Kem Ormond heads to Whanganui National Park, to experience all Blue Duck Station has to offer.
Located in the Ruapehu District on the banks of the Whanganui and Retaruke Rivers, and surrounded by Whanganui National Park, Blue Duck Station is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground and a food-lover’s heaven.
The station’s core values are to conserve its endangered wildlife, increase the health of native bush and rivers, and preserve the history of the area while educating visitors about the endangered New Zealand blue duck, other native species, and local history.
And they do it well.
The staff at Blue Duck Station are enthusiastic about what they do, and they work hard to ensure you have a memorable stay.
There are few places where you are greeted by the actual owner, and Dan Steele has plenty of stories to tell.
From an introduction to the station to multi-day horse treks, photography tours and The Bridge to Nowhere packages, jet boating, kayaking, walks, mountain biking or deer hunting, they have a range of options to suit, whether you are a small or corporate group.
And then there is the ultimate dining experience, “The Chef’s Table”.
Luck has it that I was born on St Valentine’s Day and what better way to celebrate another year, but to go with some very good friends to Blue Duck Station and dine at The Chef’s Table and savour - or should I say salivate - their 10-course degustation meal.
Being a lover of food, I have indulged in various degustation meals and for years, Vue de Monde in Melbourne has always held the number one experience in my books. Well, move over Shannon Bennett, British chef Jack Cashmore has just taken your place!
The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station offers a unique fine dining experience under the stunning night sky.
The night we dined; the evening was warm and still and the views were nothing short of amazing.
Located on one of the highest points of the station, affectionately known as the Top of the World, it has views of the Tongariro and Whanganui national parks.
The Chef’s Table experience offered by Blue Duck Station starts when you arrive at the café.
Your luggage is loaded into an ATV and you get to enjoy a bush safari with your guide, you will have time to slip in a short kayak down the river, see wild orchids growing on the banks, view the most beautiful tree ferns and stunning native bush, all while learning about the history of Blue Duck Station.
By 5pm you are dropped off at one of their luxurious lodges close to the restaurant.
After changing into your best party dress or shirt (and why not!), you meander along the well-lit boardwalk to The Chef’s Table to commence your evening of total indulgence.
And what an evening.
The service couldn’t be faulted, the locally sourced food was beautifully presented, right down to the tiniest edible flowers.
Each dish was carefully explained and how they managed to keep that kitchen spotless through the night I will never know.
My two favourite dishes were the horseradish custard and game jelly and the duck, black garlic, and damson, you need to have this experience to find out the other eight!
Three and a half hours later it was time to wander down the boardwalk and retire to bed with what would have to be the most amazing natural views in the world.
The next morning we had the perfect-sized breakfast at the restaurant before being picked up and taken to our lodge close to the river which we had booked for the next two days.
We had time to unwind and read, relax, swim, and explore and at 6pm we headed up to the café for their set menu for that night - you can’t beat roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, plus dessert dished up by the friendly Sandy.
An early 7.30am start the next morning saw us boarding the jetboat to the Bridge to Nowhere, 40km from the farm in Whanganui National Park.
Sitting over the Mangapurua Gorge, the concrete bridge was completed in 1936 to enhance access to one of the most remote valleys of the Upper Whanganui River.
Seven years later, however, it became redundant as the settlers, mainly discharged servicemen from World War I, abandoned the area.
They had been valiantly trying to make a living from the inhospitable land for 24 years.
The scenery was stunning and once you have walked the route in, you are well and truly ready for the packed lunch that your guide has ready.
The jetboat trip home gave us a chance to see the little blue ducks in their native habitat, there were plenty of kayakers, but everyone was very courteous on the water.
Michael, the jetboat driver, was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the local flora and fauna, as well as a jolly good jetboat driver!
It was a full-on day and the relaxing meal again in the café was a chance to catch up with hikers, kayakers, and visitors to Blue Duck station, including the owners who will happily sit and have their meal with you and talk about the station.
My three days at Blue Duck Station were truly something special.
It made me appreciate how beautiful our native bush is, how lucky we are to still be able to see it close up and how privileged we are that the Steele family make Blue Duck Station available for tourists to come and experience this unique piece of paradise.
- The author paid for her experience.