Queenstown & Fiordland

Wow how the last few days have flown.
From Dunedin we headed up to Queenstown and were stoked to get there to an abundance of sunshine with snow capped peaks.

A lazy afternoon scoping out the town and being amazed how much it has changed. The centre of Queenstown is still pretty much the same, but the spread of the town from Queenstown to Frankston is quite amazing. Just goes to show how a once small town can thrive on seasonal tourism.

On our first full day we started the day with a trip to Shotover Jet. Sam had been through Q'town three times and for one reason or another (like being pregnant or doing the bungy instead) hadn't done it. It was yet another activity the kids were super excited to do.
The four of us and Poppa got the back row of the boat and over about 30 minutes got flung left right and through 360's and one 540 by the jet boat driver whilst reaching speeds just over 80km through the canyons and wider river sections.
It was a fantastic ride, and the kids were both demanding again again at the end.

For lunch we headed up to Arrowtown. Arrowtown like Queenstown has come a long way in 10 years since Sam last visited it (I was busy snowboarding that day). There are a lot of historical houses with a smattering of restaurants & cafes, the compulsory pub or two and even a small (very) cinema. What small town wouldn't be complete though without a microbrewery. I did stop in and do a tasting paddle of their beers and bought one for take away (Arrow Cherry Ale) which I'm drinking as I write this.

That night was also the BIG GAME. The day was also Sam & my 12th wedding anniversary.
The household was divided (Nana, Poppa & I), and Sam with the kids for the rugby semi-final decider between NZ and Australia. NZ came through with the goods and Sam has now come over to support the All Blacks with me against France this coming Sunday night. Aidan is still holding out, but he'll come around by half time at the latest.

After such a big night we still had to back up early for a 6:45am coach pickup to head over to Milford Sound. Whilst Milford Sound geographically is almost parallel with Queenstown a few lakes and the Southern Alps lye in the way. This means a 4+ hour bus journey to get there. You can fly (fixed wing and helicopter) there but you need plenty of the folding stuff, and even more than that for an entire family.
However doing it by bus had its advantages as the bus driver was also a very good tour guide, both with his commentary of our surroundings and the history as well as plenty of stops at the right places for the serene photo shots.

The weather on the way to Milford was fantastic until we started to close in on it after leaving Te Anau. We'd been hoping for a fine day all the way, but for a place that rains in excess of 250 days a year the chances were low.

The cruise through Milford Sound though was still spectacular. The rain was throwing down some awesome water falls from the steep cliffs that had been dug out by glaciers throughout history.

Aidan's highlight was being on the bow of the boat as the the captain nudged it up and under one of the water falls so he could get wet. Luckily he did it on the first waterfall the captain edged up to. The second one was a monster and the Asian tourists that did that one got absolutely drowned.

The NZ Beer Scene

We've been here for three weeks so definitely time for a post about the NZ Beer scene from a home/commercial brewers ex-pat perspective.

First up the mainstream bottle shops are crap. Let me re-phrase that. AVOID MAINSTREAM BOTTLESHOPS. They are the exact transposition of the majority of Australian pubs. Ruled by the two mainstream brewers.

Right got that off my chest, how is the craft beer scene ??

Obviously a LOT has changed in the last 15 years since I left. On the plus the rise of the small local breweries. Being based in Nelson for our Rugby World Cup sojourn you would expect the immediate proximities of so many craft breweries should provide a huge wealth of beer offerings to inspire and excite my taste buds.
Likewise our many trips already to Wellington for rugby games and side trips to all the latest craft beer bars should have uncovered a wealth of new flavors to tantalise my taste buds.

The reality is that NZ is still a very small market, and the majority of pubs are still frequented by the older drinker locked into the beer(s) they have always drunk. Craft beer drinkers or even worse the craft beer traveller/hunter/brewer/ticker/researcher like myself are in the minority and at the mercy of the craft brewers trying to make ends meet. They appear to be still trying to brew that gateway beer that is enough to differentiate themselves from the BIG 2 but not offend and still be able to charge a small premium.
For the most part this means that the brick & mortar brewers, each are producing the standard lager, amber, dark and a seasonal. 

In terms of an entire lineup of beers, the definite stand-outs in are Epic, Tuatara, Yeastie Boys (and I hope to find more on upcoming laps of the Nth and Sth Islands). There are also breweries for beer I've tasted only one or two of their lineups that I'm keen to further explore.

Having real world experience of selling beer targeted at craft beer aficionados I intimately understand the the problem of being able to sell certain volumes of beer in order to break even. However this is my beer journey/research trip and I'm still looking to be wowed and inspired.

So enough of the preface, what have I found that has tweaked my senses and got me excited ?

DISCLAIMER: this does not cover the MANY beers that I've previously had the opportunity to imbibe in, in Australia (eg. all the beers at the @localtaphouseDL / @localtaphouseSK Kiwi SpecTAPular (many of which have already inspired or exited me) or via niche bottle shops in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne, & Oz craft beer venues/festivals).

8 Wired
- Sauvin Saison ( yes this is avail in Oz but I held off knowing I was coming to NZ and visiting the source )
- Superconductor ( whilst not poured in the best condition at the venue I had it at the aroma, body and flavor were all fantastic

Golden Ticket Brewing
- Emperor Strikes Black ( wow from the first mouthful. Downed two pints in the first sitting and hop to get more this weekend )

Croucher Brewing
- Mothers Milk Stout ( has been a goto beer at a couple of venues and hasn't disappointed each time )

Mussel Inn

- Dark Horse ( a dark horse been indeed. Not overly out there in any respect, just a really really well made enjoyable beer )

- Freckled Frog ( a Feijoa Cider. I'm not a big fan of cider but really enjoyed this one. A great balance of all the right flavours).

For a list of what has been sampled so far just checkout my Untappd timeline here.

My tips are:
1. If you want to get great craft beer in NZ don't go to a major chain bottle-shop !!
2. Find a specialist bottle-shop that understands what craft beer really is.
3. Check out your local supermarket. Some are good & some are awesome. In Nelson/Richmond Fresh Choice does an awesome job of supporting the local craft brewers by selling their beers in both FYO (fill your own) style eg. Rigger, Goon as well as bottled product.
a: for instance today I found Epic Hop Zombie, Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude & Duncan Founders latest seasonal at a small metro style Fresh Choice
b: they also had instore wine tasting using those cool closed system win sampling machines.

4. Checkout BeerTourist. It will give you the real quick headsup on where to be.