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Once a month we send out an e-newsletter, giving behind the scenes insight into the production of the magazine, sneak previews of upcoming issues as well as interactive features.Issue 24 Mar / Apr 2009
His House, His Castle
WORDS: Tracey Strange PHOTOGRAPHS: Matthew Williams
LEAD STORY: Interior designer Neil McLachlan has built a house on a Waiheke Island hilltop and furnished it with a masterly mix of furniture and fabrics.
Web Exclusive
ONLINE ONLY!: Learn how to mix old and new the right way. Neil McLachlan shares a career's worth of knowledge.
Back to the Land
TASTE: Annabel Langbein finds satisfaction in preserving the end-of-summer crops.
Potton's Poland
DESTINATION: We love Craig Potton’s scenic calendars and books but in Poland the man himself is the star.
Dinner for Six
TASTE: Three scrumptious courses of risotto, pan-roasted fish and little ginger puddings.
Vanilla Sky
ONLINE ONLY!: John Ross' vanilla plantation is bringing prosperity to a remote Tongan village.
Web Exclusive
ONLINE ONLY!: Taste-test quick and easy ways to include pure vanilla in your dishes.
WIN: Four luxurious nights for two at the Bronte Country Estate in Nelson’s Tasman Bay
EVEN IF BIRD-WATCHING is not your thing, it’s fascinating to see the visiting godwits, herons, shags, terns and oyster catchers that live on the Bronte Peninsula. At the Bronte Country Estate, spread over 28 hectares of apple orchard and vineyard at the end of the Peninsula, they supply binoculars and reference books. They also supply five-star comfort in the form of Te Koi, a two-bedroomed, two-bathroomed, self-contained villa on the foreshore with views across the estuary and beyond. This tranquil retreat is made even more desirable with an open-plan sitting-room equipped with a home-theatre system, dining space for eight, a state-of-the-art kitchen and – for a touch of the Hollywoods – the attentions of a personal hostess.
When ornithology gives way to wanderlust, the galleries, craft markets and restaurants of Nelson are a 30-minute drive away with local seaside cafés within 10 minutes’ reach. Part of our prize is a full-day tour of the area’s wineries and galleries with lunch hosted by Bronte’s manager, Daniel Fraser. And on one evening, their chef Cameron Trott will cook five courses in the villa for our winners’ private delectation. Kayaking, golf, hunting or fly-fishing trips, winter skiing or summer beach-going and driving to the National Parks of Abel Tasman or Kahurangi are all easily-achieved options for the adventurous. But you might prefer just to wander among the roses in the Estate’s garden, take a dip in the pool or a turn at tennis, or sit on the villa’s deck with a glass of local wine and watch those birds.
The prize is for two and is valued at $5000. It includes:
- Four nights’ accommodation in the Te Koi villa at Bronte Country Estate
- Breakfast each day
- A full-day tour of Nelson’s art galleries and wineries including lunch
- One private five-course dinner cooked by the Estate’s award-winning chef
Other fantastic web-exclusive prizes to be won! To find out more, see our competition pages.
