A pleasant afternoon at Gordonton's Zealong Tea Estate

A pleasant afternoon at Gordonton's Zealong Tea Estate
The Chatham Islands crayfish was served in little pasta pockets. (Photos: Helen van Berkel)
Helen van Berkel
The food tastes better, the conversation flows easier, and the journey is smooth between traffic jams when the out-of-town sneaky lunch date is a workday treat.Everyone else was in the office when we slipped out of Auckland after Friday morning’s motorway rush. Our destination was the Zealong Tea Estate in Gordonton, north of Hamilton, home of the Camellia restaurant, and thousands upon thousands of Camellia plants.The beautifully appointed restaurant is named after the flowering tree that convinced Zealong founder Vincent Chen that Waika...

More The Life

Captain Morrow and the Sands of Time
The Life Review

Captain Morrow and the Sands of Time

This is the kind of theatre that, if you love it, loves you right back.

Dalaine Krige 26 Oct 2025
2025 TVs force buyers to pick their perfect picture
The Life Review

2025 TVs force buyers to pick their perfect picture

Many models are now available with healthy discounts before Christmas.

Peter Griffin 26 Oct 2025
Tesla Model 3 RWD: back to basics
The Life Review

Tesla Model 3 RWD: back to basics

Underneath all the hype and optional extras, the Model 3 is now a very good car indeed.

Protein isn’t everything. Here’s what to know
The Life

Protein isn’t everything. Here’s what to know

Lots of folks are trying to amp up protein’s hero status.