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Getting Away From it All

A quirky 1950s' caravan called Ngaire steals the show in the latest NZ Life & Leisure   (Jan/Feb 2011 $9.70).  The 1955 Starliner has been lovingly restored by her owners Mike & Victoria and in it, they talk of the adventures they've taken her on since finding her on Trade Me 4 years ago.  It's the perfect story to put in their summer issue with the tag line 'Away from it all'. 

Editor Kate Coughlan and her team have pulled out all the stops to feature people in tune with their holiday environments and to identify holidays and homes that nourish the family without the need for heart-stopping mortgages. 

There's the cottage by the river: a cleverly designed 'close up and tow away' cottage on the banks of the Waihopai River in Marlborough.  A yurt in the bush: glamping it up in Raglan - a unique way to get away from it all amongst a stand of huge nikau palms and centuries-old rimu and tawa.  Camping on the coast:  a family count themselves lucky to be the keepers of the DOC Mimiwhangata Coastal Park in Northland.  The house on an island: a timber bach on Great Barrier Island that made it to the finals of an international architecture award.  A cabin in the forest: built by an architecture graduate who put the theories she learnt in the classroom into practice on a magical spot overlooking the Whanganui River.  And huts in the hills: a pair of recycled timber huts on fragile Central Otago land that were crafted almost entirely from recycled and retrieved materials and cost a grand total of $5000.

Hidden away at the back is the 'Taste' section.  I s'pose it's located at the back for a reason .... as soon as I laid my eyes on Annabel Langbein's fresh seafood pleasures in 'In Step with the Season' I felt my tummy rumble and went straight to the fridge.  Thankfully, the hubby has filled the fridge and freezer with fresh fish over the holidays, so I delved straight into the kokoda recipe.  There are many versions of coconut-marinated fish around and this is very similar to the Fijian style - the best!  My own humble opinion of course.  The noodle paella is next on my list, and my greatest discovery of all .... kina anchoiade.  I love kina.  It doesn't appeal to many of my friends which simply means there's more for me, but by melting it into butter, wine and lemon juice it might just find itself some new converts.

Itadakimasu!

The Jan/Feb 2011 issue of NZ Life & Leisure is on sale now RRP$9.70 or online RRP$6.00

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