North Island Here We Come… Again!

Back in Rotorua Again!

Our flight was a short two hours from South Island back to North Island. We picked up yet another new car at the Airport for David to drive. I can’t tell you what a great job he’s been doing! If you’re new to driving on the left side of the road, it is a challenge, especially at the roundabouts. You really need a good “co-driver” to assist you in driving safely about.

We drove the beautiful north island countryside towards our nighttime destination of Pokeno. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21647098?viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76 

We went rented a beautiful Airbnb that was totally rural outside the city. They had sheep and chickens and rabbits and a dog that was absolutely amazing.

 During our entire drive to Pokeno, it was overcast and sometimes just a little bit drizzly. But 20 minutes outside of our destination it started to rain and rain and rain and rain.

We arrived at our lovely, rural Airbnb destination. It was a cute little private room on the outskirts of the house. We quickly ran with our luggage through the rain and got settled inside. After perusing the suggestions of the host for where to have our best dinner we chose a place called  Monarch. https://themonarch.co.nz/  We unpacked and waited an hour or two before we headed out to our restaurant 15 minutes away. Easy drive and wonderful destination.

We found the restaurant and ran through the drizzle to a beautiful glass restaurant with open doors. We were seated at a table for two and proceeded to have the best dinner of our entire time in New Zealand! He started with a glass of red New Zealand wine for me, and a spicy margarita for David.

Both were very delicious! As we sat, enjoying the Christmas tree in the corner lit with sparkling white lights, and the conversation of tables around us, we perused the menu.

Our waiter was very helpful and respectful at the same time. He gave us suggestions of the best items on the menu.

I chose the house special, which was a shrimp linguine with freshly seasoned tomatoes and a bright lemon sauce. The shrimp were tender and delicious. The linguine was al dente and served with spinach and garlic, and a  fresh lemon was a delightful complement. 

 David chose a beef rump with asparagus and potato croquettes and an au jus sauce. The beef was so tender it literally melted in your mouth. But add the Ajou sauce for an extra delicious moment. David shared his asparagus with me, which was tender and perfectly seasoned. With the potatoes are a lot blue us away! They were literally mashed potatoes that had been rolled in a breading, and then deep-fried… Oh, my, Yum, Yum, Yum! There were also beets on his plate which David ate and he said they were delicious so I just took his word for it. Lol. 

Now it was time for dessert. We had a crème brûlée with a crunchy biscotti on the side for texture. Again, just creamy and slightly firm with the crunchy sugar burned perfectly on top.

Also included in our dessert was a shot of black Sambuca for me (a digestive) and a pink martini for David. It was the house special of the day. 

So like I said, it was literally the best meal we’ve had in all of New Zealand and what a wonderful thing to be able to consume on our last full night on the north island in the town of Pokeno.

Drove back to our rural Airbnb watch a movie and hit the sack. Sweet  dreams!