Wet weather in Cooks Beach prompts Anna King Shahab to go in search of fine food and refreshment, rather than sandy shores and ocean dips.
Our three-day family escape to Cooks Beach was rather ill-timed for beach bumming, as this summer's only bout of wet weather struck. The upside was that it led to us discovering some excellent things to eat and drink as we looked for ways to fill the rainy days.
The road to Cooks Beach and neighbouring attractions Hahei, Hot Water Beach, and Cathedral Cove passes Hot Water Brewing in Whenuakite, tucked in behind the Seabreeze Holiday Park entrance, it's perfect for a lunchtime pitstop. As well as boasting a great lineup of beers brewed onsite and locally, and a tempting pizza-focused menu, this is also the temporary home of Purangi Estate – a local vineyard and farm. Bottles of fruit liqueurs line the counter, and we're greeted by Purangi owner Danny Evans, who talks us through those liqueurs over a tasting. Plum, ginger, feijoa, orange, lime, aged port, even the ladyfinger banana – all the fruit in these bottles is grown on Danny's family land. The estate also grows tea and here you can buy their black, pu'er, or lapsang souchong styles to take on your merry way.
Of all the beers brewed here, the Kauri Falls IPA is our favourite so a six-pack of that joins lapsang souchong and limoncello to take with us, but our interest is also piqued by a glass of Kelp Party, a seaweed sour beer we try on tap by brewery Blue Fridge based up the road near Kuaotunu. Blue Fridge doesn't have a tasting room … yet – owner Adam Coleman-Smith is aspiring to make something happen in Whitianga next year, with luck. He invites us to drive up the valley for a yarn about his business, anyway. In a shed in his folks' garden on communally owned Awamarire farm, Adam's humble set-up – much of it built or tweaked by him – has number-8 wire written all over it, but it turns out some delicious beer. The name comes from the actual blue fridge that used to serve as the community letterbox. We taste a sample of a blood orange wheat beer, then head on up to Luke's Kitchen to order pints of Adam's Riwakasaurus Rex and Coro Daze to sip alongside a late lunch.
I've visited Luke's Kitchen numerous times over the past decade or so and it's never not been busy, so loved is it by locals and visitors. Our food comes out super quick and it's all tasty – woodfired pizza, coconut and lime-marinated raw tarakihi, and a steaming pot of mussels that are perfect with the background of cloud and drizzle. I'm happy to find Kōparepare chardonnay on the wine list with a note about the fact that a portion of its sales goes to marine-protecting organisation LegaSea: when dining by the ocean, this is a nice nod by the restaurant to its ocean-edge locale.
Purangi Road, which leads to Ferry Landing where the passenger ferry nips over to Whitianga and back, offers up a number of tasty finds. Eggcentric is a sweet spot for brunch with its shade-dappled garden, and we tuck into an array of Mexican plates at Cooked – the cochinita pibil pulled pork quesadilla is especially scrumptious. We meet Avocado To You owner Selma Morcom at her roadside stall (did you know there's now an honesty box app for those of us who never carry cash? Handy! Visit myhonestybox.co.nz to get started). Selma and her husband Graham mostly grow Hass but that season has just finished so in their place the Morcom's big, round Reed avocados grace the stall at $5 for a bag of four – they also do online orders.
One of the benefits of staying in Cooks Beach is the option of a five-minute ferry ride to Whitianga versus a half-hour drive – it's an especially lovely option in the evening to expand the dining options and take in the sun setting over the water. Blue Ginger is a longstanding favourite, showcasing signature dishes from Southeast Asian cuisines. More recent comer, Slice Slice Baby had me at 90s pop reference, and again with the mention of sourdough pizza bases – they're made in-house and there's a decent but not overwhelming choice of toppings. Plonk yourself down at the communal table inside, or take your slice babies down to the beach.
On our last day in Mercury Bay, summer came back with sweltering aplomb. After a hot and sweaty walk to the always magnificent Cathedral Cove and back, and a dunk in the spin-cycle waves, we hit Hahei Store for the ubiquitous icecreams. It's the perfect high-low set-up – a counter of Tip Top classics sits next to one with a dozen or more gelato creations by Lil' Lato. Even better, there's a bespoke Hahei flavour on offer – Hahei honey and Cathedral Cove macadamia. A sweet ending to a (somewhat wet) midsummer's dream getaway.
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