Samantha Brown's Places to Love

Top Of The South Island, Nz

Samantha bicycles through the sprawling Brancott Estate vineyards, which was the first to grow and bottle Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, and then visits the te Pa Family Vineyards, where she learns of its 800-year old Maori roots. From land to sea, Samantha explores the Marlborough Sounds aboard the Pelorus Mail Boat, where she helps deliver mail to the locals who live off the beaten path. Havelock is the mussel capital of the world, here Samantha indulges at Mills Bay Mussels, which serves up tasty variations of green shell mussels. In Nelson, Samantha meets Dame Suzie Moncrieff at the World of Wearable Art (WOW), where experienced designers, students and novices from around the globe compete at their hugely prestigious event. Samantha then strolls through town with Grant Smithies, New Zealand's premier music writer, and learns about the happening Nelson scene. Taking to the sky, Samantha helicopters to a Lord of the Rings filming location at the peak of Mount Olympus, where Pilot Bill Reid shares stories of scouting with Director Peter Jackson. In Abel Tasman National Park, Samantha walks along Awaroa Beach and talks with Adam Gardner, who co-led a crowdfunding campaign raising $2+ million NZ dollars to purchase the beach and gifted it back the New Zealanders.