New Zealand Adventures and Culinary Explorations

Meet Your Host: Chef Ron McKinlay

Michelin-trained and globally seasoned, Ron McKinlay has cooked in some of the world’s finest kitchens, but New Zealand remains one of his greatest inspirations. Having lived and worked in the country, McKinlay brings both an insider’s familiarity and an explorer’s curiosity, guiding travelers through its distinctive flavors, age-old techniques, and innovative culinary scene.

Whether it’s smoking fresh seafood over an open flame on the shore, introducing travelers to a fourth-generation cheesemaker, or crafting an intimate farm-to-table feast, McKinlay’s approach is rooted in deep respect for ingredients and an unrelenting pursuit of flavor.

For those joining this New Zealand adventure, McKinlay’s presence ensures not just a journey through landscapes, but a journey through taste—one that lingers long after the last meal.

Days 1–3: A Coastal Harvest from Land and Sea

In Marlborough, the air carries the scent of salt spray and sun-warmed earth, a reflection of the region’s dual bounty—one that thrives both in the vineyards and beneath the waves. Here, the land rolls out in endless green vines, producing New Zealand’s most celebrated Sauvignon Blancs, while the intricate waterways of the Marlborough Sounds yield some of the world’s most coveted seafood.

The journey begins on the water, where a private fishing charter sets off at dawn, the boat skimming across glassy blue depths. Nets dip below the surface, pulling up fat, briny green-lipped mussels and gleaming snapper, while seabirds hover expectantly overhead. As the morning sun rises higher, the group gathers on the shore, where manuka wood crackles over an open flame. The day’s catch, kissed by smoke and sea salt, is prepared with nothing more than wild herbs and citrus, a feast in its simplest, most perfect form.
Later, among the sun-dappled vineyards of a family-owned estate, a private tasting reveals Marlborough’s signature bright, mineral-driven wines, each glass reflecting the stony riverbeds and crisp ocean air that define this terroir. As travelers sip and savor, the conversation drifts—to the land, the flavors, the way New Zealand’s cuisine is so deeply tied to the rhythms of nature.

Days 4–5: A Celebration of the Land

Canterbury is a landscape of quiet abundance—golden pastures stretching to the foothills of the Southern Alps, mist rolling over fields where sheep graze lazily, orchards heavy with late-summer fruit. This is New Zealand’s agricultural heartland, where farmers and cheesemakers work with a devotion that transforms simple ingredients into something remarkable.

At a family-run creamery, the scent of aging wheels of sharp cheddar and soft-ripened brie fills the air as the cheesemaker slices open a wedge, revealing a buttery, crumbly texture, rich with the essence of the surrounding grasses and soil. The farm itself is a story—of heritage, of patience, of the belief that good things take time. As the sun sets, the journey leads to a private farm estate, where a long table is set beneath the vast, star-strewn sky. The evening’s meal is a love letter to Canterbury’s land and seasons—grass-fed lamb, roasted root vegetables still dusted with the scent of earth, a drizzle of golden mānuka honey over fresh ricotta. There is a quiet magic in this moment—a meal prepared not just with technique, but with an understanding of place.

Days 6–8: Wild Beauty & Elevated Cuisine

In Queenstown, the landscape shifts dramatically—sharp, snow-capped peaks rise from deep cerulean lakes, and the scent of pine mingles with the crisp mountain air. Here, the connection between food and wilderness is even more pronounced, a place where chefs and foragers look to the land for inspiration, drawing on the wild ingredients that thrive in these alpine conditions.

A private lodge, nestled among the mountains, becomes the setting for an intimate cooking experience with Ron McKinlay. A wood fire crackles, casting an amber glow on a spread of ingredients gathered that morning—wild venison, tart alpine berries, fresh river trout caught just hours before. As the evening unfolds, travelers join McKinlay in preparing a meal that is both deeply traditional and entirely of the moment, a culmination of the journey so far.

The adventure closes with a private vineyard visit in Central Otago, a region famed for its elegant, high-altitude Pinot Noirs. Sipping a glass of deep crimson, the group takes in the sweeping valleys, the scent of sun-warmed vines, the quiet hum of a place that gives so much. The final dinner unfolds along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, where a multi-course experience reflects everything this journey has been—wild, generous, unforgettable.