WHEN Captain James Cook became the first European commander to sail through the channel separating the North Island and South Island of New Zealand in 1770, it was just a nondescript strait.

But today, Cook Strait is one of the best places in New Zealand to live the high life. Here's your cut-and-keep guide to wining and dining in this part of the country:

Martinborough

This wine village trumpets its Pinot Noirs, arguably the finest of grapes and the hardest to grow. Most of the 25 or so wineries are within walking distance from the town square, and you can also sample the labels under one roof at the Martinborough Wine Centre.

Drop by at Tirohana Estate - marketing manager Toby James is as winning as his wines. What is interesting about this Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis (of The Lord of the Rings and King Kong fame) haunt is that it will tailor weekend stays for any occasion - from a simple lunch for Granddad's birthday to a package consisting of hot air ballooning or a helicopter tour plus a three-course dinner at a local restaurant for about NZ$240 (S$258) per head. You can stay at a lovely French farmhouse-style cottage; separate rates apply.
(Puruatanga Road, tel: +64 (06) 306-9933)

Nearby is Te Kairanga, which also boasts award winners among its Rieslings, Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. Families come with a picnic lunch, buy a bottle and relax, while the kids play on the spacious 35-ha grounds.
(Martins Road, tel: +64 (06) 306-9122)

At the 14-year-old Olivo Olive Grove, Helen Meahan, a former e-commerce bigwig, will tell you everything about olives, from how it takes seven years for a tree to fully fruit to the fact that you need 2kg of olives to make a 200ml bottle of oil!

You will probably want to leave with a bottle or two of the infusions. Get the vanilla olive which goes well with crayfish and scallops or "even drizzled on vanilla ice-cream", said Ms Meahan. The porcini mushroom blend is great over mashed potatoes.
Open from Thursdays to Sundays. (Hinakura Road, tel: +64 (06) 306-9074).

Marlborough

This is the region of big wineries and towns like Picton and Havelock that offer the freshest mix of eco-tourism, seafood and some 80 wineries - including the world-famous Cloudy Bay label.

As Ms Christine Brown, tourism marketing executive of Destination Marlborough, put it: "We're racing ahead with tourism because of our Sauvignon Blancs and the Sounds."

You will love taking the water taxis to drink in the sights of the Queen Charlotte Sounds, or throw yourself into nature itself - do bush trekking (come fit, or you will end up breathless!), sea kayaking and swim with the dolphins. Wilderness Guides is the recommended operator (www.wildernessguidesnz.com).

City dwellers who prefer to shop head to Blenheim, a 20-minute drive away on State Highway 1. Here, you can find anything from honey to paua shells.

En route to Havelock, past miles and miles of vineries, a small chocolate factory pops up, as if from nowhere. It is the Makana Boutique Chocolate Factory, owned by Jim Makaweo and Debi, two Americans now living in New Zealand. See how the delectables are handmade using the region's fruit and nut, and sample some.

Buy the truffles, macadamia butter and toffee crunch here - there are 30 varieties in all.
(Blenheim 7315, tel: +64 (03) 570-5370; www.makana.co.nz)

At Havelock, which is a 30-minute drive away, lunch at the Mussel Boys. Do not let the small restaurant fool you - the green-lipped mussels, for which the Marlborough Sounds area is famous, are huge. Think shells 7cm long and fresher than fresh mussels!
(73 Main Road, Havelock, tel: +64 (03) 574-2824)

One of the best experiences I had in New Zealand, though, was in Nelson (accessible via State Highway 6), where a simple meal of one breaded oyster and fish and chips, wrapped in paper, of course, by the wharf, made my day.

At Haven Fish and Chips, camera-shy owner-cum-chef Ralph Mollo, a former baker from Wellington, serves up super blue cod and snapper takeaways.

Chomping my way through the crisp, light batter into the succulent blue cod, while the gulls call above, and gazing into crimson sunset - mmm, heaven.
(268, Wakefield Quay, tel: 548-7969).

Evelyn Yap is a freelance writer. She was a guest of Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand.

WHERE TO STAY

Thorndon House
17 Park Street, Thorndon, Wellington
Tel: +64 (04) 499-0503
www.throndonhouse.co.nz
Hosts Gabi and Markus Landvogt are great foodies; ask for their cooked breakfast of ham and scrambled eggs.

Sennen House
9 Oxford Street, Picton
Tel: +64 (03) 573-5216
www.sennenhouse.co.nz
One of the original colonial homesteads in New Zealand, this is home to hosts Imogen and Richard Fawcett, one daughter and a resident sheep.

Kershaw House
10 Wensley Road, Richmond
Tel: +64 (03) 544-0957
www.kershawhouse.co.nz
Hosts Nicky and Ian Hannell make the yummiest bagel with smoked salmon in cream cheese.

GETTING THERE

Air New Zealand flies its B777-200ER aircraft on daily direct flights between Singapore and Auckland.

Special Natas package: S$1,288 per adult, includes return fare to Auckland, one-way flight to Queenstown, one free stopover in Auckland, and three nights' stay.

Call the Air Zealand Travelcentre: 6535 8266 or go to: www.airnewzealand.com.sg.

Note: This article was part of the Natas Travel 2006 Special published in The Straits Times on March 23, 2006. As a reference to the project's main lead, 'Travel is a numbers game', it's original headline in print was: '25 wineries in one village is a wine-lover's dream'.