10/08/2026
โจ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด - ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ โจ
What an absolute honour to be in Auckland for the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Aotearoa New Zealand Awards, a truly historic moment as New Zealand officially joins the MICHELIN Guide family for the very first time ๐
I feel incredibly honoured, blessed and eternally grateful to have been invited as a special guest and to be one of only two Australian travel advisers in the room, alongside a travel writer, marketing representative and US travel adviser
WOWโฆ what a night โค๏ธ
The inaugural MICHELIN Guide recognised 110 incredible establishments across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, including 14 One MICHELIN Star restaurants and one extraordinary Two MICHELIN Star restaurant โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
But for me, the stars were only part of the story
Watching the chefs and their teams hear their names called, experience the shock, emotion, pride and pure joy of their achievements in real time was something I will never forget. There were tears, huge hugs, standing ovations and moments that genuinely gave me goosebumps ๐ฅนโค๏ธ
One moment that particularly touched me was seeing Executive Chef Henry Onesemo of TALA receive a MICHELIN Star - making TALA the first restaurant in the world to receive a MICHELIN Star for contemporary Samoan food. Seeing Henry proudly carry the Samoan flag onto the stage was incredibly moving โค๏ธ
And then there was Teresa Pert, Head Chef at Wellingtonโs Ortega Fish Shack, who became the only female chef to take the stage as a One MICHELIN Star chef on the night. Her emotion and pride for the Ortega family was truly beautiful to witness โค๏ธ
And what a way to finishโฆ Essence in Queenstown, led by Executive Chef Paul Froggatt, was awarded New Zealandโs only Two MICHELIN Stars โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ A truly incredible achievement
But hereโs the thingโฆ The MICHELIN Guide is just the beginning !
Aotearoaโs food story is so much bigger than stars and accolades. Itโs about incredible local produce, pure flavours, diverse cultures, connection to place and above all, manaakitanga - the deep expression of hospitality that makes people feel welcomed, cared for and at home
As a travel adviser, these are the experiences I love most - the stories, the people, the culture and the moments that make a destination unforgettable
New Zealandโฆ you have my heart โค๏ธ
And to every chef, restaurateur, producer and hospitality team who was recognised - whakamihi! Congratulations! You should be incredibly proud
I cannot wait to continue discovering, tasting and sharing the very best of Aotearoa with my clients โจ
Explore the full MICHELIN Guide New Zealand selection here: https://www.newzealand.com/int/campaign/worth-a-special-journey/
