Maria R.'s
Best Regional Parks
- 14Ulva Island Te Wharawhara Marine ReserveStewart IslandA magical island off Stewart Island, Ulva is a predator-free sanctuary. This place is full of native birds and wildlife, and is a great place to explore an authentic part of NZ.
- 23Fiordland National Park is a relatively new park, established in the 1950s. It is the perfect park for exploring New Zealand how it used to be (hundreds of years ago!). I love this park because it’s the "face" of NZ, the place that is shown in all the tourism adverts overseas!
- 34Milford SoundMilfordThe ‘eighth wonder of the world’, Milford Sound is a ridiculously beautiful part of New Zealand. If you are from this country and haven’t been yet then you must visit! The best place in the country for biking, walking and kayaking.
- 42Doubtful SoundTe AnauThe untouched wilderness of Doubtful Sound is one of the most magnificent wonders of the world. This place is rich in wildlife and I absolutely adore it. Go for a swim, kayak, walk or bike, you can do it all here!
- 55Routeburn TrackTe AnauA famous 32 km track that all the tourists flock to, Routeburn Track is a wonderful way to see New Zealand. It is one of the country’s best alpine adventures and I can’t wait until I get the chance to walk these amazing track.
Maria R.'s
Best regional parks
- 12Kahurangi National ParkWestportA relatively new national park, Kahurangi is one of my favourite places to hang on the West Coast. It is a huge park (the country’s second largest!), and my favourite things to do there is explore the wild rivers and do some mountain biking.
- 22Paparoa National ParkBarrytownA stunning park, Paparoa is a great place for walking. The rivers, native trees and people you meet along the walkways are just a few reasons why this park is amazing!
- 31Arthur's Pass National ParkArthurs PassThe park that divides the West Coast from the East Coast, Arthur’s Pass is a well travelled parth for me. I love the landscape and amazing rainforest. A great place for walks and picnics.
- 41Westland Tai Poutini National ParkFranz JosefWestland Tai Poutini National Park is an amazing place. It has everything from snow-capped mountains and glaciers (yes, glaciers!) to gorges and lakes. This park is my favourite place to visit after walking on the glaciers.
- 51A park at the southern end of the West Coast, I love Mountain Aspirin National Park for its spectacular scenery and amazing walks! A world heritage site for a reason!
Maria R.'s
Best chicken meals
- 14A fantastic community bar and restaurant, Haast’s Hard Antler has some great meals, not to mention their chicken burger with crumbed chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onion and aioli.
- 24The Speights Landing Restaurant & BarFranz JosefThere are a lot of awesome meals on the menu at The Landing. My favourites are the Chicken Satay Kebabs served upon jasmine rice and Pesto Chicken Pasta with red onion and capsicum.
- 38Fat Pipi PizzaHokitikaFat Pipi’s is ridiculously good. Their chicken pizza is definitely the best on the menu and features a delicious apricot sauce. It’s sooooo good!
- 47Kingtiger Eastern Eating House and BarFranz JosefIf you’re after Indian or Chinese, it doesn’t matter because Kingtiger does it all. Their chicken curries are some of the best on the West Coast and don’t forget to order some delicious naan to go with!
- 5688 Asian Fusion Restaurant + Lounge BarFranz Josef88 Asian Fusion has everything you need for a great night out, not to mention a nice little selection of chicken meals. You’ll love the stir fried vegetables with chicken and served in a delicious sauce!
Maria R.'s
Best chicken dishes
- 14This public house is an absolute icon with its large dining room and impressive fireplace. They do a fantastic roast chicken during the winter and come summer, there’s always a lovely crispy chicken salad on the menu.
- 24Howl at the MoonGoreA laid back dining experience in Gore, Howl at the Moon is known for their delicious meals, including chilli chicken nachos and their epic chicken parmigiana with two cheeses!
- 36Redcliff Bar & RestaurantTe AnauI love Redcliff, particularly in the evening when it is spectacularly lit up. They do a fantastic chicken dish once in a while on their specials menu, and it’s always worth choosing that meal - it’s always perfectly cooked and displayed in a unique way.
- 41Whistling FrogCatlinsFamous for many reasons, particularly the meals, I love Whistling Frog for their chicken pizzas. They are incredibly tasty with the thin crisp bases!
- 51Niagara Falls CafeTokanuiI love Nigara Falls Cafe. They make delicious chicken meals including Chicken and Bacon Salad and Open Chicken Sandwich with tender chicken breast, bacon and grilled cheese.
Maria R.'s
Fried chicken
- 12Ivy & Lola’s Kitchen and BarQueenstownThe best fried chicken at brunch time is at Ivy and Lola’s. The Southern-fried chicken with waffles jalapeno chutney, bacon and maple and syrup is ridiculously good and quite reasonable at $19.90 a pop!
- 23Alley CantinaDunedin CentralA crazy place for a great night out on the town, Alley Cantina does a delicious fried chicken burrito. Wash it down with any one of their amazing chickens and then get nasty on the dancefloor after!
- 33Pig and WhistleQueenstownPig and Whistle is famous for their chicken wings with buffalo spice sauce. If you want something a little different, try their Snack Basket which features crispy chicken tenderloins and broccoli and cheese bites served with dipping sauce
- 41Stables RestaurantArrowtownStables don’t do fried chicken as such, but they do a mean crispy chicken sandwich! The chicken is perfectly seasoned and served with ciabatta, salad, bacon and avocado. A perfect lunch meal!
- 53La RumblaArrowtownA great place for small plates and delicious cocktails, La Rumbla does a fantastic fried chicken dish. Served with delicious, perfectly seasoned fries and salad, you can’t beat this fried chicken in Arrowtown!
Maria R.'s
Fried chicken
- 11OrleansChristchurch CentralThese guys are famous for their fried chicken. Their ‘Orleans Waffle and Fried Chicken’ is my absolute favourite dish on the menu. It features waffle and chicken cooked with herb butter, and served with maple chipotle glaze and crisp sage.
- 23MexicoChristchurch CentralI love the Mexico’s chicken taco with papa, grilled chicken, green tomato salsa, garlic chips and cucumber milk, but my absolute favourite dish is their fried chicken it’s so delicious, especially washed down with their famous margaritas.
- 31Zenbu Japanese Restaurant & BarChristchurch CentralThere’s more to this Japanese restaurant than just great service and cool decor. The food here is delicious, especially the fried chicken. Serve in a tasty hot sauce, the chicken is crispy and perfectly juicy!
- 42Fiddlesticks Bar and RestaurantChristchurch CentralThe fried chicken at Fiddlesticks is something to be reckoned with. Served in a tomato sauce with a crisp and fresh side salad, this dish is not to be missed!
- 51The Brewers ArmMerivaleThere’s a lot of chicken recipes on the menu at Brewers Arm, but my favourite is the fried chicken that comes served in an amazing burger. The chicken burger comes with tomato, onion cheese, pickles, aioli and onion marmalade, along with a side of fries.