I was much impressed by Christchurch, a lovely town, it reminds me in architecture of Princeton.
I have very fond recollections of New Zealand, none of them associated with food. I recall one time running a motor home into a ditch and being unable to drive it out when a farmer came along with his tractor and pulled us out. He was a genuinely nice guy and insisted on giving us a full tour of his farm. It was at the depths of socialism in New Zealand and he explained with a real tear in his eye that he was about to lose his farm and that is last hope was a pasture with a very high fence to contain dear whose antlers he harvested to be ground up as aphrodisiacs for oriental men.
I recall flying with my wife near Christchurch in an ancient biplane when the engine quit so the pilot pushed the nose down to spin the prop and get the old engine going again. Apart from this excitement, I well remember the beauty of the landscape below which rivals that of Bavaria for being green and lovely.
I remember sitting in a pub in Auckland New Zealand watching a rugby match involving the much beloved All Blacks when I was puckish enough to question, "I don't understand how you can take seriously any game played in short pants." It was a narrow thing but I did not go sailing through the window, proving beyond doubt what a sane and reasonable people the Kiwis are.
Just don't eat their food.
