A la Colthard/Porters Boutique Hotel, Havelock North
I was mightily impressed by this hotel and its restaurant, Malo. The rooms are decorated in tasteful shades of grey and are spacious and it had nice touches like a free washing machine and dishwasher. It’s so much irritating to pay £3 to a hotel laundry for smalls and much fairer to provide machines.
Yesterday we ate in Malo. I went for oysters and succulent duck served with a roasted nectarine.
The produce is noticeably tastier. In the supermarket I saw luscious hams, fish, fruits and vegetables which look a lot more enticing that the polystyrene packed formulaic equivalents in a UK supermarket.
At Malo with drinks and plentiful wine, from Te Mata of course, the bill was £ 35 per head.
The room charge was about £200 per night.
Over dinner John Buck informed us that prime houses with a sea view fetch £5-6m. The Labour Party though it only had a minority in the election are seeking to prevent overseas purchases of first time properties such is the increase in house prices.
The area has a clement climate, little crime, good schools so you can see why people flock here. In the next dinner party conversation of where to live – when Comrade Corbyn is PM – I’m going to suggest Hawke’s Bay!!!
