My favorite was Baked Fillet of Grouper served on a bed of snow peas with a passion fruit butter sauce. The king of deserts was the baked chocolate mousse cake with clotted cream and berries. Naturally this is why the west coast has such wonderful subtropical rainforests. Tannifers and cabbage trees, which don't provide cabbage and really aren't trees, abound had medicinal value to the Maori. The forest changes from beach to broad leaf.
Ferns hang from the hillsides and everything is a lush green.
The west coast was heavily mined for gold and there are many remnants of old miners' tunnels. One of these tunnels opened up into a beautiful section of the rainforest, but unfortunately had about 3 inches of water on the floor. It was here that Brian first proved himself to be a true Sir Galahad. Two women in our group didn't relish the idea of getting their new hiking boots muddy, so without hesitation Brian carried them, one at a time on his back, through the tunnel and out into the forest. Besides carrying women across streams and through mud puddles, Brian is incredibly knowledgeable about birds, trees, ferns, animals, history and most everything pertaining to the South Island.