VATA NGOBENI - WE SAY SORRY

It sure appears that Taupo police made an awful error of judgement  Much liked and well respected sports journalist Vata Ngobeni found himself the victim of some over eager police in Taupo last night.

Reports indicate he was dragged off to the local cop shop as a suspected drug dealer.

According to other journalists with him at the time he was the only black person  in the bar. 

Admittedly the police have apologised but it should never have happened in the first place. 

Anyway this sort of crap is unacceptable  so to all New Zealanders the pic is of a good man,  a well respected professional man, who is here to enjoy our country  - So lets ensure that Vata  gets the respect and hospitality he deserves for the rest of his stay. We all owe him that. 

ALL BLACKS - WILL THEY DO IT ?

After 2night it looks like they might.

NOISY OYSTERS AND WHITEBAITS

We  got a bit of time off today -so we  had lunch at Shed 5 with some good mates.

We started with Bluff oysters for entree. They were served  almost as we like them  - naked on a rocky bed of  ice. The wee plastic squirty things with some sort of vinegar  in them that accompanied the plump oysters were just plain gauche. Raw oysters served with any plastic utensil is a travesty. We photographed the squirty thing, that looked like a turkey baster for quail, with the oysters - its to the right of the plate in the ice. Awful wee device.

We do no like our food  fancy schmansyied but they did it again with the main of whitebait fritters . Fritters unadorned but for a gentle drop of lemon juice, cannot be beaten. But no - they served them with oily undrained mussel fritters and a smudge of carrot puree. It was just wrong. 

Where is Gaults simple but deft touch?

Stunning food is like a stunning woman - she is mouthwatering naked and only needs a simple adornment to bring out her inner beauty. 

Sadly our meal at Shed Five was like Audrey Hepburn  dressed in trackies from KMart. 

Luckily we supped on the superb Daniel Le Brun  bubbles. A fine New Zealand  methode traditonelle  to have with  New Zealands finest seafood.  It made  up for the missing citrus on the whitebait. 

So our advice to Shed Five is to undress the plates. Seafood  of this quality happily shines on its own. 

However for location and service Shed 5 is hard to beat and the two big  fritters were exceptional value. 

We recommend this restaurant to any Rugby World Cup visitors 

GETTING A LOT IN LITTLE RIVER

I was lucky enough to be over on the Banks Peninsula today and even luckier to have lunch with some friends at the Little River Cafe and Gallery.  

The food is fantastic and reasonably priced. We had the beef pie - it  was full of dense beef  topside in a thick and tasty gravy studded with mushrooms. The cafe sells smoked salt and I would bet a dollar to a donut that the chef seasoned the pie with this wonderful seasoning. 

Desert was a baked cheese cake. The place was packed  as any good cafe is.  And the coffee was strong with any trace of bitterness. 

If you are on the way to Akaroa during the Rugby World Cup then make Little River your brunch stop . You wont be disappointed

I LOVE NEW ZEALAND

A friend of Lambcut's was in the National Bank branch that is nearest the Parliament end of Lambton Quay, today. Bill English happened to be there too. Apparently, our Deputy Prime Minister fronted up to the teller, as one does, regarding whatever transaction he had in mind. The teller asked him for ID. I love New Zealand.

SCAREDY FLOYD

Poor Floyd didnt take the news that I had gained a few pounds in Christchurch particularly well.....