Sixty hospitality venues join Ponsonby festival month –
Ponsonby’s month long restaurant festival, Eat, Drink, Love Ponsonby, is back for another year and is bursting with the flavors of a culinary melting pot of cuisines, from Bangkok to Bali, Mexico to Malaysia, India to Italy–and beyond.
Taking place from 4-28 May along the length of Ponsonby Road, the popular festival is in its fourth year and is once again highlighting specific food and beverage offers for every appetite and budget.
A record 60 establishments are taking part this year, including bars, cocktail bars, casual restaurants, food court eateries, cafes, gourmet burger bars, hole in the wall snack spots, pizzerias, newcomers to the strip, Ponsonby Road stalwarts and a fine dining establishment–all showing the best of what the popular urban village has to offer.
With offers that fall within three fixed price ranges, $30 & Under, $30 to $50, and $50 & Over, below is a snapshot of what’s on offer in Ponson by this May.
the $30 and Under category features cocktails, gourmet burgers and sandwiches, bento boxes, baos, crêpes, ice creams, kebabs, laksas, bread rolls, pizza, platters, tacos, and more.
The two remaining categories – $30 to 50 and $50 and Over – offer a range of lunch and dinner menus for groups of all sizes. The fixed price ranges help take the guess work out of enjoying lunch or dinner, with hero or signature dishes included in the offer.
A snapshot of some of the participating bars and eateries include Azabu, Bali Nights, Bedford Soda & Liquor, Better Burger, Bird On A Wire, Boy & Bird, Burger Burger, Clipper Bar, Chop Chop Noodle House, Daphne’s Taverna, Dante’s Pizzeria, Dedwood Deli, Dida’s Wine Lounge, El Sizzling Chorizo, Elmo’s, Farina, Fitzroy Lounge Bar, Gaja. Gusto Italiano, Hoppers Garden Bar, INCA Ponsonby, Khu Khu, KOL, Longroom, Mekong Baby, Mexico, Mumbaiwala, Okumnandi, Ponsonby Friends, Ponsonby International Food Court, Ponsonby Road Bistro, Revelry, Sidart, Tokyo Club, The Blue Breeze Inn, The Broken Lantern, The Gyoza Bar, The Hidden Village, Win Win Bar.
Ponsonby Business Association General Manager Viv Rosenberg says she is delighted with the number of participating eaters for the 2023 festival.
“While there are 60 special offers this year, Eat Drink Love Ponsonby is about supporting all the area’s bars and eateries and encouraging people to revisit their old favourites and to check out something new.
“Ponsonby just does it better,” she says. “Whether it’s for a quick café pick-me-up or fine dining cuisine at one of our award-winning restaurants, Eat Drink Love Ponsonby will help people find their next foodie obsession thanks to an entire street’s worth of mouth-watering adventures. The fixed-price menus in the three price categories keep everything simple – and delicious. So, are you ready to Eat Our Street?”
With 60 venues and offers coming to the party for this year’s festival, Eat Drink Love Ponsonby 2023 and their offers can be found at eatdrinkloveponsonby.co.nz. For giveaways and more information follow Instagram @iloveponsonby. All offers are available from 4-28 May and can be booked directly with the restaurants and bars.
Sarin Group unviels Thordon Quay apartment hotel –
New Zealand-owned family business Sarin Hotels has opened a 72-room apartment hotel on Thorndon Quay – the eponymously named Proximity Apartments, located near Sky Stadium and The Beehive.
The project has been four years in the making, with delays caused by Covid-19. The new 9-storey building is owned by Wellington property developer Craig Stewart and is his first hotel development.
As the third hotel operated by Sarin in the Wellington area, and its eighth throughout New Zealand, the 4.5-star Proximity Apartments join the Sarin-managed DoubleTree by Hilton Wellington and The Sebel Lower Hutt, which opens in May/June. The group also operates the Lower Hutt Events Centre.
Offering short, long and residential stay options, Proximity Apartments are priced in the $199-$299 per night range. The hotel features undercover parking, 24/7 guest services, full-service kitchenette and digital check-in.
Speaking about the launch, Udai Sarin, CEO of Sarin Hotels said, “Wellington offers so much to travelers. It’s not just the political capital, it’s becoming the country’s cultural capital as well.
“During one of my business trips, I realized this is one of the very few cities across the globe to have a great balance between work and play. These new apartments are affordably priced, and styled to meet the needs of business people, domestic and international tourists alike.”
Given the city’s ongoing room shortage, David Perks, General Manager, Tākina Commercial Development at Wellington City Council welcomes the new hotel.
“As Wellington has emerged from the pandemic the demand for commercial accommodation in the city has quickly picked up to what it was in 2019, with demand driven by an unusually varied business mix of leisure and business travelers.
“Tākina – Wellington’s new Convention and Exhibition Center – opens at the end of May. We expect to see 500,000 visits to the center, 60 percent from outside the Wellington region. Hoteliers are going to be busy every day of the year.”
Also commenting on hospitality’s post-pandemic recovery, Stephen Hamilton, Director of leading hotel, tourism and leisure consulting firm Horwath HTL New Zealand, also predicts the recovery in Wellington’s hotel occupancy will be reasonably strong.
“The average room rates in Wellington have particularly risen, and in the last six months were 25 percent higher than the same period before the first national lockdown three years ago. The imminent opening of Tākina will provide a further boost to hotel occupancy in the city, and probably room rates as well.”
Other Sarin family-operated hotels include the stylish new Observatory Hotel in Christchurch’s Arts Centre, which recently received a 5-star ranking, as well as Christchurch’s MUSE Art Hotel, Holiday Inn Queenstown Frankton Road, Ibis Invercargill by Accor, and another Proximity Apartments hotel in Manukau.
Staacy Waaka backs Beef & Lamb –
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is teaming up with rugby world champion Stacey Waaka to encourage Kiwi teenage girls and women to eat beef and lamb more frequently to help prevent health concerns.
It is the first campaign in five years for Beef + Lamb New Zealand and addresses statistics from the last National Nutrition Survey that shows over a third of teenage girls don’t achieve their daily iron requirements and one in 14 women are low in iron.
Waaka says nutrition is incredibly important to her and a big part of her success and what she is about. Therefore, she wants to do what she can to make sure others are doing all they can.
“Our young teen girls and whāhine especially have greater iron requirements than most and being low in iron can really impact their well-being, productivity and energy levels.
“Like me, they’ll get so much more out of life with their iron tanks full!” says Waaka.
The easily absorbed iron in New Zealand beef and lamb can certainly help Kiwis out with that says Beef + Lamb CEO, Kit Arkwright.
“Manatū Hauora (Ministry of Health) stats (from October 2022) show women eat less servings of red meat than men on a weekly basis, so we knew we needed to reach that audience with our messaging.
“Who better than a wonderful whāhine toa like Stacey to help us do that,” says Arkwright.
“Plus, if you think Stacey’s a force on the rugby field, you should see her with a pair of BBQ tongs in her hands!”
Beef and lamb are a natural source of protein, iron, vitamin B12 and zinc. These nutrients are essential for growth, development, and general well-being.
Waaka says beef and lamb can be part of a well-balanced diet and can help increase your iron intake.
“I’ve learned that one of the best ways to top up my body’s iron stores is through including iron-rich foods, like beef and lamb, in my diet. If you’re like me and love eating red meat you can enjoy it up to three times a week.
“A nutritious balanced diet is personal to me and a super important part of what fuels me as a professional athlete.
“It tastes pretty damn good too!” says Waaka smiling.
Luxurious Hulbert House returns to Brooke Serene portfolio –
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels has announced the return of Hulbert House to its luxury hotel portfolio.
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels opened and managed the Qualmark-rated 5-star Enviro Gold luxury hotel from 2016 to 2020 and has resumed management of the property from 1 April this year.
Hulbert House is nestled in the heart of Queenstown and is a beautifully restored Victorian villa that offers six luxurious rooms, each uniquely designed with modern amenities and breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains.
The hotel’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its Enviro Gold rating, which recognizes its efforts to reduce its environmental impact and promote eco-friendly practices.
“We are delighted to have Hulbert House return to our portfolio of boutique hotels,” says Bruce Garrett, Managing Director of Brook Serene Boutique Hotels.
“This iconic property perfectly aligns with our philosophy of providing highly personalized service, a tranquil ambience and rich local flavor to our guests in unique and stunning destinations.
“We are excited to bring our expertise in boutique hotel management to Hulbert House and continue to provide exceptional experiences for our guests.”
“We are confident that the management transition will be seamless, and we look forward to once again working closely with the dedicated team at Hulbert House to maintain the hotel’s reputation as a premier luxury destination,” added Mr Garrett.
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels is a boutique hotel management company known for its distinctive properties in unique locations around New Zealand. With a focus on providing exceptional guest experiences and personalized service, Brook Serene Boutique Hotels offers a collection of carefully curated hotels that embody luxury, style and authenticity. For more information, visit www.brookserene.com.
NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship tickets: Cheapest tickets for LSU vs. Iowa in Dallas
The 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship will feature the No. 3 LSU Tigers vs. the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, April 2 (4/2/2023) at 3:30 pm ET.
Fans can buy cheap tickets to the March Madness women’s championship at resellers like StubHub, VividSeats, MEGASeats and SeatGeek. If you’re traveling for the game, get the best deals on flights from Expediaand find discounted Hotels with Hotels.com.
At publishing time, VividSeats had the cheapest tickets at $376, but prices are subject to change and availability.
Both these teams cleared through a No. 1 seed in the Final Four to advance to the Championship. LSU beat the Virginia Tech Hokies 79-72, while Iowa beat the South Carolina Gamecocks 77-73.
The games will air nationwide on ABC starting at 3:30 pm ET, and can be streamed live via fuboTV (free trial).
NCAA Tournament gearincluding new hats, t-shirts and jerseys for the 2023 Final Four can be found on fanatics.
You can bet on college basketball from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, Caesars and BetRivers.
MORE NCAA TOURNAMENT COVERAGE
How to watch No. 5 Miami vs. No. 4 UConn: Final Four time, TV, live stream
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Story by The Associated Press
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is the undeniable star of March Madness. Now she will get to play in April.
The Hawkeyes’ high-scoring guard, who was named the Associated Press Player of the Year this week, scored 41 points to lead the Hawkeyes over previously undefeated South Carolina 77-73 in the Final Four on Friday night. The loss denied South Carolina — the No. 1 team all season — a chance at a second straight title.
No. 2 seed Iowa will face LSU in Sunday’s title game after the third-seeded Tigers used a big fourth quarter to overtake top-seeded Virginia Tech 79-72.
Clark has wowed fans for the past month and certainly didn’t seem fascinated by any pressure against mighty South Carolina. She shot 15 of 31 from the field and hit four clutch free throws in the final minute to keep the Hawkeyes ahead.
LSU used a 29-point fourth quarter to rally for its win over Virginia Tech earlier Friday. Alexis Morris led the way with 27 points.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey has taken the Tigers to their first championship game in program history. The flamboyant coach won three national titles during 21 seasons at Baylor before returning to her home state.
GAMES TO WATCH
No. 2 Iowa (31-6) vs. No. 3 LSU (34-2), Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC
The Clark show rolls on to Sunday’s championship game. She’s obviously the focus of the Hawkeyes’ offense, but 6-foot-3 Monika Czinano also had a nice game against the Gamecocks with 18 points and three steals. LSU leans on star forward Angel Reese, who is averaging 23 points and nearly 16 rebounds. Morris was also superb in the Tigers’ semifinal win.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Clark was announced as AP player of the year on Thursday after receiving 20 votes from the 28-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Reese has 113 points and 79 rebounds for LSU through five wins.
SHINING MOMENTS
Clark had the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history to lead Iowa into its first Final Four appearance in 30 years. She followed that with 41 in the semifinals in a performance that somehow managed to live up to the ample hype.
Her stellar postseason has caught the attention of NBA stars. Kevin Durant and Chris Paul were talking about Clark’s performance in the locker room following the Suns’ win over the Nuggets on Friday.
“Incredible run that she’s on,” Durant said. “She’s playing phenomenal basketball, her team is rallying around her, so it’s going to be a good championship game.”
AWARDS SEASONS
Indiana’s Teri Moren was honored as the AP women’s basketball Coach of the Year after leading the school to its first Big Ten regular season championship in 40 years and its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Clark won AP Player of the Year after one of the greatest individual seasons in NCAA history with eye-popping offensive numbers, averaging 27.0 points, 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds during the regular season to help Iowa go 26-6.
GO DEEPER
Gun violence has cost lives and disrupted college sports all season, touching some of the top programs in college basketball. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in trying to navigate the topic — as well as the fallout from the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
On a lighter note, the women’s tournament has been making a case for its own separate TV deal, and if you think you know the women’s tournament, try this 25-question quiz.
Want to hear from the athletes themselves? UCLA freshman Kiki Rice and injured UConn star Paige Bueckers have each written diaries for The AP about their “tourney journeys.”
VEGAS SAYS
Iowa has opened as a slight favorite — ranging from 1 1/2 to 2 points — according to sportsbooks.
HOW TO WATCH
The title game will be on a national network — ABC — for the first time since 1996.
Every game of the women’s tournament has been available on ESPN’s networks or streaming, with fans encouraged to navigate to the “Watch” tab on ESPN’s sites. There are multiple sites listing game times, channels and other details, including the NCAA site.
WHAT’S NEXT
Where is the women’s Final Four? In Dallas, where the championship game is Sunday. As it happens, the men’s Final Four is a four-hour drive down the road in Houston.
Southern Discoveries announce leadership changes –
One of New Zealand’s most experienced tourism professionals is retiring and a well known industry stalker is stepping into the role in July.
Queenstown’s Southern Discoveries owner, Skeggs Group has announced the retirement of CEO Tim Hunter and is delighted to confirm the appointment of former GM Sales and Marketing, Kerry Walker to the role of CEO.
Kerry has 25 years of tourism experience, the last four-and-a-half of which have been spent at Southern Discoveries. In the previous 15 years, she worked in a range of senior sales and marketing roles for Ngāi Tahu Tourism.
During her time with Southern Discoveries her sales and marketing skills have proved invaluable to the company, along with her strong industry networks.
Southern Discoveries has been owned and operated by the Skeggs Group since 2009 and company director David Skeggs says he welcomes Kerry into her new role.
“It is fantastic that we have been able to make an internal appointment and give Kerry the opportunity to showcase her unique skills and experience that will continue to drive the company forward,” he said.
Tim Hunter retires after seven years spent as Southern Discoveries’ CEO following extensive experience in the New Zealand aviation, coach transport and destination marketing sectors.
Those roles have included working as a commercial pilot in the Southern Lakes area, holding airline planning roles with Air New Zealand, and working in a number of senior general management roles, including GM Marketing with The Mount Cook Group during the 1990s.
Tim broadened his international market experience with Tourism New Zealand as Regional Manager for Americas & Europe and General Manager Operations, and in 2010 became Chief Executive of Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism (CCT).
“Tim has done a superb job of running the business during his tenure, especially during some very challenging times during Covid,” said David Skeggs.
“He would be the first to say he couldn’t have done it without the support of all his team and I’m sure he will be missed by all.”
Kerry says Southern Discoveries is an industry leader that delivers exceptional nature experiences in this “unique” part of New Zealand.
“I’ve always worked within businesses that show off the very best of New Zealand’s scenery, adventure and hospitality, and align with my values of preservation and social sustainability.
“Southern Discoveries fits that bill perfectly.” Kerry takes up her new role on July 17.
SkyCity welcomes Cassia –
Auckland’s award-winning Indian restaurant Cassia, led by Chef Sid Sahrawat, is moving to SkyCity.
The renowned restaurant in Auckland’s Fort Street was closed in January after severe weather events and flooding left the business inoperable, temporarily opening as a ‘Cassia Kitchen’ pop up in the private dining room at the Sahrawat’s restaurant, Sid at The French Café.
Owners, husband and wife duo Sid and Chand Sahrawat have now found a new permanent home for the much-loved restaurant and its 20-plus team members.
Cassia is scheduled to open in early May at the site formerly housed by The Grills and will continue to run its Cassia Kitchen pop up offering until the new restaurant is ready to open.
“Sid and Chand have changed the face of Indian cuisine in New Zealand with Cassia and we are thrilled to welcome them and their talented team to SkyCity. We know their fresh and interesting take on modern Indian cuisine will continue to delight our customers and all the loyal Cassia followers,” said David Allott, General Manager Hospitality, SkyCity.
“What is even more exciting is that this is going to be the first of many changes to come at our precinct, so we are thrilled to welcome Cassia to the SkyCity family,” he added.
“It’s great to join up with SkyCity,” said Sid Sahrawat. “It was really important for us to find a location where we could quickly get up and running again, but where there would be absolutely no change to the Cassia experience.
“It was also just as important to partner with people who are serious about great food, so we can’t wait to share SkyCity Federal Street with some of New Zealand’s best dining outlets.”
The race is now on to get Cassia ready to open in early May.
“We want to recreate the look, feel and warmth of the old Cassia but add a few new features to mark our new beginning,” said Sid.
Sid and Chand run several of Auckland’s most-awarded restaurants: Cassia, Sid at The French Café and Kol, as well as Cassia at Home, the couple’s lockdown-inspired curry sauces and spice kits range.
Passionfruit – a survival story –
The 2023 passionfruit crop has survived the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle with the country’s small team of commercial growers based in sub-tropical areas such as Northland, the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki pleased to deliver the seasonal delights to consumers.
Passionfruit is a labor-intensive crop that requires careful management throughout the growing season.
Debbie Baxter, President of the New Zealand Passionfruit Growers Association, says this season has been a particularly challenging one for growers.
“Like many other growers, we faced difficult weather conditions throughout the season. Many of our growers were affected by the severe frost in October and the vines have taken some time to bounce back from that,” he says.
“While we haven’t lost a large amount of fruit, the lack of sunshine hours this summer has delayed production by as much as four weeks in certain areas.”
Baxter notes that get passionfruit to customers is a delicate balance that requires a lot of care and expense.
“Growing passion fruit is a real labor of love. High costs are incurred from pruning and daily picking for months. Passionfruit vines are prone to disease, and, despite careful management, we have a high rate of replacement for plants that have died. In the past year alone, some of our growers lost 100 percent of their vines, while others left the industry altogether,” says Baxter.
Plant & Food Research Principal Scientist and 5+ A Day Charitable Trust spokesperson, Dr. Carolyn Lister says that passionfruit provides significant nutritional value for their size.
“The cost of two passionfruit equals to a cup of coffee – but at the same price, passionfruit delivers the nutritional benefits of dietary fiber to keep your gut healthy, and powerful antioxidants such as vitamins C and E to support your immune system. Plus, their intense sweet and tangy flavor is unbeatable,” she says.
5+ A Day suggests that passionfruit is perfectly scooped out and eaten as is or added to a wide range of sweet and savory dishes.
Passion fruit can add a tropical twist to salads. Add passionfruit pulp to a dressing for a classic green salad or mix the pulp with chunks of cucumber and peach, add baby spinach and cherry tomatoes and drizzle it with chilli and lemon for a deliciously sweet and spicy combination.
Make the most of this season’s passionfruit which are in stores from March through to September by trying out some of the tasty recipes on the 5+ A Day website, www.5aday.co.nz, or by following on social media channels for more great how to use this tropical flavor bomb.