Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Guns & Butter: Blenheim, New Zealand Travel Guide

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June 13, 2019

Blenheim New Zealand Travel Guide is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

TPOL’s Guns & Butter Travel Guide is the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible. Here’s how it works – A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy. The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa. The guide includes inefficient activities i.e., tourist traps that should be avoided and aspirational activities that are worth doing but may be impossible to see given the constraints of time and resources.

I went to Blenheim for the sauvignon blanc. I ended up doing and consuming much more than that. Here’s what not to do, do, and maybe do again if you’re in Blenheim, New Zealand.

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Golf: Golf Blenheim New Zealand: So I Picked the Wrong Course

A fool once said, “A bad day at golf is better than a good day at the office.” I’d rather make money than stink it up on the golf course. In Blenheim, I would rather have gone for more wine tasting than play at a muni course.

a man swinging a bat in a park — If you’re looking for the Pebble Beach beautiful golf experience with views of the Sounds, this is not the course for you. If you’re moving to Blenheim and want to join an affordable course, for 400NZD annually, this can be your home.

Hans Herzog Vineyard: Yes to Wine, Pass on Food

a shelf with bottles of wine and glasses — $220, of which $95 was wine, is too much to spend for an average dinner. Go to Hans for wine. Don’t go for food.

Eat

Raizada: T he Best Indian Food Comes from This Small Town

a bowl of food with a spoon — This is the best Indian food I have had since my time in Goa.

What’s better than wine and Indian food? Going twice.

Drink

This is why I came to Blenheim.

Stop 1: Chateau Marlborough: The Best Hotel in Blenheim

Even if you don’t stay here, pop in for happy hour. Sitting by the pool on a sunny afternoon is a great experience.

Stop 2: Wine Station Blenheim New Zealand: Wine Tasting the Right Way

Instead of pedaling from vineyard to vineyard, head here where all the wines are a credit card swipe away.

a hand holding a glass of wine — Mind your budget at the Wine Station

Stop 3 till You Drop: Wine Tours by Bike NZ: A Must for Wine Enthusiasts

With the help of grapes, you too can conquer your fear of riding a bike while trying fantastic wines.

Stay

Chateau Marlborough: The Best Hotel in Blenheim

The hotel is centrally located, has great service, and has nice rooms.

Do Again

Wine Tour: There are more vineyards than days in a year. I would recommend going on a bike tour the second day you arrive, go to the Wine Station on day 3, then go for another bike wine tour. Staying 4 nights in Blenheim is a good idea.

Overall

Blenheim isn’t the easiest place to get to (see Air New Zealand Wellington to Blenheim: Prop Plane Comfort Plus), but it is very easy to leave (see Blenheim, NZ Airport Review: What Flying Private Must Be Like). In between, have some wine, have some fun.

Chateau Marlborough: The Best Hotel in Blenheim

thepointsoflife

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June 12, 2019

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Chateau Marlborough Blenheim Hotel Review is is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

Getting There: Taxi‎. There’s no reason to rent a car. The town is tiny and wine tasting should be done via bike tour (see Wine Tours by Bike NZ: A Must for Wine Enthusiasts).

I landed in Blenheim with nowhere to stay. I tried the Google Maps ‘Hotels Near Me’ trick, and once again it was cheaper than the other searches (see Aura Hotel Melbourne: Flinders, Flinders, Flinders!). The query popped up with the Chateau Marlborough which had a photo of a fancy entrance and a price of $100 a night. Like before, I tried to book using garbage T-Mobile’s data and got nowhere.

Since there was only one taxi in the tiny airport, I figured I would take it and deal with booking when I had WiFi.

Checking In

After making the reservation, the front desk said it would take a few minutes for it to show up in their system. Instead of waiting around, I took advantage of the $20NZD voucher and went to the pool for happy hour.

Lobby couch

Pool Patio

Back left from the pool is a nice seating area where I had many bottles over the three nights I stayed.

Service

The hotel has great service. They booked the wine tour, the taxi to the airport, and recommended the Wine Station and Raizada Indian restaurant. Notably, they weren’t overly enthusiastic about Hans as a dining option (see Hans Herzog Vineyard: Yes to Wine, Pass on Food.)

Room

I booked an executive suite. It had a big living room that I did not use with a view of the pool.

Bedroom

I do not recommend the executive suite in the summer. It is better to book a single room because the a/c was not in the bedroom.

Bathroom

Good soaps, good water pressure.

Breakfast

Breakfast wasn’t included and I chose to apply my voucher to wine.

Wine

The happy hour sauvignon blanc was great. On the last night, I went with a bold pinot noir called Fickle Mistress. It was another great choice.

Location

The hotel is walking distance to everything in the town.

Overall

This is a great place to stay in Blenheim.

Hans Herzog Vineyard New Zealand: Yes to Wine, Pass on Food

thepointsoflife

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June 11, 2019

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Hans Herzog Restaurant Review is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

Is it possible to eat and drink anymore than I did on this trip? Of course it is. After a day of golf and wine tasting (see Wine Station and Wine Bike Tour), it was time for an upscale meal at one of the most famous vineyards – Hans Herzog. I thought it would be the same as Le Bon Vivant in Franschhoek but came away disappointed. Here’s why:

Nebbiolo

In Franschhoek I had Rupert (see Rupert Wines Franschhoek: A Must Drink for Wine Enthusiasts). In Blenheim I have Hans. The problem is that I ordered Nebbiolo instead of the Montepulciano which I tried at the Wine Station. I fell for Hans’s marketing who described this wine with more exclamations about its boldness than it deserved. To salvage this problem, I bought a bottle of Montepulciano to take home.

Cheese Platter

Hans’s cheese platter was not impressive. I’ve had nicer spreads on airplanes (see Cathay Pacific First Class JFK-HKG: 15.5 Hours of Bliss).

Beef Tartare

Hans’s tartare was decent but nothing exceptional.

Main Plate

The main course was as sad as the cheese platter. It was trying to be fancy but there was no substance.

Creme Burlee

Dessert was fine but like everything else, not fantastic.

Overall

$220 of which $95 was wine is too much to spend for an average dinner. Go to Hans for wine. Don’t go for food.

TPOL’s TIP: Hans contact info: 81 Jeffries Rd, Marlborough 7273, New Zealand, +64 3-572 8770

Wine Tours by Bike NZ: A Must for Wine Enthusiasts

thepointsoflife

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June 10, 2019

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Wine Bike Tour New Zealand is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

I can’t ride a bike well. Granted I only ride once every few years and only out of tourism necessity. In 2013, I rode one in Mendoza in pursuit of Malbec (see “It’s Like Riding a Bike.” Those words have haunted me for years.). In 2015, I rode one in Bagan to see the pagodas (see Guns & Butter: Bagan Travel Guide). In 2019, I had two choices: go on a wine tasting tour in a van or get back in the saddle. Since I hate tours more than I hate cycling, I booked the latter.

a poster on a wall — They make it look so pleasant.

Rainy Day

On the day of the tasting, I woke up to the sound of rain. This could have been my excuse to cancel the bike and take the van. The front desk said it would clear up and my moment of weakness passed. The van picked us up and drove us out to wine country. Along the way I saw cars zipping by at high speeds alongside the vines. I had cheated death by swimming with crocodiles (see Guns & Butter: Darwin Travel Guide). Why was I pushing my luck for vino?

Safety Debrief

Much like the croc diving, I listened intently to the safety instructions. I felt relief when we were told that there are designated bike paths and that cycling on the highways is not allowed.

Test Your Bike

In front of people, I had to get on my bike and pedal to see if the bike was to my liking. I couldn’t wait for the first drink.

a group of bicycles parked on a sidewalk — Tandem bike? No way.

Vineyard #1: Forrest

After relaxing, I made my way to the first vineyard. It was immediately apparent that the bike tour was the way to go. Had I been better at starting and stopping, I would’ve taken more photos along the way.

The first vineyard did not have anything special. It did give me a gentle buzz to commence the journey to the next.

Vineyard #2: Frammingham

I came to Marlborough for the sauvignon blanc, but I was open to trying new varietals. In Yarra, my attempt to fall in love with chardonnay failed (see Vineyard Crawl: My Yarra Valley Wine Tour). I thought I would reaffirm my dislike of Riesling after trying it at Frammingham, the vineyard famous for this varietal. To my surprise, I liked the dry Riesling. To my surprise, I also fell in love again with pinot noir and am convinced that some of the best pinot comes from this region as well.

a man standing in a vineyard — Fearless TPOL

Vineyard #3: Bladen

I had some false starts along the way. The worst of the cycling was going to Bladen which did not have a paved road leading to the vineyard. It did have a nice bottle of gewürztramine, which wins the award for best new wine in a supporting role.

Vineyard #4: Wairau River

It was time for lunch at Wairau River. To start, I ordered a bottle of sauvignon blanc reserve. My pallette is not refined to tell the difference between reserve sauvignon and standard. Sauvignon blanc either tastes the way it ought to taste, light and crisp, or it is just bad wine mislabled as sauvignon.

two men sitting at a table with wine glasses — Even found a Michigan alum to split a second bottle.

Vineyard #5: Nautilus

Like Yarra, the wine tasting evolved into a wine crawl. When we showed up at Nautilus, the pourer was not impressed with our demeanor. She recommended water which incidentally tasted better than any of the samples we had.

Vineyard #6: No. 1

At this point, we were short on time but thirsty to try Marlborough’s bubbles. A quick stop at No. 1 reaffirms that South Africa does bubbles better than Marlborough (see The Best Bubbly Comes From Franschhoek, Not France).

Return

I returned to the rental shop without incident but am no closer to purchasing a bike or getting on another one anytime soon.

Overall

Do the bike wine tour. The scenery is beautiful. You get to go at your own pace. And you’ll live to tell about it.

TPOL’s TIP: Wine Tours by Bike: 33 Blicks Rd, Blenheim 7204, New Zealand; +64 3-572 7954

Golf Blenheim New Zealand: So I Picked the Wrong Course

thepointsoflife

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June 7, 2019

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Golf Blenheim is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

The last time I was in New Zealand, I played golf in one of Auckland’s top courses, the Gulf Harbour Country Club. It was a breathtaking course overlooking the ocean.

‎This time I learned about a golf course in Blenheim where golf only cost $20 a round. The course is nice enough given the price but it’s obviously not, nor is it intended to be, a ‘must play’ international course. It served the purpose of satisfying my golf urge.

Rentals

Rentals are $20 which is probably how much the clubs are worth. The president of the club said that they were 30 to 40 years old. I had some fantastic shots with the 3 Iron, Screwdriver, and the Big Bertha, the club of choice decades ago.

Course Set Up

They drive on the left in New Zealand. I never got used to that and had some close calls when crossing the street. This backwards set up was also on the golf course. In order to get from hole five to six, I had to cross through hole 7. There’s a sign warning golfers to look to see if someone was teeing off. That was on multiple holes.

The course is also a nine hole with separate tee boxes for the front nine and back nine.

9th Hole

After a few holes, I was over golfing. I didn’t come all the way to Marlborough to golf on a course I could find at home. Nevertheless, I wanted to finish nine holes. The ninth was a 180 yard par 3 with trees on both sides creating a narrow corridor. For the photo, I broke out Big Bertha and without using a tee, drilled the ball over the fairway. It landed only a few feet from the hole. Factoring in the distance, degree of difficulty, and antiquity of the club, this was the best shot of my life. It made the golf experience worthwhile.

Hospitality

The course director gave us a ride back to the hotel and gave me a copy of the latest rules of golf.

Overall

If you’re looking for the Pebble Beach beautiful golf experience with views of the Sounds, this is not the course for you. If you’re moving to Blenheim and want to join an affordable course, for 400NZD annually, this can be your home.

Wine Station Blenheim New Zealand: Wine Tasting the Right Way

thepointsoflife

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June 6, 2019

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Wine Station Blenheim New Zealand is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

Thanks to late night drinking and eating at Raizada, we had to cancel the wine bike tour (rescheduled for the next day, see Blenheim Wine Bike Tour). In need of tasting, we went to the Hitching Post and ordered Highlighter. Actually, in need of tasting we went to the Wine Station.

At first, we couldn’t find the Wine Station and were aimlessly wandering around Blenheim. Then we saw an old school train trudging along at a low speed. We wondered where that train was going and walked in its direction. It soon dawned on us that the Wine Station was named as such because it was a train station.

The Train Station

Curious, I asked where the train was going. I learned it goes to the next town over, Pitcon, and is a novelty for tourists on New Zealand cruises. It’s also a very expensive ride.

The Wine Station

This place is dangerous. Here’s why:

Armed with the card, I went from station to station sampling everything. Like Pulp Fiction’s $5 milkshake, I had to know what a $17 glass of Sauvignon Blanc tasted like.

Cloudy Bay is a famous vineyard, but this wasn’t worth the price.

I also tried the Hans Herzog’s signature wine which I later purchased after dining at his upscale restaurant (see Hans Estate Restaurant Review). Inspired by Raizada, I sampled more gewürztraminer, a new favorite.

After a few more, it was time to cash out. I was surprised that it was only $40USD, though I could see how it could get out of control.

a wine cooler with bottles and glasses — Rose also worth trying

Overall

The Wine Station is a great place for sampling more varieties of varietals in Marlborough than can be done by bicycle.

TPOL’s TIP: The Wine Station is located at Sinclair St, Mayfield, Blenheim 7201, New Zealand

The Best Indian Food Comes from This Small Town

thepointsoflife

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June 5, 2019

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Best Indian Food Blenheim New Zealand is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

A good combination is white wine and Indian food. If you’re searching for the two in Blenheim, there’s only one place to go. And it’s so good, we went twice. The name of the restaurant is Raizada. It is right around the corner from my hotel, the Chateau Marlborough.

Usuals

The first time we went, we got the usual order of butter chicken, vegetarian beryani, and ‘Indian hot’ lamb vindaloo. That along with butter naan is the go-to combination.

Spices

Raizada also sells spices. I got into a conversation with the owner Roger about bringing spices home which led to a conversation about wine. That led to sampling bottles of gewürztraminer, something I never had before. That led back to a conversation about making butter chicken in less than five minutes. I didn’t believe it until he literally cooked it in front of me right then and there.

Second Visit

As regulars of Raizada, we didn’t have to order off the menu. Roger made everything like it was the holidays.

Overall

This is the best Indian food I have had since my time in Goa.

TPOL’S TIP: If you can’t visit Raizada personally, fear not, Raizada will soon be selling its spices worldwide. More information when they become available.

Simply The Best: May 2019

thepointsoflife

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June 4, 2019

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Watch out now! It’s June. Here’s the best from May.

Destination Fee Scam: At Least Tell Me the ‘Benefits’
Destination fees are a scam, but it’s even worse when the ‘benefits’ are not disclosed.
Make Corfu Greek Again! How Tourism Ruined an Island
I once wrote how Boracy was closed because tourists had literally destroyed the island. The same can be said for parts of Corfu, Greece, which has been overrun with tourists and has become a disgusting haven for drunkards.
Complaints: How Long Till You Let It Go?
Do I just let complaints go simply because time has passed? Absolutely not.
Freddie Awards 2019: Winner for Best Dressed And More
The Freddie’s is turning into TPOL’S personal fashion show.
Melbourne Airport Lounge Review: SQ vs. Centurion
You have two lounges side by side: Amex and SQ Business, which one do you go to? If you’re conducting the official Melbourne airport lounge review, the answer is both.
Stay Certificates: Saving Thousands in NY
Who likes annual fees? After this week, I can say that I do, especially when it comes from my Bonvoy cards.
Trademark Infringement? Hungry Jack’s vs. Burger King
Burger King was shady with how it tried to infiltrate the Australian market. However, there is only one “Home of the Whopper” and it isn’t Jack’s house.

Chase Mandatory Arbitration: Stop Complaining, Start Fighting

thepointsoflife

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June 3, 2019

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The following is not legal advice but you already know that.

The general public is misinformed, ill-informed, and inadequately informed when it comes to consumer arbitration. I just read a post on Miles to Memories called Chase Changed Their Arbitration Terms – How To Reject This Change & Why You Might Want To. As a consumer arbitration attorney that has beaten, in arbitration, banks like Citi (see Beating Citi in Arbitration, What It Means for You) and telecom companies like Verizon among others, I have to set the record straight and tear apart every point in the blog post.

I’ll go line by line.

First, the proceedings are private, so if they’ve done something wrong, there’s less publicity. This is misleading. It is irrelevant if the actual proceeding is private. What is more important is that the proceeding is not confidential. The only party that has to keep the arbitration confidential is the arbitrator. The winning party or the losing party can reveal anything about the arbitration including the arbitrator’s reasoning. Indeed, if a consumer wins an arbitration, he or she can have the award confirmed by a court. This makes the result public. From there, it’s up to consumers and the media to publicize the result. If it results in a victory for the consumer then it should be shouted from the rooftops. If it is an unfavorable result for the consumer then, like court decisions, the public can weigh in on the outcome.
It’s much cheaper because each individual consumer would have to bring legal action against the bank. Here is another incorrect mischaracterization of arbitration. First, in terms of arbitration costs, companies have to pay the filing fee for each arbitration. This is thousands of dollars. In addition, the company has to pay for the services of the arbitrator. Sure, one case is pennies, but how about having to do so for 60,000 clams. That is hardly cheap (see Uber’s Arbitration Addiction Could Be Death by 60,000 Cuts).
Consumers are generally not going to go to the trouble for a few bucks. This is wrong for so many reasons. To begin, people in the points hobby are the most frugal people I have ever met. Take one point away, one benefit, or one lounge away from them, and they’ll cry, “Lawsuit!” If there’s any chance for points enthusiasts to recover anything, they’ll try. Second, a few bucks multiplied by thousands of claims is not a few bucks. Trivializing claims by saying it’s only a few bucks is how big businesses get away with ripping customers off one by one. Third, what trouble is the author speaking of? All someone who has a consumer dispute is file a notice of dispute directly with the company (or submit an inquiry with Bachuwa Law) and wait for a response. If there’s not a settlement, the consumer can file the arbitration, have the company pay for the majority of the arbitration (if not the whole thing), and present his or her case. That will take months, not years like class actions. The usual result for a claim with merit, lest my disclaimer that prior results don’t guarantee a future outcome, is a healthy settlement. A settlement that’s much better for the consumer than a case of Redbull from a class action (see The Fine Print: No Class-Actions Against Banks? So What). This brings me to the fourth error in the post.
If there’s a class action it’s not just a few bucks for one consumer, it’s a few bucks for each member of the class and that could be millions of people. First, the general public needs to understand that class actions aren’t easy to file. There is a complex procedure for bringing a class action that isn’t as easy as “a bunch of us got ripped off, that’s a possible class action.” And even if an issue is class-action worthy, the chances that the dispute is not governed by an arbitration agreement these days is slim to none. Like it or not, the Court has upheld arbitration agreements as enforceable time and time again. The only way that this will change is by legislative action, something unlikely to happen in the near future. Next, who wants a few bucks? Consumers should seek all damages allowable under law against companies that behave badly. On an individual basis, this could mean significantly more money than the the class action settlement whereby the lawyers get millions and the consumer gets pennies.

I tried to take a soft approach in an attempt to convert the skeptics about the benefits of consumer arbitration. I used to write frequently for Frequent Miler on the subject. While I made some progress, most remain unconvinced. Here are the usual comments: “Consumer arbitration is a scam.” “We want class action.” “Bachuwa doesn’t know anything.”

This time around, I’m taking a different approach. I’m calling out those who write about a topic they know nothing about and discrediting their misinformation. I’m also urging everyone who has a dispute to file a complaint. I’m asking everyone to publicize the result of his or her claim whether he or she wins or loses. The alternative is to keep bitching about how unfair everything is and hope that companies grow a conscience. How do you think that will go?

Air New Zealand Wellington to Blenheim: Prop Plane Comfort Plus

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May 31, 2019

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Air New Zealand Wellington to Blenheim: Prop Plane Comfort Plus

Air New Zealand Wellington to Blenheim Flight Review is part of the TPOL Down Under Trip Report.

Am I in Montana? I asked that a lot when I was in New Zealand. I first asked it as I was boarding my plane from Wellington to Blenheim. Like flights to Montana, the gate was in an isolated part of the airport. Like flights to Montana, this was a prop plane. All that was missing was the Alaskan Airlines logo. Twenty minutes later, I was in Blenheim. Now for some wine.