the heat to low and cook the duck legs for 5 hours. They are ready when they feel very tender and the meat begins to separate from the bone.

Confit duck pairs well with red wines, such as River-T’s Waitaki Pinot Noir.

When the time is up and the duck legs are cooked, transfer the bags carefully to a cold water bath to stop the cooking. At this point you can store the bags in the refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to serve, remove the duck legs from the bags and scrape the fat off. Roast or pan-fry the confit legs until warmed through and crisp, then serve.

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MANUKA-SMOKED & PAN-SEARED VENISON RACK WITH BLUEBERRY JUS Since the meals we serve at Pen-y-bryn are served table d’hôte, we don’t often know in advance what our guests do and do not like, nor what they have eaten prior to arriving.

But we do know that we want to serve local foods in a way that will be both interesting and pleasing to our guests. Most visitors from overseas associate New Zealand with lamb, but not many know that the country is also a major exporter of venison. And since our venison is farmed, not wild, it doesn’t taste at all gamy. Even guests who think they don’t like venison often find that NZ venison is very much to their taste.

This preparation works equally well with other cuts of venison, so don’t fret if you cannot find rack.

Prepare the Rub: Mix the rub ingredients in a bowl and then 1 rack of venison, with eight bones rub the entire surface of the venison meat with it, covering For the Rub: all surfaces of the meat. Wrap the meat well in plastic wrap 100 grams brown sugar and place in the refrigerator for eight hours, or preferably overnight.

4-5 pieces star anise, pulverised

a few drops chipotle tabasco sauce, to taste 3 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons salt For the Jus: 250 mls beef stock, preferably homemade 100 grams venison demi-glace 250 mls port ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Smoke the Venison: Approximately one half-hour before ready to cook, remove the venison from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Turn on your smoker to bring to low heat (around 100ºC), and soak a cup of manuka wood chips in water for 30 minutes.

When the wood chips have soaked, drain them well and place in your smoker. Wipe any remaining rub from the surface of the venison and place it in the smoker for 30-45 minutes, depending on how smoky you like your venison.

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Prepare the Jus: Heat the stock, port and demi-glace in a saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce by approximately 2/3 to result in a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add the blueberries, and heat until the berries pop and release their juices into the sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm while you finish cooking the venison.

Heat your oven to 200ºC. Place a large oven-proof frying pan on medium heat on the stove and add a bit of olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, brown the venison rack on each side, flipping as necessary, to give the outside a nice brown colour. Place the

venison and the frying pan in the oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until a thermometer in the centre of the rack reads 50ºC (for medium-rare).

Remove from the oven and let rest in a warm spot while you heat the jus (if needed).

Slice the venison into portions (an eight-rib rack will serve four to eight people, depending on their appetite, so slice the rack accordingly) and serve with creamy polenta, potatoes or other starch of your preference, along with seasonal vegetables and pour the sauce over. Strew some fresh blueberries around the plate for additional blueberry flavour.

Serve with a robust Pinot Noir, such as Ostler Caroline’s Pinot Noir, or a Syrah.

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BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS IN HOISIN & ALE Beef short ribs are a delectable cut, and one that we enjoy serving during cooler weather.

This dish combines this excellent cut with the flavours of Asia, where we spent so much time, and also with the zing of ale; we usually use Scott’s Oamaru-made ale, but you can use whatever you can get your hands on.

1500 grams beef short ribs, about 8 ribs

Season the ribs generously on all sides. Heat the oil in

salt and pepper, to taste

a large heavy pot with a lid over high heat and brown

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 10-12 cloves garlic

the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Remove the ribs and pour off all but a few tablespoons of the rendered fat. Return the pot to the stove, lower

2.5-cm piece ginger, peeled and in thin slices

the heat to medium and sauté the garlic and ginger

350 mls good ale

for about 3 minutes. Return the ribs back to the pot,

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 cup hoisin sauce

followed by the ale and the vinegar, stir, then cover and simmer for 2-1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 150ºC. Pour the hoisin sauce over the ribs, transfer the pot to the oven, and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove the ribs from the pot and keep warm. Pick out the ginger from the sauce, then strain the fat from the top of the pot so that you’re left with just the good stuff. This dish is excellent after sitting in the refrigerator overnight, which also facilitates removing the fat from the dish.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

You can serve this either with more beer, such as Scotts Brewery’s Boulder Ale, or with red wine, such as Ostler’s Caroline’s Pinot Noir.

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FRUIT TART WITH PISTACHIO-ALMOND FRANGIPANE The Waitaki Valley produces exquisite stone fruit, such as apricots, nectarines, peaches and cherries, and there are some places that also grow figs and other more exotic fruit. This tart never fails to please, regardless of what fruit you use, so feel free to substitute for the figs.

Your favourite sweet shortcrust pastry

Combine the nuts, butter and sugar and beat well

Frangipane filling: 75 grams ground almonds

to combine. Add eggs and beat well to lighten and

75 grams ground pistachios 150 grams butter 150 grams sugar 2 eggs 10-12 fresh figs

combine. Set aside.

Roll out your pastry to about 5mm thick, and use it to line a loose-bottomed baking tin. Prick all over with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. Line with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pastry pebbles and bake in a heated 160ºC oven for 10-15 minutes until starting to turn golden. Remove the parchment paper and beans/ pebbles and continue to bake a further 5 minutes until the pastry is golden. Let cool.

Fill the cooled pastry case with frangipane, smoothing the top and leaving about 5mm space between the top of the frangipane and the top of the pastry (don’t overfill).

Halve your figs or other fruit (removing any stones) and place cut-side up in the frangipane. Bake in the 160ºC oven for 15-20 minutes until the frangipane is set and browned. Let cool before serving.

Serve with a sticky dessert wine, such as Ostler’s Noble Pinot Gris.

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