There are certainly lots of local ingredients to savour but there are also plenty of restaurants in Gisborne offering more exotic dishes. For example, Emperor T'ang is an excellent Chinese restaurant serving superb dishes such as their signature crispy skin duck breast fillet, which is served on a bed of bok choi and topped with a glaze of garlic and oyster sauce. If seafood is more your thing, Grand Guru does an excellent prawn malai cooked with creamy coconut sauce.

The Macedon Ranges may be famous for their comfortably cool climate but there are some restaurants in Gisborne that are just as famous for their hot dishes. Diners come from as far away as Melbourne just to sample the renowned curries at The Hot Pepper Indian Restaurant. If you like a bit of spice you really should try their lamb madras, which they flavour with fresh curry leaves, mustard seeds and coconut. And if you're really adventurous you could always plump for the beef vindaloo, a truly hot chilli sensation from the east coast of India featuring tender pieces of beef cooked in vinegar and spices.