Culinary Adventures

More than a transfer or a food tour - hosted culinary adventures through the landscapes, people and stories of coastal New Zealand

Hapuku Kitchen Culinary Adventures are immersive, chef-led road adventures where the journey itself becomes part of the meal.

Guests do not simply visit wineries or stop for tastings. They forage, harvest, prepare, taste, cook and connect with the landscape while traveling through one of New Zealand’s most dramatic food regions.

Traveling in a customised premium culinary vehicle equipped with espresso machine, chef’s pantry, refrigeration, preparation space and portable cooking capability, guests experience spontaneous food moments throughout the day - fresh crayfish prepared beside the ocean, wild herbs gathered roadside, espresso coffee overlooking alpine valleys, or local ingredients transformed into small dish moments after meeting the producers..

The Experience

At the heart of each adventure is a strong sense of manaakitanga — warm hospitality, generosity and care alongside a deep respect for the people, landscapes and seasonal ingredients that shape the region’s food identity.

Host Chris (Ngāti Kurī, Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki) brings a local perspective to storytelling throughout the experience, sharing connections between landscape, food gathering traditions, seasonality and the cultural significance of food within Aotearoa New Zealand. These conversations emerge naturally throughout the experience, creating a richer understanding of the region beyond traditional sightseeing or food tourism.

The experience is intentionally unhurried, designed around connection, curiosity and a deeper understanding of the region through food and people.

Our Approach

Hapuku Kitchen Culinary Adventures are intentionally small, personal and flexible, allowing guests to engage directly with the landscapes and individuals behind the food they experience. No two adventures are exactly alike.

We believe exceptional food experiences begin with people, place and conversation.

Seasonality, weather, harvest cycles, fishing conditions and spontaneous local opportunities all help shape the experience on the day.

On a Culinary Adventure, guests may:

  • forage wild coastal herbs with the chef

  • collect ingredients directly from growers

  • taste produce in the exact environment it is grown

  • prepare simple dishes roadside overlooking the Pacific

  • stop at hidden farm gates not accessible to larger groups

  • enjoy freshly brewed coffee and chef-prepared tastes in remote scenic locations

  • cook over fire beside rivers, beaches, or vineyards

  • meet the personalities behind the region’s food culture

  • experience unplanned moments that become the highlight of the journey.

The vehicle becomes more than transport - it’s a traveling kitchen and gathering place where guests share coffee, conversation, local flavours and stories of the region along the way.

At a Glance

Experience Style

  •  Premium hosted culinary travel

  •  Small-group luxury experiences

  •  Relaxed pace and flexible itineraries

  •  Chef-led hosting and storytelling

  •  Māori cultural perspective

  •  Behind-the-scenes producer access

  •  Seasonal food experiences

  •  Curated tasting inclusions

  •  Scenic regional travel 

Ideal Guests

  •  Luxury FIT travellers

  •  Culinary travellers

  •  Honeymoon and celebration travel

  •  Cruise extensions

  •  Luxury Lodge guests

  •  Hosted private groups

  •  Small incentive travel experiences

A journey from forest to coast to kitchen — where ancient knowledge meets modern flavour, and every ingredient tells a story of Kaikōura.

Departure Locations

  • Kaikōura

  • North Canterbury and Marlborough

  • Christchurch and Nelson options available

Group Size

  • Ideal for FIT travellers

  • Up to 4 guests standard

  • Private departures and larger groups by arrangement

Hapuku Kitchen - the Culinary Adventure Difference

Our Culinary experiences are designed to feel cinematic, deeply personal and impossible to replicate independently.

  • Rather than observing food culture from a distance, guests actively participate within it.

  • A helicopter landing may become an alpine wine tasting

  • A roadside stop may become lunch

  • A producer visit may evolve into an afternoon gathered around a fire with local stories and freshly prepared food

  • The itinerary remains flexible enough to follow weather, seasonality, marine conditions, harvest moments and opportunity

Example Adventures

Journey One: Kaikoura Culinary Discovery

“From ocean edge to mountain valley — taste Kaikōura as you travel.”

A deeply immersive culinary road adventure exploring the hidden flavours, landscapes and producers of Kaikōura. This is not a schedule of tastings - it is a living culinary journey where guests experience the region through spontaneous food moments, local encounters and chef-led discovery.

Throughout the day guest may:

  • forage seasonal coastal ingredients such as wild herbs and flowers

  • enjoy onboard Espresso coffee with warm pastries at remote scenic stops

  • prepare simple dishes alongside the chef, such as fire-roasted seasonal vegetables at a farm stop

  • taste ingredients directly from source

  • enjoy chef-created small plates prepared throughout the journey

  • stop at hidden local producers unavailable to larger groups

  • learn the stories behind Kaikōura’s unique food culture

The experience unfolds organically according to season, weather, produce availability and guest curiosity.

Journey Two: South Island Culinary Transfer

“A transfer day transformed into a traveling feast.”

This experience completely redefines the traditional Lodge transfer between Kaikōura and Canterbury or Kaikōura and Marlborough/Tasman. Rather than simply moving between destinations, guests travel through the food landscape of North Canterbury or the Upper South Island with a chef-host guiding culinary discoveries along the way. The road itself becomes part of the dining experience.

Throughout the transfer, guest may:

  •  stop at hidden roadside producers

  •  harvest ingredients directly from growers

  •  enjoy chef-prepared dishes between destinations

  •  compare wines beside the vines they came from private organic wine-tasting amongst the vines with the winemaker

  •  picnic among olive groves or river valleys

  •  participate in impromptu tastings inside the touring vehicle

  •  discover tiny artisan producers often missed by conventional itineraries

  • scenic coffee stops with chef-prepared morning treats

  •  discover biodynamic heritage grains at the source

  •  when in season walk a truffière and join the dogs hunting

  •  meet the cheesemakers, tour the aging rooms and experience unique pairings

  •  fire-cooked seasonal lunch elements in remote locations

The day feels less like transport and more like joining a private culinary expedition across land. Similar adventures and journeys are available beyond Canterbury and Marlborough District with options of multi day tours

Journey Three: High Country and Coastal Culinary Expedition

“Remote landscapes. Extraordinary food. Unrepeatable experiences.”

An ultra-premium culinary expedition combining helicopters, remote producers, wild landscapes, luxury hospitality and extraordinary food experiences across the upper South Island. This is immersive luxury adventure for travelers who want access beyond conventional tourism.

Guests may fly directly from coastal seafood operations to alpine stations, land beside remote rivers for chef-hosted lunches, or enjoy freshly harvested ingredients prepared in extraordinary locations inaccessible to most travelers.

Potential signature experiences:

  • helicopter-access mussel and oyster tastings

  • cooking freshly harvested seafood on remote beaches

  • high-country lamb experiences at private stations

  • wild ingredient foraging with local experts

  • fire and ember cooking beneath alpine landscapes

  • long-table dining in remote locations

  • native ingredient exploration and tasting

  • chef-led wilderness picnics with curated wines

  • exclusive access to private producers and properties