Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters

10/09/2024

Spring sorties to spark up your days!

SEPTEMBER 15 -LUNCH WITH THERESA GATTUNG (0 seats remaining) The venue for the lunch with Dame Theresa (seen on TV1 last night -Saturday...

30/08/2024

Spring has sprung! Time to flee the coop!

SEPTEMBER 15 -LUNCH WITH THERESA GATTUNG (0 seats remaining) The venue for the lunch with Dame Theresa (seen on TV1 last night -Saturday...

27/08/2024

If you’re looking for a great lunch in Taupo, look no further than Roquette Restaurant.
Last weekend, our Sunday Lunchers were really impressed with the excellent service and lunch provided. The favourite choice off our Set Menu ( with 4 choices of Main & 3 of dessert) was Roast Pork Belly, Parsnip puree, Caramelised carrots, Poached apples & Bone-marrow sauce. The preferred dessert was Macadamia & Cranberry Crumble with Rhubarb Compote, Poached Apple, Vanilla & Coconut Sorbet & Mango puree.
The trip, with a lovely convivial group of clients, travelled down via Rotorua & returned via Tokoroa to make the day a bit more scenic.

26/08/2024

If you love riesling, one you should try is Westbrook Winery's 2019 Riesling. Had it with dinner on Saturday night & it was sooo good! Thoroughly agree with the words on the label: "Tempting... citrus florals...tropical...unctuous,,," A really special off-dry wine.

16/08/2024

Weta Workshop Unleashed, Zealong Tea, The NZ Timber Museum...so many treats from which to choose!

AUGUST 25, SUNDAY LUNCH ROQUETTE RESTAURANT TAUPO (Fully booked) Clients have enjoyed coming with us (& going privately) to Roquette...

13/08/2024

A day to remember!

Our original September 19 trip has been altered to offer something for which many clients have been asking. Why travel up for one...

02/08/2024

Have a great day out & enjoy wonderfully poignant images taken by news photographers over the last year. And take the chance to lunch &...

29/07/2024

Wonderful food, exceptional venue & ambience, top service- one of the best Sunday Lunches we have had! It's hard to not sound as though you are suffering from superlative syndrome when you are describing Bracu, Bombay, South of Auckland. The group we took yesterday for our Sunday Lunch trip, have said they want it to be an annual event.
We had the 2-course roast (which can be beef or pork) with vegetables & a Yorkshire Pudding. Dessert was a delicious lime cheesecake with ice-cream on chopped nuts. Paul was happy as there was oodles of crackling on the succulent pork. Clients enjoyed looking at the Wine Library & the extensive olive plantation.
If you want to take your chosen group of 10-14 on any Sunday, give us a call!
Door-to-door return transport ex-Tauranga plus this lunch is $144.00pp. Other group pick-up points are possible.

27/07/2024

Don't be a couch potato. Here's your chance to get out & about. Time to enjoy life!

8 AUGUST - THE WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION, SMITH & CAUGHEY'S, AUCKLAND (As seen on Seven Sharp last week.) Whether it be images...

19/07/2024

Dream Big. Sparkle more. Shine bright.
Show your professionalism & high standards by having a super-clean car, valeted by VIP VEHICLE VALET

19/07/2024

As seen on Seven Sharp last night.

Whether it be images such as the puffery of Putin, the desperation of a mother holding her emaciated child in a famine-stricken...

17/07/2024

Just a few seats left for this special venue.

"With a vision to bring a slice of his homeland to Kiwi shores, Croatian-born Ivan Simunovich likely didn’t know that in planting New...

10/07/2024

Our new Foodie tour, operating from the Port of Tauranga, NZ, can be seen at

This tour will take you to a kiwifruit orchard, give you a tour & tasting at an avocado orchard, provide you with a fish and chip lunch &...

08/07/2024

Everyone booking (& paying for) a car valet with VIP Vehicle Valets from now to the end of August will receive a bottle of Leveret Estate wine . You choose whether you want a White or a Red.
www.vipvehiclevalet.co.nz

07/07/2024

A great opportunity to hear a NZ entrepreneur & enjoy lunch at the same time!

BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING

06/07/2024

We're so pleased that the Matamata Festival Flowers is back again & that we have discovered a special new venue with amazing art,

28 JULY - SUNDAY LUNCH, BRACU OLIVE ESTATE, BOMBAY (Only a few seats left) "Bracu Restaurant is a place where we share our life with...

29/06/2024

As said a couple of weeks ago, we can see why cafes are putting up their prices – as a multiplicity of their costs have risen. Unfortunately, their clients' income hasn’t often increased simultaneously.
We commented that cafes thus need to be very sure that their offerings & service are top notch, otherwise people will vote with their feet.
This comment was prompted by a salmon quiche being murdered in a microwave so that the pastry was like tough cardboard, & the salmon & egg had dried out and lost texture & taste. The lemon-almond cake was dry & we suspected it might have been made the day before.
We had another instance that was disappointing, yesterday, in Tirau.
The table we sat at was cleared shortly after we sat down. But it was sticky & Paul raised his hand when the waitress/owner came to another table. She snapped that he had to wait his turn. As she went past he asked for a wet cloth, as the table was sticky. The reply was a snappy, “There’s only myself & a 12 year old working today.”
Our sympathies; we know many cafes are very short staffed. But on a long weekend, if you decide to open, you must know you’re going to be busier. You somehow have to put processes in place that help you to manage the situation rather than castigate your customers & make them feel a burden.
Hospitality is struggling, so venues need to make 100% effort to ensure that the customer feels welcome & returns.

27/06/2024

Afternoon tea, a guest speaker, bubbles, a chance to dress up. Don't miss this fabulous afternoon!

Come to this fabulous afternoon, which has Jo McCarroll, Editor of The New Zealand Gardener magazine, as guest speaker. Jo has a wealth...

24/06/2024

Our Sunday Lunch at Zenders, Ruakura, was a real reward for venturing out from Tauranga in the pouring rain on Sunday morning. As we edged over the Kaimais, the Waikato was bathed in blue & we only had the occasional shower during the day. We all enjoyed our first visit to the Dutch- themed venue. As well as enjoying Dutch cuisine at a reasonable price & the great service, we were shown photos of the historic building in Holland, before it was demolished & shipped to NZ. As well as the original bricks, other recycled materials, such as rimu ballustrades from a local Hamilton church had been recycled in the new structure. We were given a really instructive & interesting tour around the complex. It is a large establishment with a variety of wings that can accommodate a variety of functions – from cafe to weddings, reunions, conferences, funerals etc .
Our bus-load all agreed on the way home through Scotsmans Valley, that they had enjoyed a great day & that the weather should be ignored when you’re ready for a day out!

21/06/2024

Don't let the Winter shut you in! Keep happy, wrap up in your woollies & enjoy getting out with convivial company!

JUNE 13 - NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS The NZ National Fieldays' mission is: "To advance agriculture for the benefit of New Zealand through...

17/06/2024

Looking for an outing for your social group, friends or family?
- At Skyline Rotorua, a superb venue, you can travel up on the gondola & choose among:
- An all-you-can eat lunch at Stratosfare
- Luge rides
- A wine tasting at Volcanic Hills Estate Winery
- The Skyswing
- The Zipline

So many activities to get the adrenaline pumping!

Transport only cost (14 seats plus trailer: $575.00

14/06/2024

Whether you're just starting out on your wine journey or an absolute aficionado of the product, this small-group tour will help you to broaden your wine education & treat your palate while feeling at ease & enjoying the experience.

Our Hawkes' Bay winery tours have always been our most popular regional winery tours. We have recently tasted so many outstanding wines...

11/06/2024

Hopesgrove Wines is one of the boutique wineries we will visit on our Hawke's Bay winery tour, 4-6 October.
The winery has just received excellent comments from Bob Campbell in "The Real Review" - The Hopesgrove Chardonnay scoring 92/100, the Estate Syrah 93/100 & the Silver Lining Syrah 95/100. We loved his description of the Silver Lining Syrah: " Bright, mouth-watering Syrah with raspberry, oyster shell, black pepper & violet. Purity with power and a precise backbone of vibrant flavours. While it can be appreciated now, it is full of promise for the future."
Details of our October winery tour can be seen at
https://secure.smore.com/n/n95u6-hawkes-bay-winery-tour

09/06/2024

A great day out! Pickups can be made en route e.g. Hinuera Valley & Kaimais.

Great Day Out For All The NZ National Fieldays' mission is: "To advance agriculture for the benefit of New Zealand through collaborative...

08/06/2024

Cafes are putting up their prices – and deservedly so, as a multiplicity of their costs have risen. Unfortunately, it hasn’t often coincided with clients’ income increasing simultaneously.
If cafes are increasing their prices, they need to be very sure that their offerings are top notch, otherwise people will vote with their feet.
Yesterday we popped into a café for morning tea. The beverages & some of the food were OK. But the salmon quiche had been murdered in a microwave so that the pastry was like tough cardboard, the salmon & egg had dried out and lost texture & taste. The lemon-almond cake was dry & we suspected it might have been made the day before.
Hospitality is struggling, so it needs to make 100% effort to make the customer return.

05/06/2024

No reason to hibernate, just because it's Winter! Put on your Winter woollies & come out with us to enjoy yourself!

JUNE 13 - NZ NATIONAL FIELDAYS The NZ National Fieldays' mission is: "To advance agriculture for the benefit of New Zealand through...

02/06/2024

Looking for some excitement? We can take you to a venue right on your door-step for a real shot of adrenaline Velocity Valley.
"Velocity Valley, where speed, adrenaline and fear collide. With 6 iconic NZ adrenaline adventures in one location. Shweeb, Agrojet, Freefall Xtreme, Swoop, and the Freestyle Airbag. Our Newest ride Vertigo is now open and ready to drop you!!
Your Rotorua adventure starts here! At Velocity Valley, there’s something for everyone –from 5 to 105, from novice to seasoned pro. Pedal, free fall, launch, propel, swoop or splash – we make fast fun for everyone!"
Look at the Activities page on our website for other exciting ideas to brighten up your life!
www.tastingtours.co.nz

31/05/2024

If you appreciate the works of exceptional artists, this is the tour for you. Come with us to see this amazing collection at the Auckland...